Coolingmist Installation - In Progress

[T U N E !]

I bought a Coolingmist Stage 3 HOM Trunkmount kit way back in the winter, and it's been sitting in the box since. I figure it's about time to get this thing installed so I can enjoy HOM 24/7.

So, I've been thinking and reaserching the forums to come up with a plan for a clean and functional installation. I want to tackle the wiring first, and I could use some input from the Coolingmist experts on whether my scheme will work properly with the kit.

WIRING

The "Meth Purge" thread posted by Gmanigio had some great information, and I would like to build on that idea.

My plan is to have one switch for arming the system, and a second push-button for the purge. However, since I have Stage 3 With Toys, I want to scrap the whole intercooler sprayer assembly (it will now be useless), and modify the I/C sprayer button on the toys bezel to function as the arming switch for the meth injection. Here is the schematic:



Here is a quick run-down on what's happening in the diagram:

- Relay #1 arms the whole system. It completes the positive circuit between the Varicool controller and a 12V power source. This relay is controlled by the I/C sprayer switch, which is modified to function as a "push-on /push-off" switch.

- Relay #2 grounds the pump, and should cause it to turn on independent of the controller. It is controlled by the momentary push-button. This will only work when the system is armed. [Can someone verify this is correct?]

- Green LED: shows when the system is armed.

- Blue LED: shows when the system is spraying.

I believe this will work, but any input or suggestions are appreciated. I'll continue this thread as the installation progresses to bring up any tips / issues.

One thing I noticed is that the trunkmount kit was shipped with 2 - 15' sections of polyethylene hose. However, 15' is not enough length to reach from the trunk to the engine bay, especially if you tuck/snake the hose for a clean install. I went to Home Depot and picked up a 25' section of 1/4" O.D. hose with the same specs as the original for less than $5. 25' is the perfect length to comfortably route the hose from the trunk to the charge pipe.

[EDIT - Tank & Hose Installed]

Getting close to completion.

Mounting the tank was a hassle; there isn't really any good place to mount the brackets for the tie-downs (due to the large size of the spare tire well cover). So I came up with a different solution which I think looks pretty clean. I secured the tank using the 4 nuts that are cast into the side of the tank (originally meant for mounting the controller to the side of the tank). The tank is bolted to the plastic trim at the rear of the trunk. I also added 2 screws to better secure the trim, so the clips don't pull out. Removing the tank is as easy as pulling out the 2 screws at the top, and pulling out the tank and trim in one piece.



I also modified the pump/tank assembly a little. I added a harness to make it easy to unplug the pump, and I also added a drain valve (just below the harness). The valve is connected to a piece of hose which exits the trunk through the same hole as the meth supply hose, and drains under the rear of the car. This allows me to easily drain the tank without removing anything.



Last pic shows how I routed my meth line under the car. There is actually 1 vacant spot in the clips which hold the brake lines and fuel line. You can see the meth hose (white) neatly tucked in alongside the brake/fuel lines:




[EDIT - Last Update: Finally Finished!]

After what seemed like forever, I am at last done with this install. Here are some final pics.

Here is the beautiful JMB hard pipe which I ordered with 2 extra bungs for the injection nozzles. Unfortunately I had to cut off 3/4 of the bung to get the nozzles to sit flush with the inside wall of the pipe. The bungs were too tall, and with the wide spray pattern of the injectors, the water would hit the sides of the bung and drip down. No matter; with a little hacking it all turned out well.



Next is the cockpit view. The Varicool controller is mounted below the CD changer slot using custom aluminum brackets that I made.



Close-up of the controller... The push-button to the top-left of the controller is my purge button. Power to the injection system is controlled by the intercooler sprayer button in the turbo toys bezel. I ditched the intercooler sprayer, and the switch required some hacking to convert it to a push-on / push-off switch, but it all works well now.



Here are the three LEDs. The blue and red LEDs are the ones that originally came with the turbo toys kit. The red still functions as the HOM indicator, but the blue one now comes on when the meth pump sprays. I also added a third green LED in the middle; this one comes on when you hit the blue switch, and simply indicates when the system is armed.



