Phoenix from the flames - Porsche Boxster with an Audi 2.7T
Discussion
Looking good, and you certainly do not hang about!
Regarding your pit - my dad had a pit that had planks of wood covering the whole area - from what I can see of yours there is about a 2 inch step down from the red floor to black ledge. Measure this, and the width of the whole. If you then get lots of planks that thickness and length - the planks were about 2 inches thick and 6 inches wide, by about 5 feet long. It would cover the whole pit, be strong enough to drive over, and you can open the pit only in the places you want to.
It was also really handy to slide the planks up and down, so you can get a jack under the gearbox in just the right place, or more usually, another bottle of brake fluid as you are trying for the millionth time to bleed the clutch, unsuccessfully.
Don't try the normal two letter shop for wood of this size, I would recommend a more timber shop - we have GPH or Jewsons or Cordiners, your location will have different options.
Regarding your pit - my dad had a pit that had planks of wood covering the whole area - from what I can see of yours there is about a 2 inch step down from the red floor to black ledge. Measure this, and the width of the whole. If you then get lots of planks that thickness and length - the planks were about 2 inches thick and 6 inches wide, by about 5 feet long. It would cover the whole pit, be strong enough to drive over, and you can open the pit only in the places you want to.
It was also really handy to slide the planks up and down, so you can get a jack under the gearbox in just the right place, or more usually, another bottle of brake fluid as you are trying for the millionth time to bleed the clutch, unsuccessfully.
Don't try the normal two letter shop for wood of this size, I would recommend a more timber shop - we have GPH or Jewsons or Cordiners, your location will have different options.
I've got a couple of steel beams that sit in that edge around the pit which I use for jacking. It's also got a steel grate that sits over it. I could put steel plate over the top of it so I can wheel things on it but they'll end up heavy and a pain to move. The wood is a decent idea but it's just more space taken up. You should see me tip toeing around all the various parts strewn all over the floor as it is.
To be honest, thinking back my original way to get engine's in and out was way more dodgy. I had the engine hoist fully extended which i'd guess is well past the 250kg weight limit then i'd wheel it out in between the legs of the hoist. I wish I had a lift, would make things way easier and less dangerous.
To be honest, thinking back my original way to get engine's in and out was way more dodgy. I had the engine hoist fully extended which i'd guess is well past the 250kg weight limit then i'd wheel it out in between the legs of the hoist. I wish I had a lift, would make things way easier and less dangerous.
Good call, had forgot about that suggestion. They sound really good and would solve my issues. I'm trying to read up on it but it's all a bit vague, lots of forum talk, not many details on the actual systems, even on vendors websites. I feel like they might not actually be selling you all that much which is why they are light on the details. I'm trying to work out how the system works firstly and then what i'll need to make one up, if anyone has a good link please share it.
I did see a comment on hybrid cars using the A/C to cool the water used for battery cooling, if anyone knows what cars are using that system it could be a good source for all the parts required.
I did see a comment on hybrid cars using the A/C to cool the water used for battery cooling, if anyone knows what cars are using that system it could be a good source for all the parts required.
There's me struggling to motivate myself to paint the garden fence and there you are removing engines from two cars 
You mentioned using the boxster AC pump (assuming it fits the engine?) and extending the lines (or making new). Surely this is the best idea, using the company you also mentioned, assuming you mean Pertek. OEM systems in this kind of thing normally function best is my thinking, though I appreciate it might not be that simple?
Great thread btw! I've really enjoyed all your car journeys you've posted about on here
You mentioned using the boxster AC pump (assuming it fits the engine?) and extending the lines (or making new). Surely this is the best idea, using the company you also mentioned, assuming you mean Pertek. OEM systems in this kind of thing normally function best is my thinking, though I appreciate it might not be that simple?
Great thread btw! I've really enjoyed all your car journeys you've posted about on here
They do disengage at WOT. You use the AC to chill the coolant that you used for water to air charge cooling, the idea is you have enough capacity of chilled water that it'll last the time you are WOT. The more capacity you have the longer it takes to chill back down.
It seems to me this system is probably perfect for street use and drag strips where you are WOT for short bursts. I'm not sure how it will cope on track or top speed runs where you are on the throttle for longer periods. It's the same drawbacks with normal charge cooling but you start off from a much lower temperature.
It seems to me this system is probably perfect for street use and drag strips where you are WOT for short bursts. I'm not sure how it will cope on track or top speed runs where you are on the throttle for longer periods. It's the same drawbacks with normal charge cooling but you start off from a much lower temperature.
They are doing their job nicely and will be staying, they are transferring lots of heat into the charge cooler water system (the coolant in the expansion tank is warmer than it used to be), and my air inlet temperature looks good. It's then the job of the radiator at the front to cool it back down before it's pumped back into the Mercedes charge coolers. I'm less sure of the performance of this, I could do with pre and post radiator temperature sensors to monitor it. It seems to be doing well, air temperatures aren't going crazy high like before.
If I used the a/c to chill the coolant I'm cycling into the charge coolers I'd be starting at a much lower temperature (they can cool the water below ambient temperature). This system is used by Dodge on their Demon. The question is, can I cobble together something that'll do the business?!
These challenges with the charge cooler system aren't limited to my car, OEM systems seen to struggle with thermal management. You can get a JLR supercharged V8 into limp mode by driving them hard for long enough.
If I used the a/c to chill the coolant I'm cycling into the charge coolers I'd be starting at a much lower temperature (they can cool the water below ambient temperature). This system is used by Dodge on their Demon. The question is, can I cobble together something that'll do the business?!
These challenges with the charge cooler system aren't limited to my car, OEM systems seen to struggle with thermal management. You can get a JLR supercharged V8 into limp mode by driving them hard for long enough.
