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Anyone use WMI in cold climates?

G

great white

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Canada's Ocean Playground
Well, intercooling seems to be troublesome the way I want to do it. I'm really not happy with the "hanging" idea and TMIC is not working out the way I wanted it to.

I originally discounted water injection due to the hassle involved with freezing in winter or cold "snaps" but am willing to look at it again.

Seeing how I can hit 1000 (and flirt with 1100) unloaded with (very) heavy throttle uphill, I wouldn't mind something to kick down the egt's a bit. I don't tow (maybe a total of 1% of the time, tops) but can get pretty heavy footed into the hills. For reference, a "hill" around here can be anywhere up to 5-6 thousand feet. The reported increase in MPG with WMI is also an attractive motivator also.....

Does anyone living in a cold location (or cold winters) here use WMI? Alternatively, does anyone use WMI where you can climb enough to go from warm temps to freezing (not unusual to go from +5 to -10 in under 20 mins during winter here when climbing up to the ski hills)?

If so, what is your routine when it gets cold?

As in:

What do you do to drain it? When do you drain it? Do you blow it out with compressed air? Do you drain it at all? Does it "blow back" boost pressure when empty? etc.....

I like the idea of WMI being progressive with one of the available kits on the market and the relatively small footprint on vehicle space compared to intercooling. I'm just not so sure about the cold issues.

Also, what and when do you trigger it? IE: with boost? With EGT? what temp? what boost level? progressive? all in? etc.......

Any input?
 
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Send a PM to eddzzed, he lives in Merritt I believe so the winters would be similar.
 
I recall being in the Peace for a month (July ) some years ago & it rained every day . Nobody got too excited abiout it. I do like my truck better when it rains tho .
 
Thought it was somewhat relevant as they do run better in wet weather as Bison & self point out . Kind of reinforcing the benefits of wmi .
 
Guys mix windsheild washer fluid in with the water to keep it from freezing. The problem is, Heath and others in the know say that 10% methanol is max for the IDI 6.5. So I would think the big question is "what temp. does 10% methanol freeze at"?
 
BJ I'd run the WMI in warm months only and drain it when cold, as a science experiment maybe try a water spray of 10% methanol/water on a cold winter day and see if/when it freezes, WMI isn't new as you know; it was used for eons in supercharged recip flight engines at altitude which is significantly colder than what we have on the ground, it mite be worth researching that to see what % the mix was there and freeze issues they encountered.

That said you have to be hitting boost pretty hard 10+ psi before IAT gets very high; when running my GM-8 any ambient temps below 70F I could boost to 15 without any IAT or EGT issues in winter with my IC I'd be sub ambient @ low boost with wind chill of 70 + mph.

WMI is what I'll eventually be running with the ATT as without any post compression cooling my temps are quite reasonable, I won't be spraying much WMI at all reducing requirement for a large WMI tank to be kept up with. IIRC it gets cold in winter in Ellensburg Wa where Bill is, mite be worth a message to him for an opinion as well.
 
Turbine Doc said:
BJ I'd run the WMI in warm months only and drain it when cold, as a science experiment maybe try a water spray of 10% methanol/water on a cold winter day and see if/when it freezes, WMI isn't new as you know; it was used for eons in supercharged recip flight engines at altitude which is significantly colder than what we have on the ground, it mite be worth researching that to see what % the mix was there and freeze issues they encountered.

That said you have to be hitting boost pretty hard 10+ psi before IAT gets very high; when running my GM-8 any ambient temps below 70F I could boost to 15 without any IAT or EGT issues in winter with my IC I'd be sub ambient @ low boost with wind chill of 70 + mph.

WMI is what I'll eventually be running with the ATT as without any post compression cooling my temps are quite reasonable, I won't be spraying much WMI at all reducing requirement for a large WMI tank to be kept up with. IIRC it gets cold in winter in Ellensburg Wa where Bill is, mite be worth a message to him for an opinion as well.
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Thanks tim.

I'll get my old textbooks out and check on the recip stuff. I work on axial flow tubines so that info is "old and cold" in the grey matter.

I'm willing to bet it's all heated for high altitude work though.

I keep comming back to that damned intercooler for Canadian climates and set it and forget it use. It's just so bloody hard to package cleanly.....
 
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I ran my under bumper IC forever in some mucky stuff and it did okay, set & forget simplicity of IC is hard to beat, and before the new turbo it was what worked for me.

If you are still convinced you need a IC under bumper IMO is not as bad as some claim, if necessary fab a "armor plate" for hardcore offroad that can be added/removed as reqd.

Another option check with Terry aka TMHark; when I was at his house on my last visit he had a WTA setup he was parting with, asked me if I needed/wanted it, since I'm ATT'd & will be WMI I passed on it.
 
Turbine Doc said:
I ran my under bumper IC forever in some mucky stuff and it did okay, set & forget simplicity of IC is hard to beat, and before the new turbo it was what worked for me.

If you are still convinced you need a IC under bumper IMO is not as bad as some claim, if necessary fab a "armor plate" for hardcore offroad that can be added/removed as reqd.

Another option check with Terry aka TMHark; when I was at his house on my last visit he had a WTA setup he was parting with, asked me if I needed/wanted it, since I'm ATT'd & will be WMI I passed on it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendatiuons. But, If I can't get an IC behind the front end without it hanging down, it's not going on. I was (sort of still half arsed am) thinking about a top mounted cooler and a hood scoop, but I'm not really sold on the idea of a hood scoop.

So, I've come to consider a WMI again. With the caveat that it would be drained in winter and the lower ambient temps would have to suffice....
 
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