Recently I have decided the price for the "chiller" kits are absurd, these are 100% packaged kits with no custom parts marked up a ton so I have put together a full parts list for any one that would like to do this themselves. Some credit to mark.l for his initial "thriller chiller" thread from 10 years ago that has long since been dead. Don't bother hunting it down all the pic and links are dead, but it was good inspiration. As well as MSG 55G for helping me out with a few things.

Both major guys use Eaton Aeroquip EZ-Clip fittings. All "hose" fittings in this list are the EZ-Clip style fittings. There are a lot of different type of AC fittings so if you try this and decide to vary from my list make sure you know exactly what you're doing. Also, disclaimer, don't try this even if you don't vary from my list unless you know exactly what you are doing or accept responsibility for figuring it out on your own. If you have any doubts in your ability to buy a chiller from a vendor and DIY, definitely do not try to piece it together yourself.


Low Pressure AC Side:

• Straight 3/4 Female NPT to #12 Male O-Ring Face Seal (ORS) : FF2031T1212S
• 90 Degree #12 ORS to #12 Hose : FJ5994-03-1212
• (3') #12 Aeroquip Hose : GH001-12
• Three Way Splice (#12 Hose) : FJ3066-1212S

High Pressure AC Side:

• Straight 3/4 Female NPT to #8 ORS : FF2031T0812S
• 90 Degree #8 ORS to #8 Hose: FJ5994-02-0808
• (1') #8 Aeroquip Hose : GH001-08
• 90 Degree #8 SAE Flare to #8 Hose : FJ3149-03-0808S
• Thermal Expansion Valve : Four Season 38608 ( #6 SAE Flare inlet, #8 SAE Flare outlet, hose clamp the sensing tube to the cold water outlet. It prevents freezing in the hx)
• 90 Degree #6 SAE Flare to #6 Hose: FJ3149-01-0606S
• (4') #6 Aeroquip Hose: GH001-06
• Three Way Splice (#6 Hose): FJ3066-060606S

"Drag Kit" (Low Pressure AC side coming from cabin cooling evaporator)

• 1/2" three wire motorized ball valve: M21BV-1/2-E3BW
• (2) 90 Degree 1/2 male NPT to #12 Male ORS fittings: FF2032T1208S (the straight version of these are $50 each vice $10 for the 90s from hose warehouse. if you want to buy the straight version the part number is FF2031T1208S)
• (2) Straight #12 Female ORS to #12 EZ-Clip Hose Fitting: GA23911-12-12 (these can be swapped out for 45*, or 90* fittings depending on where you'd like to install it, 45*: GA23912-12-12 90*: FJ5994-03-1212)

Hose fittings cages and clips - Every EZ-Clip hose fittings requires (1) cage and (2) clips of the appropriate size, I didn't list them but it may be safe to buy an additional cage and a couple additional clips for each size incase you break any.

• (6) #12 Cage : 1F4105-12C
• (12) #12 Clip : 1F40104-12C
• (2) #8 Cage : 1F4105-08C
• (4) #8 Clip : 1F40104-08C
• (4) #6 Cage : 1F4105-06C
• (8) #6 Clip : 1F40104-06C

Evaporator (Brazed plate heat exchanger) - I am not positive which evaporator they use. I have found two manufacturers that are UL listed (that I verified) for refrigerant system use that are cheap. I know one of them is Chinese made (dudadiesel), the other one probably is also but I'm not positive. But since I was able to look up the products UL listings I am happy. Make sure to select the FEMALE 3/4 NPT option for what ever you select or it will not work with the fittings I have listed above.

• Brazetek : BT3x8-30

Heat Exchanger Bypass Valve

• HSH-Flo 1" 12V Three Way Bypass Valve: T25-B3L-B (1" option). If you choose to keep your heat exchangers you can use this. I selected the 1" version to get the largest internal orifice. (the 3/4" valve drops down to 0.59" internally, the 1" valve goes down to a 0.71" orifice).
  Amazon
  Amazon
  If you decide to go with a different brand three way valve make sure to check the internal orrifice size. A lot of the valves I looked at claim 18mm internal but actually have a much smaller passage for the 90* flow route and are not straight through. I'm wiring it up to but the heat exchangers in the circuit automatically when in boost for more than maybe 3-5 seconds(using a controller I posted below), and then switch back to KC after off boost for a couple seconds. Or you can just wire it to an incab switch and actuate it manually.
  • (3) 1" male NPT to 3/4 Barb fittings to go on this.