That sounds like it would work in theory. I guess it's a little like the ice cooler tanks I have seen on drag cars.
I think I would go with trying air temp sensors to see if you have an issue with the Merc coolers before engineering the chiller.
Looking forward to seeing the new build.
I think I would go with trying air temp sensors to see if you have an issue with the Merc coolers before engineering the chiller.
Looking forward to seeing the new build.
Escy said:
Good call, had forgot about that suggestion. They sound really good and would solve my issues. I'm trying to read up on it but it's all a bit vague, lots of forum talk, not many details on the actual systems, even on vendors websites. I feel like they might not actually be selling you all that much which is why they are light on the details. I'm trying to work out how the system works firstly and then what i'll need to make one up, if anyone has a good link please share it.
I did see a comment on hybrid cars using the A/C to cool the water used for battery cooling, if anyone knows what cars are using that system it could be a good source for all the parts required.
Have you seen the Driftworks / DynoTorque YouTube video of Craigs LS? Supercharged Aston? He fitted some sort of aircon chiller I believe.I did see a comment on hybrid cars using the A/C to cool the water used for battery cooling, if anyone knows what cars are using that system it could be a good source for all the parts required.
Max M4X WW said:
Have you seen the Driftworks / DynoTorque YouTube video of Craigs LS? Supercharged Aston? He fitted some sort of aircon chiller I believe.
I watched that video at the time, from memory I think he was just talking about the possibility of upgrading the system to use the AC to chill the coolant. I've looked through but can't find it again. I do like the idea of doing this, I've done a load of research and i'm putting together a list of parts i'll need.
markirl said:
Like the turn you've taken with this project! Are you planning to break the 986?
Yes, this is currently how it's looking. It's nearly all stripped, there is not a huge amount left to remove now. I'll be getting rid of the shell in the next few days hopefully. I've sold a load of parts already, it's panning out better than my fag packet maths predicted which is nice. 
Wow that did not take long!
I'm curious as to how you will get the chiller to work. Will you still have the radiators working, and then when the outlet temp from the mercs air coolers rises above the ambient air temp, the water flows through the radiators - then when you back off the loud pedal the water bypasses the radiators and just gets cooled by the AC pump.
If you don't put that in, when just motoring, you may well be cooling the air under the car with the radiators? Or would you do away with the radiators, and only use the AC pump and a small chilled reservoir?
I'm curious as to how you will get the chiller to work. Will you still have the radiators working, and then when the outlet temp from the mercs air coolers rises above the ambient air temp, the water flows through the radiators - then when you back off the loud pedal the water bypasses the radiators and just gets cooled by the AC pump.
If you don't put that in, when just motoring, you may well be cooling the air under the car with the radiators? Or would you do away with the radiators, and only use the AC pump and a small chilled reservoir?
I've not made any decisions yet regarding the set-up but for road use and drag strip I could get away with not having a radiator at the front anymore as the A/C will do all the work. The issue is the A/C pump doesn't run when WOT so I would need to make sure I have enough coolant capacity in the system to maintain decent temperatures for the time on throttle, once the coolant is saturated with heat and you are still WOT the air inlet temperatures would go off the scale.
If I want to do track days i'd need to have a radiator at the front as a fall back for once the coolant temperature is above ambient, like you say.
If I run a radiator at the front, l need to bypass it from the circuit when the A/C has chilled the coolant bellow ambient otherwise it'll actually heat up the coolant. Once the coolant is above ambient the radiator will come back into the system, I need to do more research on how to control this, I've got a feeling the kits you can buy just use a solenoid and a dash switch.
I like the idea of not having a radiator at the front, I'd need to cut the bumper which i'm not overly keen on doing and the radiator I was using before is so heavy, it would be nice to not have 20kg hanging at the nose of the car. I've got the water/methanol injection set-up, so if I went with no radiator, once the A/C chilled system can't maintain the temperatures I could have this kick in as the air inlet temperatures start to rise and I could progressively increase the duty cycle to maintain low temperatures. It would be the best of both worlds. It's definately the expensive and complicated way to do it compared to an angle grinder to the rear quarter an in intercooler wedged in there.
If I want to do track days i'd need to have a radiator at the front as a fall back for once the coolant temperature is above ambient, like you say.
If I run a radiator at the front, l need to bypass it from the circuit when the A/C has chilled the coolant bellow ambient otherwise it'll actually heat up the coolant. Once the coolant is above ambient the radiator will come back into the system, I need to do more research on how to control this, I've got a feeling the kits you can buy just use a solenoid and a dash switch.
I like the idea of not having a radiator at the front, I'd need to cut the bumper which i'm not overly keen on doing and the radiator I was using before is so heavy, it would be nice to not have 20kg hanging at the nose of the car. I've got the water/methanol injection set-up, so if I went with no radiator, once the A/C chilled system can't maintain the temperatures I could have this kick in as the air inlet temperatures start to rise and I could progressively increase the duty cycle to maintain low temperatures. It would be the best of both worlds. It's definately the expensive and complicated way to do it compared to an angle grinder to the rear quarter an in intercooler wedged in there.
Thanks, I appreciate the nice comments.
I would have liked a Cayman this time around, I did consider it. I worked out it was do-able, i'd have been able to swap into one and come out about even once i'd sold off the engine and gearbox. It's more of a commitment financially to buy one, I would need to spend about 10k initially and the way things are at the moment I didn't want to do it. I think i'll be first out of the door in my work if they need to make cuts.
I would have liked a Cayman this time around, I did consider it. I worked out it was do-able, i'd have been able to swap into one and come out about even once i'd sold off the engine and gearbox. It's more of a commitment financially to buy one, I would need to spend about 10k initially and the way things are at the moment I didn't want to do it. I think i'll be first out of the door in my work if they need to make cuts.
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