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<\/a>STS-V LC3 Intercooler Flow path & Parts<\/p><\/div>\n
Coolant flows from the output of the intercooler at the top of the engine through 26 and 27 to the front mounted heat exchanger 29.\u00a0 After a pass across the heat exchanger, it flows to the intercooler pump 18 and then up via 25 to the intercooler at the top of the engine again.\u00a0 There is a T along the way between 14 & 17 that allows for an up-pipe leading to a small reservoir and used for filling of the system.<\/p>\n
It is not clear to me for the STS-V front-mounted heat exchanger how many ‘passes’ it contains.\u00a0 Fluid enters at the top right and leaves at the bottom left, and may snake a few times across the fins of the heat exchanger on the way.\u00a0 The GM p\/n is 25770419 for the STS-V heat exchanger.\u00a0 The heat exchanger on the car is not clearly visible for investigation.<\/p>\n
We find a similar system on the 2009 CTS-V LSA engine.\u00a0 The LSA is a supercharged 6.2L OHV V8 similar to the ZR-1’s LS-9 engine, except that it uses a TVS1900 Supercharger and has different internals.\u00a0 As we will see, it also uses a different intercooler cooling strategy:<\/p>\n
<\/a>CTS-V LSA Supercharged V8 Intercooler cooling system<\/p><\/div>\n
Here we see coolant flows from the intercooler at the top of the engine through 2 and 9 into the right or bottom side in our view of 11, then into 23 to reach the front-mounted heat exchanger 19.\u00a0 After one pass across the heat exchanger, the cooler coolant flows out through 25 to the coolant pump 18, and via 14 back through the other side of 11, and along 7 back to the intercooler at the top of the engine.\u00a0 Like the STS-V system, a T in the line at 30 just in from 2 allows fluid flow from the small reservoir and filling of the system.<\/p>\n
The GM p\/n is 25876663 for the CTS-V Coupe heat exchanger.<\/p>\n
Mods: <\/strong> when modifying the CTS-V heat exchanger, D3 and Lingenfelter replace the stock one with a larger example.\u00a0 Wait4me adds a second heat exchanger in front of the stock heat exchanger.<\/p>\n Now let’s look at the Corvette ZR-1’s LS-9 V8 system solution:<\/p>\n ZR-1 Intercooler System flow <\/p><\/div>\n Here we see the intercooling coolant flow into the front mounted heat exchanger.\u00a0 Note that the front mounted heat exchanger is a 2-path heat exchanger.<\/p>\n Hot coolant flows from the intercooler at the top of the engine to the top row of the front mounted heat exchanger, and across the heat exchanger and into a inline reservoir.\u00a0 From the inline reservoir cooler coolant flows back into the front mounted heat exchanger, then to the intercooler pump.\u00a0 From the pump the cool coolant heads to the intercooler at the top of the engine.<\/p>\n The front mounted heat exchanger is p\/n 20759871.\u00a0 Yes, these three applications use 3 different front mounted heat exchangers.\u00a0 Although there may be inherent benefits to the Corvette approach, it is also possible that due to packaging limitations in the Corvette there was simply less room available to use the larger area heat exchangers in the Cadillacs.<\/p>\n The STS-V system holds 2.6 quarts (2.5L) of coolant; the CTS-V holds 3.2 quarts (3.0L) the Corvette system holds 5.2 quarts (4.9L) of coolant.\u00a0 Additional coolant in the system acts as a time buffer for changes in temperature of the system.\u00a0 So when the coolant is heating up like wide open throttle from idle, then it takes longer to heat up.\u00a0 However, when the coolant is cooling down like when high speed is pushing cold fresh air across the heat exchanger, it would take longer to cool down.<\/p>\n The pump in the Corvette is apparently different also; that’s a $1K pump where the one in the STS-V is under half that.<\/p>\n Could the Corvette’s 2-pass heat exchanger and reservoir be easily adapted for use in the STS-V? Should it be? Only adding the reservoir might be an option, to boost the STS-V coolant capacity to near the ZR-1’s.<\/p>\n Does the STS-V NEED more intercooler coolant capacity?\u00a0 I appreciate that it helps for back to back dyno runs, but on an actual drive there is high speed wind over the intercooler heat exchanger to compensate for the higher temps, and being able to quickly cool the intercooler coolant might be an advantage on the street.<\/p>\n Adding a second heat exchanger for the STS-V in front of the current heat exchanger would add fluid capacity and something less than twice the cooling, and be relatively easy to plumb.\u00a0 However, it would require more experimental design to capture temps going in and out of the current heat exchanger under a variety of conditions, then in and out of the doubled heat exchanger in a variety of conditions.\u00a0 The net effort might be less than worthwhile for the net benefit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 has a supercharged 6.2L OHV V8 engine.\u00a0 It uses a TVS2300 supercharger with an integrated fin-type intercooler.\u00a0 I am interested in the other end of the equation for this discussion, the heat exchanger.\u00a0 Let’s look at … Continue reading <\/a>Ideas for Discussion:<\/h2>\n