You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!
There is a line that you connect between the rear window washer pump and the rear washer nozzle. You can either connect directly or with a T fitting to send fluid to both locations. To turn it on, you twist the control for the rear window cleaner. I think I feel an improvement but I am not sure if maybe it's just because I want to feel the improvement.
The Alta diverter design is an improvement over stock. It is just one thing, in addition to insulation and a better scoop, that you can do to keep the intercooler cooler, and therefore, to keep timing retard away.
I see the spray as a bonus that you have at your disposal in situations like being at idle at a stoplight or in heavy traffic for long periods, or in hot weather or any other situation where heat is a problem and you need performance immediately. I have had it only a couple of months, and I haven't hooked up the water yet, as I was thinking about putting in a separate reservoir and toggle switch for the sprayer. I added it about the same time as an m7 Extreme scoop, and some thermal barriers around the intake and IC, all in an effort to keep things cooler. I'm still not sure about which way to hook up the spray yet. A separate one for the IC diverter is more expensive and a lot more trouble, but it might be worthwhile. I'm going to get some other stuff done first. I've also ordered a ceramic-coated header for the same reason, and want to install a hood vent and add more thermal barrier material to make the stock IC more efficient.
I don't have any instrument that says it's working, but I know anything I can do to keep it cool helps, so I'm going to stay at this "cool" project all the way through the hood vent later this year in an effort to combat timing retard.
I Love this mod! It does alot of different things.
1. It looks really trick especially in black with the red rubber boots.
2. It really does divert alot more air to your intercooler. The fins on it that connect to your bonnet make an air tight seal that assures you that you are catching all the air that comes in through that hole in your bonnet and it all is getting directly to the intercooler. I actually have to push down hard on the top of the headlights to get it to seal.
3. Unless you live in Arizona or the likes or Florida in the summer and/or track your car for extended periods of time... the stock I/C is all you need! The stock I/C actually works very well and is very light. you can ask pretty much any one here. So the Alta diverter let you make that already great I/C the best it can be! One of my buddies has all kinds of super trick stuff on his MINI. He went for a ride the other day with me in mine. He was fairly inpressed with my car and we drove it pretty hard. As soon as we parked I popped the bonnet; he crammed his hands inside to put them on the I/C horns... He said "no way, that actually does happen" I said what? He said "feel this come on... the passenger side is hot and feel the drivers side is actually cold" "I have never felt that before, not even with my DFIC"
I was like cool!
4. It comes with the super trick sprayer. The sprayer actually does work and you will notice it in hot temps or if you are pushing the car through tight sections. We have a 8 mile stretch of super twisties here in so cal where I mess around. When I go through them hard, as about the last 10 corners I am loosing power coming out of the corners. It just doesnt get up and go that it was 5 mins ago.... Well not anymore.... In between corners I just twist back on the lever and shoot a good 1-2 second mist on the I/C and the MINI is pulling again out of the corners quicker than ever!
5. Super easy install and pretty cheap price.
As I move up the food chain with Alta IC's, I will have an Alta Intercooler Air Diverter with Sprayer and Black Boots for sale within the month. Nice easy mod...
__________________ 05 MCSC, Hotchkiss Rear Sway, M7 USS, Helix Upper Strut, My Mini CAI, 17% Helix Pulley, Shoe's Engine Damper, Alta IC Diverter, SW Boost Gauge, DICE IPod Adapter, Borla Street Exhaust, RMW Head and Cam, OBX Header, Brockway R920 Scan Gauge, Alta LightBar
I've had my JCW++ on the dyno with several different IC, both OEM & AM.
I like Alta's products but on the dyno I have seen no significant HP advantage to "the squirt". Just with all SC cars; your first run is going to be your best before you heat soak your motor. I've drained my resivior on my second dyno run and still was not able to duplicate the numbers from my 1st run. Keeping things "slightly cooler" or "not quite as freaking hot otherwise" is a better discription for this mod. My .01C
Just something I have been toying with for a while. I've got all the parts, but just have to find the time to actually do the install and research things up properly.
I got a relay from Mikey and I am going to hook up the spray trigger to the bluetooth button on the steering wheel. ATM only the diverter is in, and it does make abit of a difference.
A NM MINI club member had an Alta sprayer hooked up to a 5 gallon plastic container in the boot, a micro-switch under the accelerator that switched on when fully depressed (WOT) and an inline pump. That sucker squirted!!
I run the stock intercooler with the Alta I/C air diverter with sprayer.
Since I almost never use my rear wiper sprayer, I just disconnected the rear wiper motor in the hatch and the hose under the hood. I didn't like the cheap hose that Alta supplied with my kit, so I went to Advanced Auto and picked up some nicer looking black hose and ran it to my I/C sprayer.
After getting some advice from a few local turboed Suburu friends, I changed out the rear wiper tank to a 50/50 water alcohol mix.
