A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

I’ve been driving a diesel pickup for few years and have read online and in the magazines that the “intercooler” is not always called an intercooler. Is there more than one type of cooler? If so, which does my '19 Ford Power Stroke have?

Thank you,

Dave Wainwright

Via email Hi Dave,

There are at least three terms I’ve seen for the cooler that cools the turbo-boosted air. We contacted the turbocharger experts at Garrett a while back to get an official definition for the terms. Charge Air Cooler: The term CAC applies to a cooler located between a turbocharger’s compressor and a diesel engine's intake system. Every 10 degrees you can lower the intake air temperature will allow the engine to produce about one additional horsepower. At maximum boost pressure the turbochargers in these trucks can add 200 or more degrees to the boosted air in a worst-case scenario. A well designed CAC can nearly eliminate the increase above ambient temperature and return as much as 20 hp to the engine. That’s actually a big deal. Aftercooler: This term applies to a cooler placed inline after an air compressor. Intercooler: This term applies to a cooler placed between a turbocharger or supercharger and the intake system on a gasoline engine.

So, to be technically correct, your Ford (and all newer Dodge Cummins and GM Duramax diesel-equipped trucks) has a CAC. Right or wrong, most diesel pickup owners usually call it an intercooler, including me.

Jim