Intercooler water source? Tee into sea water pump output line?
 

Edit: Sorry, just did a search and found a thread with the same question.

I'm about to install a whipple efi system. I have a closed loop cooling system. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get cold water to the intercooler.

My first thought is to get a stainless marine 1 1/4 T fitting with a 3/4" nipple and put that in on the output side of the sea water pump. Then have an overboard dump, maybe just above the outdrive to further cool it. That way the intercooler gets all the water it needs and the rest goes to the heat exchanger --> oil cooler --> steering cooler -->exhaust manifolds.

I'm also going to install a sea strainer at the same time on the raw water line (1 1/4") so junk stays out of the coolers.

Any other ideas? I'd rather not drill holes for a separate water pickup unless it's deemed essential.

I tee'd off the water pump for my Whipple intercooler and lost alot of water pressure in the motor. I put a valve on the intercooler to reduce the flow. It worked but I still need more pressure in the motor, but also don't want to starve the intercooler. I have been thinking of installing a separate pickup.

Update: With my imco lower, plenty of water. I'm using a Hardin marine blow off presure valve going to the intercooler. I get no flow at idle, and plenty of flow on plane to the intercooler. works great.

I tee'd off right behind the impeller pump so I get cold water. It originally came off the crossover which you don't have. I dump off the side so I can tell if I have good flow.

Mine is teed into right by the alternator -- now that I think of it warm water after oil coolers-- but do not have much flow either. Even at 40 mph --which is all I could brave hanging off the sunpad -- there wasn't alot coming out of the dumps.

I'm going to pull the raw water pumps to check and see if something happened there. Seema to be lots of water coming out of mufflers and engines are not running hot.

Whipple is now sugesting going with a transom mounted water pickup for the engine, and letting the drive supply the intercooler. Water from the drive has enough pressure to flow up and throught the intercooler. And the transom mounted pickup will supply as much or more to the engine as the drive.

This is how Whipple wanted my engine rigged this spring. We did it this way and all is good. hp500efi with a stage two kit.

CJ,
If you have a transom mounted p/u for the motor, how do you get water in/out of the motor while still or idle? Is that hooked up to another water pump?

I was thinking of doing the same thing, just opposite. The second p/u to supply the cooler, no pump needed. It would simply pressure through the intercooler. At idle no water needed, conversly the faster I go the more water pressure/cooling.

DAVE

a thru hull or transom mounted pick up is the best way to insure adequate VOLUME as well as PRESSURE. you can use the drive as a source for the intercooler. and pickup as primary supply for engine cooling system. keep in mind your trying to feed the whole system thru a 5/0r 3/4 line in the transom assy.
if your approaching the century mark , a good consideration would be to use a large capacity strainer with a bleed off, as well as a pop off. and then use a 2 stage water pump. i stage for the engine the other for intercooler and exhaust. keeping in mind the whole time that inside diameter of inlet, outlet and dumps helps to regulate the pressure as well as NOT obstuct the volume, thus preventing hot spot's.

Dave I believe you would be running a pump on the engine side coming in off the transome and feed the intercooler with the drive feed. At speeds above 40 or so you wouldn't believe how much water the drive pickup can pump.....without a pump!