After replacing 2 of these pos intercooler pumps I decided to do some homework and came across a aux coolant pump, These pumps are found on volks wagon GTIs, mercedes benz, BMW, audi and Durangos, This thing is called a auxilary coolant pump they look like these





I got mine from a local junkyard for 5 bucks a peice $5bucks vs $100 bucks = win I also hated my volkswagon radiator for my heat exchanger It was way too big and caused more problems then it was worth (knocking a hole in my radiator) So after looking for a better option I stumbled upon a oil cooler out of a volvo I will get messurments tommorrow but the size was good so I dumped the volks heatexchanger and went with the volvo one,


With the old setup my kr was at 2 and sometimes went to 3 in full throttle and it did not make any sense having a intercooler, I only had a 3.4 pulley My old tune was from loyde and I was using the 97 pcm So it might of been the 97 pcm sucking, I always heard of the 97 pcm sucking when it came to tuning it.

With the new setup Im using a 2001 pcm programed by darth fiero and the new volvo heatexchanger and the new boosh pump And im beating the heck out of it and Im seeing 0 knock

with the old setup the heatexchanger would never get hot but with the new setup it gets hot so its working as intended and doing its job, These auxilary pumps can be used with a pump controller as well meaning it won't kick in till full throttle, The only downside is they are not self priming pumps so you will need a filler resivore (like the coolant one on the fiero) You can get them for 9bucks at discount.

[This message has been edited by 86fieroEarl (edited 10-15-2009).]

Are you using an air/water intercooler?

im still using the M90 supercharger setup right now, but by next summer I will install a turbo, And im still planing on using this intercooler pump for my water to air intercooler in the future.

Many of the guys on the Grand Prix forum run the Bosch intercooler pump. They are about $125.00 but they last. The Flojet is a boat bildge pump that is designed for intermittent use.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

And the inherent unreliability of the intercooler pumps is exactly why I'm not going to run an intercooler. People who tune to the ragged edge of KR and run an intercooler soon wind up with a boatanchor of an engine when the intercooler pump goes out.

I can tune and plan on changes in weather, it's hard to tune for an unexpected equipment failure. IMHO, of course.

quote Originally posted by GS Jon: And the inherent unreliability of the intercooler pumps is exactly why I'm not going to run an intercooler. People who tune to the ragged edge of KR and run an intercooler soon wind up with a boatanchor of an engine when the intercooler pump goes out. I can tune and plan on changes in weather, it's hard to tune for an unexpected equipment failure. IMHO, of course.

Can't think of ever reading about someone loosing there motor cause the IC pump failed. Invest in a scanner and have no worries. I lost an IC pump a few years back on the last leg of our trip to Canyon Lake and noticed it while going up a hill. Motor didn't blow up and 45 minutes later I was back on the road with no worries.

quote Originally posted by 86fieroEarl: With the old setup my kr was at 2 and sometimes went to 3 in full throttle and it did not make any sense having a intercooler, I only had a 3.4 pulley My old tune was from loyde and I was using the 97 pcm So it might of been the 97 pcm sucking, I always heard of the 97 pcm sucking when it came to tuning it. With the new setup I'm using a 2001 pcm programed by darth fiero and the new volvo heat exchanger and the new bosch pump And im beating the heck out of it and Im seeing 0 knock

You changed an awful lot of variables there at one time to be able to attribute a change in performance to one specific item.

How can you tell if the reduction in knock is a result of the IC setup or just a less aggressive tune, or a better factory code?

I get these from the local jy for about $5 as well. They're used in GM minivans and the Catera. I don't run one on my swap but they're good to have around for other things. The best part is, the motor is completely isolated from the impeller so you can just about anything through them.

quote Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua: Many of the guys on the Grand Prix forum run the Bosch intercooler pump. They are about $125.00 but they last. The Flojet is a boat bildge pump that is designed for intermittent use.