IMPRESSIONS AFTER TESTING:

For the first test I filled the tank with distilled water, and took her out on the highway. Settings on the controller were:

- Min. Flow: 3 PSI
- Max. Flow: 13 PSI
- Tune Knob at 10
- Max. Pump duty cycle limited to 65%

For the first couple of tries HOM would hold for about 2 seconds, then I would get kicked out right away. Since I had just reset the PCM, I drove around for a bit to give it a chance to adjust. After about 10 minutes I tried again. This time I smoothly rolled into the throttle at the bottom of third gear and .... the result this time was UNREAL! The car pulled hard as hell, and HOM held right through to the top of fourth gear. Keep in mind that this was only with 100% water, and 94 octane pump gas.

Very happy with the results so far. Can't wait to add some meth to the mix.

[srt-sparkle]

Quote: Originally Posted by T U N E !

I bought a Coolingmist Stage 3 HOM Trunkmount kit way back in the winter, and it's been sitting in the box since. I figure it's about time to get this thing installed so I can enjoy HOM 24/7.

So, I've been thinking and reaserching the forums to come up with a plan for a clean and functional installation. I want to tackle the wiring first, and I could use some input from the Coolingmist experts on whether my scheme will work properly with the kit.

WIRING

The "Meth Purge" thread posted by Gmanigio had some great information, and I would like to build on that idea.

My plan is to have one switch for arming the system, and a second push-button for the purge. However, since I have Stage 3 With Toys, I want to scrap the whole intercooler sprayer assembly (it will now be useless), and modify the I/C sprayer button on the toys bezel to function as the arming switch for the meth injection. Here is the schematic:



Here is a quick run-down on what's happening in the diagram:

- Relay #1 arms the whole system. It completes the positive circuit between the Varicool controller and a 12V power source. This relay is controlled by the I/C sprayer switch, which is modified to function as a "push-on /push-off" switch.

- Relay #2 grounds the pump, and should cause it to turn on independent of the controller. It is controlled by the momentary push-button. This will only work when the system is armed. [Can someone verify this is correct?]

- Green LED: shows when the system is armed.

- Blue LED: shows when the system is spraying.

I believe this will work, but any input or suggestions are appreciated. I'll continue this thread as the installation progresses to bring up any tips / issues.

One thing I noticed is that the trunkmount kit was shipped with 2 - 15' sections of polyethylene hose. However, 15' is not enough length to reach from the trunk to the engine bay, especially if you tuck/snake the hose for a clean install. I went to Home Depot and picked up a 25' section of 1/4" O.D. hose with the same specs as the original for less than $5. 25' is the perfect length to comfortably route the hose from the trunk to the charge pipe.

I defintely think that would be a nice outlook and all. But id also would like to get the blue l.e.d working again.

[T U N E !]

Quote: Originally Posted by srt-sparkle

I defintely think that would be a nice outlook and all. But id also would like to get the blue l.e.d working again.

Exactly

If you look at my diagram, I will be re-using the blue LED as an indicator for when the meth is spraying.

[Coolingmist]

its always good to see our customers doing good work. A few comments.

1) The clear home depot hose will not hold up. It cracks over time.
2) Have you tested the system as you have it wired? The reason I ask you have relay #2 connected to the ground wire on Vari-Cool. Since vari-cool runs at 400 hz, you would not want to have the relay active when the system is injecting. Just something to consider. All you really need to do is take a toggle switch or momentary switch and put connect one pole to a ground and the other to the black pump wire.

3) Does your LED that is connected to the green/red wire actually work installed in that fashion? If it does work does it get brighter as dutycycle increases? I would be suspicious if this works at all. We have had some customers try something similar with an LED and it caused the system to run all the time. I say try it and see what happens, just keep the above in mind.


Other than that, cool.

Later.

[T U N E !]

Quote: Originally Posted by Coolingmist

its always good to see our customers doing good work. A few comments.

1) The clear home depot hose will not hold up. It cracks over time.
2) Have you tested the system as you have it wired? The reason I ask you have relay #2 connected to the ground wire on Vari-Cool. Since vari-cool runs at 400 hz, you would not want to have the relay active when the system is injecting. Just something to consider. All you really need to do is take a toggle switch or momentary switch and put connect one pole to a ground and the other to the black pump wire.

3) Does your LED that is connected to the green/red wire actually work installed in that fashion? If it does work does it get brighter as dutycycle increases? I would be suspicious if this works at all. We have had some customers try something similar with an LED and it caused the system to run all the time. I say try it and see what happens, just keep the above in mind.


Other than that, cool.

Later.

Thanks a lot for the input. I have some questions/comments:

1) What kind of hose ships with your kits, is it not polyethylene? The hose I bought is also polyethylene, same diameter & wall thickness, only difference being it's translucent-white rather than black. I've already installed the hose, so I'll keep an eye out for cracks in the future.