Misc

• Insulation: The key to making sure you don't have any condensation is insulating any metal that will get cold (especially on the heat exchanger). When warm humid outside air touches the cold metal it condenses and will cause water to drip under your car. Also insulating piping will make all of this more efficient. If you just search "pipe insulation" at lowes or home depot you will get a ton of options you can use for the hosing. I used some insulating tape in tight places and thick foam where I had room. Insulate the heat exchanger, and assosciated water side piping. I used this stuff for the tanks and it was very good:
  Amazon
  Amazon
• Water Fittings: Any (2) 90* 3/4 Male NPT to 3/4 Barb and assosciated hose clamps will work for your IC side connections :
  Amazon
  Amazon
• Loctite 567: Use this on all threaded connections, you don't want to have any leaks.
• Bracket: Gonna have to figure out a mounting method, a couple pieces of all-thread, some nuts, and some metal stock from lowes knock this out very easily.
• Nipper Pliers (Used to close the hose clips).
• PAG Oil or WD-40: Make sure to lubricate the hose fittings with oil before sliding the hose over it.
• Refrigerant:
  • R134 - 33oz is the factory spec, I used about 36oz to account for the additional hose and KC which is working well.
  • or HC-12A/ES-12a etc. 18oz. I felt like 18oz was over charged a bit but its what KC recommends. I tried from 12oz all the way up to 18 and didn't see anything good. I know others have had good luck with 3 cans of ES Industrial r134 replacement though. Envirosafe Industrial R-134 Replacement seems to be the popular one.

Where To Buy

• Fittings at a website called hosewarehouse (housewarehouse.com) is the cheapest I've found. All the fittings, hose, clips and cages can be had here. The "search" feature is all the way on the bottom of the website in the small links, anoying to find.
• Evaporator (brazed plate heat exchanger): Brazetek (brazetek.com)
• Thermal Expansion Valve: Summit, amazon, etc. Google it there are a million options <$20
• Motorized Valve: I went with E-Bay
• Misc stuff: Any hardware store, amazon, etc.

Grand total if you buy the drag valve and bypass valve is going to be <$600 and includes the cost of a lot of stuff the vendors don't include. I have this fully installed and working. I lost my install pics because my stupid phone broke and the pics hadn't synced to my google photos yet. I'm going to mark up the pictures I do have to show where to splice and what not but it'll just be with paint until I can get some better photos.

NOTE: The steel NPT threads are a ***** to seal. Make sure to use the sealant I listed above and allow at least 24 hours to set. Also tighten the NPT threads as tight as humanly ****ing possible. (Brass/aluminum NPT threads seal very easily compared to steel)

References:
Eaton Aeroquip EZ-Clip Refrigeration fitting catalog: http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/publ...t/pll_1205.pdf
Eaton Fitting Catalog (only for the NPT to ORS adaptors): https://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/pub...ct_1504318.pdf

 

A little confused, you list a condensor but it is an evaporator that is used to chill the IC water. The stock condensor is retained.

 

Hey trabots, thank you every where I said condensor in this I ment to say evaporator. Hope I didnt concfuse any one too bad. Both the "killerchiller" and "interchiller" are brazed plate heat exchangers used as evaporators ran in parallel with the factory comfort cooling evaporator. I will go back and edit my original post later.

 

Very interested! I want to do this setup as well instead of spending the ridiculous amount on the other brands! Please let me know how the install and the after test results?

 

Will do, everything should be here next week. The only thing I'm a little concerned about is the solenoid valve for the "drag kit". It is a normally closed valve that has to be energized open. I would rather have a normally open valve that is energized closed, as it would spend way less time energized. I'm going to figure out what I want to do with that in the next couple days after a little more research.

 

I have the drag kit valve and I can assure you you will spend more time with it closed than open. The issue is the balance of the TX valve can only be optimum for one or the other settings. When the valve is open the Tx valve often closes. You will only see that if you have a temp read on your tank water. The TX valve must be externally adjustable unlike the KC one which can't be adjusted without a de-gas.

 

I think... one of us is mixed up maybe? The the drag kit solinoid goes in line with the cabin evaporator high pressure side to isolate the cabin evaporator and force all refrigerant through the KC evaporator. Do you mean to say it will be open often, because when it closes it causes the txv on the KC to close, or maybe I am just misunderstanding something.

My thought is that I will pretty much always want the solenoid valve open, allowing cabin cooling so I would rather have a normally open valve, that is energized closed(drag mode, cabin evap isolated). The valve I have selected is a normally closed valve that I believe I will be keeping energized most of the time to allow cabin cooling.

EDIT: It is interesting that your txv is closing though. What water temps are you seeing when the valve closes?
Another EDIT: After thinking about this more, one of the things I found strange is that KC puts the txv sensing bulb on the IC water pipe and not the low pressure refrigerant pipe like interchiller, and basically all AC applications. I wonder if shifting the bulb over to the low pressure A/C line on the KC would help the txv operate a little better.

 

Thank you for sharing your work so far!

 

Wow, great write up!

 

Nice looks like I'll be getting a thrill chiller soon!!!

 

Many thanks for the write-up and research

 

My mistake, yes I mean that when the cabin evaporator is isolated I find the Tx valve often shuts accompanied by the immediate rise in the tank water temp. When shared the Tx valve does not close ever I have found. I replaced the KC Tx valve with an externally adjustable one. I find that I can open the Tx valve when closed by switching back to sharing with the cabin until I see the tank water start to drop again at which time I can isolate again.