This is the bosch intercooler pump, and it is commonly had for a few bucks at any junkyard...

quote Originally posted by GS Jon: And the inherent unreliability of the intercooler pumps is exactly why I'm not going to run an intercooler. People who tune to the ragged edge of KR and run an intercooler soon wind up with a boatanchor of an engine when the intercooler pump goes out. I can tune and plan on changes in weather, it's hard to tune for an unexpected equipment failure. IMHO, of course.

Of course if you use a boat bildge pump it won't give top reliability. Neither will a lawn tractor fuel pump work very well on a Fiero!!! However, use a quality intercooler pump that is intended for that specific purpose and it will prove very reliable. The Bosch will last 50-100,000 miles. Is that good enough for peace of mind?

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

quote Originally posted by KurtAKX: You changed an awful lot of variables there at one time to be able to attribute a change in performance to one specific item. How can you tell if the reduction in knock is a result of the IC setup or just a less aggressive tune, or a better factory code?

That is true I did change alot of variables, I wish I never hacked the old wireharness apart, Just to see if that was the case, but with the old intercooler setup the flojet pump seems to always get air in the lines, The vw radiator was too big, It would of fit if I did not have ac, But I do On a hot day after driving there was no way I would take this car to full throttle because knock was up there and on a test after driving it for awhile knock jumped up to 5.


it might of been the 97 pcm and tune, As far as the intercooler pumps, The bosch pump is lighter, draws less amps, quiet, Non expensive and seems to last forever, I have 2 and plan on getting more, The bosch pump is also way way smaller than a flojet pump, I wish I did my homework before I wasted $200bucks on these stupid flojet pumps that last 4 months tops.

[This message has been edited by 86fieroEarl (edited 10-16-2009).]

quote Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua: Of course if you use a boat bildge pump it won't give top reliability. Neither will a lawn tractor fuel pump work very well on a Fiero!!! However, use a quality intercooler pump that is intended for that specific purpose and it will prove very reliable. The Bosch will last 50-100,000 miles. Is that good enough for peace of mind?

Possibly, but only if the individual installing the intercooler understands that the pump can and will fail eventually. When that happens, let's hope the KR doesn't chuck a chunk of the ring land around their combustion chamber.

quote Originally posted by GS Jon: Possibly, but only if the individual installing the intercooler understands that the pump can and will fail eventually. When that happens, let's hope the KR doesn't chuck a chunk of the ring land around their combustion chamber.

This is why the very first thing you should buy for your 3800 swap is a scanner. But really if you know your car then you don't need a scanner as you can tell when it is not acting right.

quote Originally posted by MstangsBware: This is why the very first thing you should buy for your 3800 swap is a scanner. But really if you know your car then you don't need a scanner as you can tell when it is not acting right.

exactly, That was the very first thing I purchased when my 3800 swap was done, Without it I would of never known I was getting KR, or anything else That scane guage is my engines bread and butter.

The pump I showed on the picture is a bosch pump, It's the same pump that is sold from car sites for $175 bucks, And like DH said they can be had at any j yard for a couple bucks, since the pump uses propellers to ciculate and isolated from the rest of the motor they last a long time, This is something I wish I knew before dishing out $100 bucks on a flojet pump and having it go bad in 4 months then dishing out another $100bucks on a replacement only to have it go out after 3 months.


You can also have them work with a intercooler pump controller, You cannot do that with a flojet, car sites sell the flojet as a intercooler pump as well, So I did not go out trying to find a cheap boat bulge pump the flojet was actually in intercooler kits as well, Sometimes expensive is not the only way to go, And so far this little 5 dollar pump is doing it's job, If it fails I have 3 more to install and a scan gauge to tell me if its not working.


I have had the thing in for 2 weeks so far and its still working and doing its job, I will report back if it ever goes bad, If you don't see a post about it then that means it's still working, Look the pump up and you will see it comes out of alot of cars and these cars use them for many miles.

[This message has been edited by 86fieroEarl (edited 10-17-2009).]