2) I haven't wired the system set, but with my proposed setup, Relay #2 basically does the same job as the toggle switch you describe. I was worried about sending too much current through a small switch, so I thought a relay would be a good idea. Can this actually have a negative effect if activated when the system is spraying? Would a toggle switch not cause the same problem?

3) I haven't tried the LED yet. Is there a better way to hook up an indicator LED? I can see how the system would run all the time if the LED was grounded separately, that's why I connected it in parallel with the pump. I will try this and see how it works.

[Coolingmist]

Quote: Originally Posted by T U N E !

Thanks a lot for the input. I have some questions/comments:

1) What kind of hose ships with your kits, is it not polyethylene? The hose I bought is also polyethylene, same diameter & wall thickness, only difference being it's translucent-white rather than black. I've already installed the hose, so I'll keep an eye out for cracks in the future.

Im not trying to get you to buy our hose. I know from experience the clear stuff does not hold up. there is a difference in the way the clear hose is made.

Quote:

2) I haven't wired the system set, but with my proposed setup, Relay #2 basically does the same job as the toggle switch you describe. I was worried about sending too much current through a small switch, so I thought a relay would be a good idea. Can this actually have a negative effect if activated when the system is spraying? Would a toggle switch not cause the same problem?

A toggle switch is just a pass through. When you energize a relay you hear a "click". You will not hear that with a toggle switch. Now think about the relay clicking 400 times a second. Maybe its just me, but I dont think the relay will keep up and it will likely burn out. Again, never did this.

Quote:

3) I haven't tried the LED yet. Is there a better way to hook up an indicator LED? I can see how the system would run all the time if the LED was grounded separately, that's why I connected it in parallel with the pump. I will try this and see how it works.

None that I am aware of.


David

[T U N E !]

Thanks David.

If the clear hose does not hold up, I'll be contacting you for some of the proper hose.

Regarding the relay, I'm no electrician, but I still think it should work. It won't be set up the way you are imagining. The relay's coil will be energized only by the momentary button. The controller should have no effect on the open/closed state of the relay.

In any case, I should have everything installed in the next couple of days. I'll report back on how things work when I'm done.

[T U N E !]

Update at the end of the first post ; finished mounting the tank & hose.

[srt-sparkle]

Quote: Originally Posted by T U N E !

Update at the end of the first post ; finished mounting the tank & hose.

Looks like you doin it up bro keep it up still viewin ya progress homey.

[stage3matt]

Quote: Originally Posted by T U N E !

Thanks David.

If the clear hose does not hold up, I'll be contacting you for some of the proper hose.

Regarding the relay, I'm no electrician, but I still think it should work. It won't be set up the way you are imagining. The relay's coil will be energized only by the momentary button. The controller should have no effect on the open/closed state of the relay.

In any case, I should have everything installed in the next couple of days. I'll report back on how things work when I'm done.

the diagram you posted will work just fine, like you said the coil will only be energized via the pushbutton and will work independently of the controller. Good job on the idea, i think I might just have to use that when I do mine.

[T U N E !]

Just finished all the wiring. Everything works exactly as expected. Only thing I did different was I didn't include the 5A and 15A fuses that are shown on the diagram; instead I spliced the power for the controller and relays directly to the 20A circuit for the wipers.

To answer some of Coolingmist's prior concerns:

- The purge relay works perfectly. Even while the controller is spraying, hitting the purge button simply delivers full power to the pump.

- The blue LED which indicates when the pump is spraying also works perfectly. There is no noticable dimming/brightening of the LED as duty cycle increases, it just appears solid blue when the system sprays.

I'll have a couple more pics up soon, after I get things cleaned up.

[T U N E !]

ALL DONE! Final update added to the first post.

[srt-sparkle]

excellent meth setup excellent meth setup

[srt-sparkle]

Quote: Originally Posted by T U N E !

I bought a Coolingmist Stage 3 HOM Trunkmount kit way back in the winter, and it's been sitting in the box since. I figure it's about time to get this thing installed so I can enjoy HOM 24/7.

So, I've been thinking and reaserching the forums to come up with a plan for a clean and functional installation. I want to tackle the wiring first, and I could use some input from the Coolingmist experts on whether my scheme will work properly with the kit.

WIRING

The "Meth Purge" thread posted by Gmanigio had some great information, and I would like to build on that idea.