 

Please take some pics of what you are referring to. I recently have been researching how to make the install on this system less ghetto. And by ghetto I mean thinking one can use hose clamps and basic rubber hoses on the A/C system. You are moving towards a solution I can see.

 

I will definitely take pics as install starts. The plan is no hose clamps on AC fittings haha. All Aeroquip EZ-Clip specific fittings and clips. I'm a little worried about the T going into the factory connections because Aeroquip hose is supposed to be specific for their fittings. I will check out the factory ID and OD of the stock hose vs the aeroquip hose before install to make sure the aeroquip fittings and clips will work correctly. If anything looks wierd there my plan was just to use standard crimp on clamps (just for the factory lines if they don't match up with the aeroquip lines). The KC kit instructions direct you do use the aeroquip stuff on the factory lines, so I'm hoping they are the same.

 

XRP seems to make fittings and hose that is okay for A/C as well.

 

Made a last minute change to the AC drag mode valve. Now using a motorized ball valve instead of the normally closed solenoid valve.

3/8 three wire motorized ball valve: M21BV-3/8-E3BW
(2) 3/8 male NPT to #6 Male insert O-Ring fittings: FF2031T0606S
(2) #6 Female O-Ring to #6 EZ-Clip Hose Fitting: FJ5984-0606S (these can be swapped out for 45*, or 90* fittings depending on where you'd like to install it, 45*: FJ3055-01-0606S 90*: FJ5984-0606S)


I also just ended up going with the Brazetek evaporator and pulling the info for the lower pressure evaporators out of the post. Most of the stuff will be here in a couple days and install will begin.

 

Awesome looking forward to the guide!!!

 

How far are you going into the science of the atom size for 134a? This makes a difference as to what something needs to be made of to "seal" the gas.

 

I paid $600 for KC kit years ago when I helped get them back into the light. I don’t know what they cost now but $400 vs $600 isn’t enough savings vs using that long list and ordering it all for my time and headache.

No doubt awesome job on the list and details many will love it. I still commend your knowledge and effort on this as a KC is great on the street and recovery. Installed mine below my Distronic pick. Good luck with setting this all up will be great to see.

But don’t forget about top end cooling to make it all click. My step was KC>trunk tank>IC and tuned for meth at 8psi with 2 nozzles. Made 521/668 on a dyno dynamics running a 195 and all other full support mods, good for high 10s. Chart below was before some other fine tuning to hit 521

 

No but all the fittings I'm using are specific for AC systems except the NPT which I'll use an appropriate sealant on.

I have lots of other cooling :-) three pumps, two heat exchangers, 3 gal tank, modified intercooler and dual meth nozzles. The current MB version killer chiller is like 750 plus 200 for the drag kit ($50 motor operated valve plus two fittings).

 

Great post! Still have KC kit in box waiting. Drothgeb gave me lots of ideas and suggestions on install just haven’t found time to complete it. And yes, pretty much I nearly paid a $1k for it.

 

Thanks. Are you keeping those circuits in this iteration? Some people ditch HX when they KC, but it would seem there is a way to do both.

 

I am for now. I bought a couple of 3/4" solenoid valves MSG referenced me too but I feel like they reduce too much internally and will be too much of a flow restriction, I'll need more expensive valves to use them how I was planning. I was going to use a time delay relay triggered off a pressure switch to place the heat exchangers back in the circuit when ever I go under boost and take them out of the circuit 5 or so seconds after I come off boost, but after I looked at the inside of the solenoids I got I decided they were gonna be too much of a flow restriction. For now I'm only going to put in one of them to bypass the heat exchangers that I will leave open normally, and I'll still use the pressure switch/time delay relay to close it when in boost forcing all the water through the heat exchangers. But I'm not going to put the second one in that actually isolates the heat exchangers and forces all flow through the bypass, so even when the bypass is open there will still be some flow through the heat exchangers.

This is still just thoughts for now, I'm going to play with it and see how placing the heat exchangers online, vs leaving them bypassed, vs totally isolated affects flow and temps and may make a different decision later. Just so every one knows I am currently running 172/72 pulley set up, so as you can guess it is pretty hard to cool that stack.

 

How do you guys set this set up?

im looking at the following
ice trunk>intercooler>KC>supercharger

this for a m156 with Weistec stage 3 car.

I noticed someone posted they fitted there kit the following:
KC>ice trunk> intercooler> supercharger

what would be the best way to instal it?

thanks

 

Hey man,

My thinking is that if you have the ice trunk fed by the supercharger, all it is storing is water at its hottest (right after the intercooler in the supercharger).

I think you should go...Supercharger > Heat Exchanger > KC > Tank..The thinking being that the ice tank should store as much of the 'coolest' water possible. The heat exchanger operates best with the greatest delta between the ambient air tempature and the water temperature so you want that to cool the hot water when it leaves the supercharger. The other 'risk, is using the HE post KC means if the KC cools the water below temperature the heat exchanger will actually be heating it up!! I believe Drothgeb is planning to turn bypass the heat exchanger electronically using a valve in those situations.