I have been playing around with the idea of adding an intercooler to the SDL.:) I have seen kits for other diesels in Europe that claim 20-30 hp from the addition of an intercooler and susequent richening of the fuel mixture. Im pretty sure this can be done with the ALDA adjustment. This way boost pressure would stay the same but a denser charge would be produced. Logistics for mounting it aside as it can be done, and lets say even a 10-15 hp jump, I think this would be a good upgrade. What do you guys think?:)

Intercooler
 

Hi, I've been thinking the same thing for my 300 SD. I thought about a intercooler off a Saab 9000. I checked with Ebay and used cooler cost about $50. With a cooler and some tubing (aluminized exhaust pipe bent and silicone rubber tubing), I think it'll work. Anything to cool the intake air will help. I bet you the engine will run cooler also because the way it is now, that's a lot of pressurized hot air being blown in.

I used to own a 300D Euro model, that, when imported, had an intercooled turbo put on the motor. For obvious reasons, the turbocharger provided no boost whatsoever to the engine, but the point is, an intercooler will fit in a 123 chassis. I would think that the shorter the cooling lines (going to and from the condenser) the better chance of keeping the compressed air cool.

If you manage this, please let us know your results; it sounds like an interesting experiment.

It sounds like a great idea and one that is used in over the road diesels routinely. The trick is the packaging...achieving the benefit of the cooled intake charge without losing boost due to an overly complex plumbing set-up. Please keep us posted!

[Edited by rdetoy on 06-14-2001 at 03:02 AM]

Intercooler on a W123 chassis? Where the heck would you mount the thing? Even if it was a small intercooler, I would imagine it would be difficult to find a place where it would receive optimum airflow. But I'm dying to know.

Hey,

Any updates from anyone on this subject? I'd think it would be agreat upgrade for the SDL...

Thanks.

-m

I believe Volvo and Saab intercoolers fit between the AC condenser and radiator. They're as big as a radiator, but not as thick. There are smaller intercoolers available that would fit behind the lower grille.

On OM617 turbodiesels, you'd have to spin the compressor housing so the compressor doesn't blow directly into the intake manifold. I don't know if this is easy to do. At the very least you'd have to figure out how to mount the wastegate actuator, right?

Sixto
91 300SE
81 300SD

Since there is no need to reduce the temperature of the air going into the engine on a diesel, why bother? Most MB diesels will blow apart if you boost them to the max available from the turbo (20 psi or so) -- isn't an intercooler sorta overkill?

I don't think there is room, anyway -- the one on my sister's Volvo 740 was almost as big as the rad, anyway -- and flow isn't so much of a problem there as boost only goes to 4 psi.

Just run the boost up the 13 psi and be done with it -- that may be too much, anyway. Reducing the temp of the charge will just raise the effective compression ratio even more, and you are probably near the limit to start with. No fun driving a car with the head bolts stretched!

Peter

My BMW turbo has an intercooler after the compressor that is mounted to the side of the radiator on the passenger's side. It's about 18" high, 12"wide, and 4" thick. It is mounted behind and a bit below the headlamps and is large enough that ram air will cool it sufficiently (when in this car if the KKK turbo is compressing, your alwready at 80mph). The engine compartment in a MB would not seem to permit decent airflow to an intercooler unless it's mounted awkwardly behind the radiator. In my BMW, air can flow around the headlamps, because of their strange mounting. MB does this differently. I don't know how Saab or Volvo do this. If you are in need of the diagram of how BMW does this I can always scan in a pict from my owner's manual.

Good Luck, have a good weekend and a safe holiday.

Adam (ATLD)

Some Japanese cars have an intercooler in the front fenderwell ahead of the wheel. Air has to be directed to the intercooler and the fender lining has to be vented to allow air to flow out of the intercooler.

Sixto
91 300SE
81 300SD

VW puts it in the fenderwell. Some people cut slits into the plastic of the wheelwell to allow more air flow. No hard facts if it helps or not.

Hmm, car companies do put intercoolers on their diesels. I guess a little more research into the 300 SDL engine is in order to find out if it's a good idea and how much boost could be safely run.

-m

The Dodge truck with the Cummings diesel has an intercooler (and radiator, AC condenser, and transmission, count em 4).

Peugeot has its intercooler near the top of the engine and duct work from the grill to get the air to it.

Check out this article on intercooling. They basically claim the air becomes more dense that's fed into the turbocharger. That part sounds good.

http://www.freeautoadvice.com/diesel/psdintcool.html

They also say it will keep the engine temperature down a bit. You want your diesel to stay at it's optimum pretty hot temperature. I wonder how much it would actually affect the engine's temperature. I would guess not that much.

Not sure how much more boost you could handle. It might make your factory 13psi more efficient. That wouldn't be damaging, would it?

-m

I think it's more about the mass of air than pressure. With an intercooler, you can get the same mass of air into the combustion chamber with less volume and therefore less pressure than with warmer air.

Sixto
91 300SE
81 300SD

So, that can't be bad then, can it?

Would I be correct in saying that keeping factory boost levels, and adding an intercooler would yeild more horsepower?

Could it possibly help keeping the engine temp down in the summer?

Might be just more of an exercise then an actual performance mod.

-m