My plan is to have one switch for arming the system, and a second push-button for the purge. However, since I have Stage 3 With Toys, I want to scrap the whole intercooler sprayer assembly (it will now be useless), and modify the I/C sprayer button on the toys bezel to function as the arming switch for the meth injection. Here is the schematic:



Here is a quick run-down on what's happening in the diagram:

- Relay #1 arms the whole system. It completes the positive circuit between the Varicool controller and a 12V power source. This relay is controlled by the I/C sprayer switch, which is modified to function as a "push-on /push-off" switch.

- Relay #2 grounds the pump, and should cause it to turn on independent of the controller. It is controlled by the momentary push-button. This will only work when the system is armed. [Can someone verify this is correct?]

- Green LED: shows when the system is armed.

- Blue LED: shows when the system is spraying.

I believe this will work, but any input or suggestions are appreciated. I'll continue this thread as the installation progresses to bring up any tips / issues.

One thing I noticed is that the trunkmount kit was shipped with 2 - 15' sections of polyethylene hose. However, 15' is not enough length to reach from the trunk to the engine bay, especially if you tuck/snake the hose for a clean install. I went to Home Depot and picked up a 25' section of 1/4" O.D. hose with the same specs as the original for less than $5. 25' is the perfect length to comfortably route the hose from the trunk to the charge pipe.

[EDIT - Tank & Hose Installed]

Getting close to completion.

Mounting the tank was a hassle; there isn't really any good place to mount the brackets for the tie-downs (due to the large size of the spare tire well cover). So I came up with a different solution which I think looks pretty clean. I secured the tank using the 4 nuts that are cast into the side of the tank (originally meant for mounting the controller to the side of the tank). The tank is bolted to the plastic trim at the rear of the trunk. I also added 2 screws to better secure the trim, so the clips don't pull out. Removing the tank is as easy as pulling out the 2 screws at the top, and pulling out the tank and trim in one piece.



I also modified the pump/tank assembly a little. I added a harness to make it easy to unplug the pump, and I also added a drain valve (just below the harness). The valve is connected to a piece of hose which exits the trunk through the same hole as the meth supply hose, and drains under the rear of the car. This allows me to easily drain the tank without removing anything.



Last pic shows how I routed my meth line under the car. There is actually 1 vacant spot in the clips which hold the brake lines and fuel line. You can see the meth hose (white) neatly tucked in alongside the brake/fuel lines:




[EDIT - Last Update: Finally Finished!]

After what seemed like forever, I am at last done with this install. Here are some final pics.

Here is the beautiful JMB hard pipe which I ordered with 2 extra bungs for the injection nozzles. Unfortunately I had to cut off 3/4 of the bung to get the nozzles to sit flush with the inside wall of the pipe. The bungs were too tall, and with the wide spray pattern of the injectors, the water would hit the sides of the bung and drip down. No matter; with a little hacking it all turned out well.



Next is the cockpit view. The Varicool controller is mounted below the CD changer slot using custom aluminum brackets that I made.



Close-up of the controller... The push-button to the top-left of the controller is my purge button. Power to the injection system is controlled by the intercooler sprayer button in the turbo toys bezel. I ditched the intercooler sprayer, and the switch required some hacking to convert it to a push-on / push-off switch, but it all works well now.



Here are the three LEDs. The blue and red LEDs are the ones that originally came with the turbo toys kit. The red still functions as the HOM indicator, but the blue one now comes on when the meth pump sprays. I also added a third green LED in the middle; this one comes on when you hit the blue switch, and simply indicates when the system is armed.



IMPRESSIONS AFTER TESTING:

For the first test I filled the tank with distilled water, and took her out on the highway. Settings on the controller were:

- Min. Flow: 3 PSI
- Max. Flow: 13 PSI
- Tune Knob at 10
- Max. Pump duty cycle limited to 65%

For the first couple of tries HOM would hold for about 2 seconds, then I would get kicked out right away. Since I had just reset the PCM, I drove around for a bit to give it a chance to adjust. After about 10 minutes I tried again. This time I smoothly rolled into the throttle at the bottom of third gear and .... the result this time was UNREAL! The car pulled hard as hell, and HOM held right through to the top of fourth gear. Keep in mind that this was only with 100% water, and 94 octane pump gas.

Very happy with the results so far. Can't wait to add some meth to the mix.

damn bro your system and new ideas into the mix are fucking unbelieveable I vote for a sticky