I was going to keep this to myself until now, but.........the Saab 900 turbo
intercooler is the one I am going to use in my TD Westy (as soon as I finish
the other more pressing issues!). The Audi 5000/200 I/C is not a good choice
IMO, as it is a tad too long. The Saab unit is an almost perfect fit for the
hole behind the left taillight, and could be sealed and then fresh air
ducted from above. A small motorcycle cooling fan will provide extra air as
needed. OR, since this is an all-aluminum I/C, a water jacket could be added
(welded on) to transform it into an air/water cooler. It should provide a
real boost in power, as now on cool days (denser air) I can feel a big
difference in power as well as throttle response.

Karl von M�llendorf
WestyVentures
1987 Syncro Westfalia 1.9 TD 'Otto'

> Hi All,
>
> My understanding of intercoolers is that "bigger is better"  Larger
surface
> area for cooling airflow means more cooling capacity, thus cooler/denser
> air charge. So why not try the cheap alternative, a used intercooler from
> Saab/Audi.  These are 2.0-2.3? litre gas engines, so running much higher
> RPMs than any diesel.  Should have tons of cooling capacity for a 1.9l
> diesel.  I can't see anyone running boost pressures so high that they
> exceed the design capacity of these intercoolers when on a diesel.
>
> Plumbing could be a real PITA, but how much does an aftermarket kit cost?
> To use the extra air you need extra fuel, tweaking the injector pump would
> be required I'd guess. And you could handle a higher boost pressure, hence
> reshim the wastegate or change turbo's. And with extra fuel/boost pressure
> you will need an exhaust gas temp gauge on the dash or risk frying a
> piston.  As far as location/cooling of the intercooler...?  ducts? fan?
> water spray? food for thought, bye. Tim