Charge air coolers can improve the fuel efficiency of you or your customer’s machine. But why opt for an aftermarket charge air cooler?

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about aftermarket charge air cooler replacements.

Our goal is to provide you with as much information as possible. So that the next time you’re considering a replacement, you’ll have all the details to make the right choice.

So let’s get into everything you need to know about aftermarket charge air coolers. 

This Post Covers:

• What is a charge air cooler (CAC)?
• Where is the charge air cooler located in my machine?
• How does a charge air cooler work?
• What is the importance of a charge air cooler?
• What are the differences between a radiator and a charge air cooler?
• What are the benefits of an aftermarket charge air cooler?
• What factors impact a charge air cooler’s performance?
• How Much Could A Leaky Charge Air Cooler Cost You?
• What are the signs that your charge air cooler needs replacing?
• How to choose the best charge air cooler for your industrial needs
• What makes West End Radiators charge air coolers unique?
• High Quality Aftermarket Charge Air Coolers In Western Canada 
  
  

What is a charge air cooler (CAC)?

A charge air cooler (CAC) is an important part of a turbocharged engine. It helps keep the air that enters the engine cool and at the right density. This ensures better fuel combustion.

Many different types of machinery use charge air coolers. If your vehicle is powered by a diesel engine and a turbocharger, it most likely has a charge air cooler!

Specifically semi trucks, buses, and certain types of construction and agriculture equipment use charge air coolers. 

Where is the charge air cooler located in my machine?

Charge air coolers are located in between a machine’s turbocharge and the intake manifold of the engine.

Although their exact location can vary depending on the engine configuration. 

Because charge air coolers ensure better fuel combustion, they also boost engine power and improve fuel efficiency.

How does a charge air cooler work?

When a turbocharger compresses air, it gets very hot.

As a result, engine efficiency and power reduces.

A CAC cools this hot air, reducing the temperature using cooling water from 180°C-220°C down to around 40°C.

This cooling helps the engine take in more air and fuel for each combustion cycle, which boosts power and performance.

What is the importance of a charge air cooler?

Charge air coolers are important because they are essential for improving engine performance and efficiency in trucks.

By cooling the compressed air from the turbocharger, charge air coolers:

• Prevent overheating
• Help increase the amount of air and fuel the engine can burn
• Boost power, fuel economy, and overall engine lifespan

What are the differences between a radiator and a charge air cooler?

Charge air coolers and radiators cool different things.

Radiators cool coolant from the engine.

Whereas charge air coolers cool hot air coming from the turbocharged engine. 

What are the benefits of an aftermarket charge air cooler?

Aftermarket CACs, (like we manufacture here!) offer a variety of benefits over original equipment manufacturers (OEM) charge air coolers:

Custom Manufacturing 
Aftermarket replacements can be custom manufactured to match your heavy-duty industry. So aftermarket charge air coolers can handle any extreme.

Improved Fuel Efficiency & Durability
Many CAC replacements use advanced designs that enhance fuel efficiency. As a result, aftermarket charge air coolers are more efficient, durable and less likely to leak.  

OEM charge air coolers typically feature a tube-and-fin design. And aftermarket options often use bar-and-plate or extruded-tube designs.

Why choose aftermarket? Aftermarket charge air coolers have less flex. This means less leaks and improved durability!

Cost-Efficiency 
Because aftermarket charge air coolers are less likely to leak than their OEM counterparts, CAC replacements will easily save you money in the long run.

What factors impact a charge air cooler’s performance?

Charge air coolers often operate in extremely harsh environments, such as:

• Agriculture, working in dusty fields with debris
• Transportation, moving with constant exposure to the elements
• Construction, working in harsh environments with loose soil and gravel

Because of this, there are multiple factors that can impact how your CAC performs:

• Damage due to debris and oil contamination 
• Cracks in the tubes causing small leaks
• Vibration that separates the top plate from the header 

These factors can cause your charge air cooler to develop significant leaks. As a result, these leaks could cost you thousands more in fuel costs.

How Much Could A Leaky Charge Air Cooler Cost You?

A leaky CAC could cost you thousands of dollars on fuel a year.

How?

For example, say your semi-truck uses 36.187 litres per 100km fuel consumption. And on average, you travel 965.6 km/day and spend $2.00L on diesel fuel cost. 

You would be spending $698.84 per day on fuel with a non leaking charge air cooler.

Now imagine it’s leaking.

Your daily fuel cost of $698.84 would increase by 6.15%. 

This would increase your daily fuel cost by $42.97. 

If you’re driving 25 days/month, a leaky charge air cooler could cost you over $12k per year on fuel!

But, by catching the signs of a leaky charge air cooler early, you can avoid costly repairs and save valuable time.

What are the signs that your charge air cooler needs replacing?

There are several signs you may need to replace your CAC. Here’s some signs to look out for:

• Loss of engine power
• Turbo charger and/or exhaust manifold failure
• Increased fuel consumption
• Increased exhaust smoke
• Increased soot levels in engine oil
• Elevated coolant temperature

How to choose the best charge air cooler for your industrial needs

When choosing the right aftermarket CAC, consider the needs of your industry and your equipment. 

If you use mining machinery, a copper-brass charge air cooler is the ideal choice. Copper-brass is highly resistant to corrosion caused by minerals in the air. 

If you’re in construction, oil & gas, or agriculture, we generally recommend an aluminum charge air cooler. They’re lightweight and built to handle the high pressures common in these demanding industries.

What makes West End Radiators charge air coolers unique?

At West End Rad, we’re able to manufacture aftermarket charge air coolers customized to your exact needs. 

Customizations we offer include:

• Custom fin spacing
• Thicker cores
• Louvered fins

Whatever you require, we’ll build it to perform.

Additionally, we have a wide inventory of aftermarket replacements for a range of machine models. 

You can check out our online shop to see the CAC replacements we offer for a range of OEMs, including Freightliner, Kenworth and Peterbilt.

High Quality Aftermarket Charge Air Coolers In Western Canada 

We are proud to serve radiator shops, fleet owner-operators and small to medium sized mechanic shops across Western Canada.

Our custom, high-quality aftermarket charge air coolers can be customized to meet your work extremes. You can rely on our dedicated team to provide you with top-quality CAC replacements that meet your exact needs.

Curious about what aftermarket charge air coolers are available in Western Canada? Contact our team for more information. 

Toll-free: 1-877-RAD-CORE (723-2673)
Winnipeg: 1-204-633-5648
Estevan: 1-306-634-2055
Saskatoon: 1-306-934-7005