So how much hp does it make? Probably 0-5 hp. I think a better way to look at it is how much horsepower will it prevent you from losing due to heat soak running at WOT for multiple gears. When I wind out 1st, 2nd a and 3rd gear and shift into 4th, the I/C has a hard time trying to cool off all of that super hot air. I believe when I spray through 3rd and 4th gear I have substantially stronger acceleration in 4th.
i ordered the intercooler diverter 2, and i cant say if it helped or not. the fact that the airflow is better definitly helps, but i dont how much. as 4 the water sprayer, it works! i hav the 19% pulley, among other mods, so that heats the engine up faster. i was racing my friends jetta 1.8T, n i was using the water sprayer n i smoked him. we lined up 4 a second run, n i realized my water was gone. that time he kept rite up 2 me, n he was amazed 2 how much dif it made. i jus disconnected my rear wiper, n used that 2, a really simple install. fwiw, the jetta was modified! btw, it was at a dragway so it was legal!!
Last edited by blackman; 02-01-2007 at 05:28 PM.
Reason: mite mistake as street racing
I run the stock intercooler with the Alta I/C air diverter with sprayer.
Since I almost never use my rear wiper sprayer, I just disconnected the rear wiper motor in the hatch and the hose under the hood. I didn't like the cheap hose that Alta supplied with my kit, so I went to Advanced Auto and picked up some nicer looking black hose and ran it to my I/C sprayer.
After getting some advice from a few local turboed Suburu friends, I changed out the rear wiper tank to a 50/50 water alcohol mix.
So how much hp does it make? Probably 0-5 hp. I think a better way to look at it is how much horsepower will it prevent you from losing due to heat soak running at WOT for multiple gears. When I wind out 1st, 2nd a and 3rd gear and shift into 4th, the I/C has a hard time trying to cool off all of that super hot air. I believe when I spray through 3rd and 4th gear I have substantially stronger acceleration in 4th.
So Cooper99,
Are you saying that it is better running the 50/50 alcohol water mix?
I have often wondered about this. But I thought the premis was that you DONT want the mist to evaporate quicker. I thought that letting the IC stay wet makes the air passing through it cooler for longer. If it is better to mix, I am all over it!
Do you think that it is OK to just mix the Alcohol/water in the stock tank?
I have done the rear wiper delete mod, so I am not really worried about getting alcohol on the car for now.
Good question. I did the 50/50 water alcohol mix because a close friend with a heavily modded WRX STi highly recommended it. He said pure alcohol would be better for cooling, but
1. high concentration rubbing alcohol is flammable
2. Pure alcohol is corrosive to aluminum, but mixing it with water somehow makes it safe..hmm?
The little I recall from Chemistry, I believe water has a larger heat of vaporization than alcohol, and that doesn't support my theory on why the mix cools better than pure water.
Good question. I did the 50/50 water alcohol mix because a close friend with a heavily modded WRX STi highly recommended it. He said pure alcohol would be better for cooling, but
1. high concentration rubbing alcohol is flammable
2. Pure alcohol is corrosive to aluminum, but mixing it with water somehow makes it safe..hmm?
The little I recall from Chemistry, I believe water has a larger heat of vaporization than alcohol, and that doesn't support my theory on why the mix cools better than pure water.
WooHoo, people speaking my language again! Alcohol draws heat away quicker, because of it's rapid evaporation. Water draws more heat away, slower (than Alcohol). Most drivers will find the 100% H2O the best, because you don't need to mix and store. Just use distilled water (distilled or deionized water will evaporate without attracting corrosive ions, so your IC doesn't become a cathodic sacrifice).
For those who desire a mix of more and quickly, a 50/50 mix gets that initial heat away (remember, the greatest dispersment of heat is at the highest Delta T) and then draws more heat from the fins before evaporating. BTW, in my experience, draining the tank only drains the tank. Often the best thing you can do is a second long spritz, then count to five, then another second. Otherwise, you're just forcing the water that could be cooling off the fins down onto your Intake Manifold.
__________________ MINIQue - 2004 IB/W MCS - Premium, Sport and Cold - Homemade 'QWERKS' Mods, some 'hand-me-downs', and the coolest Grafix EVER!!! (Thanks to Rogue MINI Eyes and Mike @ AC) - Indi Blue Owners Club #38 TH1NG 5 - 2009 CR/B MCClSa - Prem, Sport, Cold, Conv and Audiophile upgrades - GoMiniGo Mods (ALL), Turbo Blanket, ALTA Filter - Graphix? In Progress! Motored by QandElf - 11NOV95
MCS JCW ps/ps-1&2/nav/pdc/jcw#s1518 german install/res delete/alta 3%/k&n cai/alta occ/dt bpv/vgs/tsw ed/jksnrcing pw/m7 stb/alta v.2 ad/td pr1.2/f1-gsd3/h&r sprngs&spcrs/stop-tech/alta 22mm rsb/hawk hps+/bnnt strps/aero grlls/oem rear deck/25%tnt/twhk/wheelskins/ipod hrdwire/jcw dash/blk belt/full red int led's/oem chrome int/cf jcw shift/cf jcw ebrake/door pulls/jcw sills. Next-ecu/obx/ie cp/ie rearcntrlarms/m7 ram
fwiw, the jetta was modified!
btw, it was at a dragway so it was legal!!
