Stock intercooler mods?

[Diz]

Are there any improvements that can be done to the stock side-mounted intercooler? (I couldn't turn up anything in my searches... ). On cars like Buicks, they re-do the inlet/outlet piping, etc. Does anyone ever install larger connection spouts or?

Thanks!

 

[DCJ98GST]

A good cleaning can help flow and efficiency on an older car.

 

[dsmturboawd]

clean it.

 

[THEDUKE]

Originally posted by Diz
Are there any improvements that can be done to the stock side-mounted intercooler? (I couldn't turn up anything in my searches... ). On cars like Buicks, they re-do the inlet/outlet piping, etc. Does anyone ever install larger connection spouts or?

Thanks!

you can have the inlet &outlet upgraded to 2 1/4 from dejon. I have this on mine & it works good.

 

[90AWDTalon]

Originally posted by THEDUKE
you can have the inlet &outlet upgraded to 2 1/4 from dejon. I have this on mine & it works good.

In your profile you have a 60-1 turbo listed, how the hell do you deal with heat soak? I've been planning on getting the super big sidemount, but if the modded sidemount works as good as it seems to work for you I might go that route instead, $135 vs. $500.

 

[dsmturboawd]

60-1 w/ stock ic? dear god.

 

[Defiant]

You can do an external spray of water, nitrous or carbon dioxide. I think the nitrous coolers are claiming 50hp, but that's not very likely. Effectiveness, like so much with turbocharging, is very condition- and installation-dependant.

Opening up the backside of the fender liner so that you get more airflow through the IC is supposed to help too, but I've not heard just how much.

 

[Diz]

Sounds like the best way to go with the 2-1/4" spigots. I already removed the louvered fender liner behind the intercooler...Thanks!

 

[THEDUKE]

Originally posted by 90AWDTalon
In your profile you have a 60-1 turbo listed, how the hell do you deal with heat soak? I've been planning on getting the super big sidemount, but if the modded sidemount works as good as it seems to work for you I might go that route instead, $135 vs. $500.

Just remember everybody does things there own way sometimes. It is working very good for me but I also run my NITROUS back in my upper IC pipe. This helps keep me cool & I am having no problems with it. For the money this mod works good but a better IC can work better. If you are running a 16g or a 20g it should work & it can work on a big turbo to. (Flow seems good) Just for thought the last time I went to the track we had turned things up & the car was flying. It was going to run alot faster than I have before. It pulled threw 4th gear so good I was going to have to use 5th in the 1\4. (I still cant go over 7500 rpms). But my felpro head gasket let go at the top of second gear & I coasted the rest of the way through with the motor off & the car ran 12.60. I had the best 1/8 time ever & I am sure the car was going to run in the 10s because it didnt fall of on the top when we tried it on the street,but it didnt make it because the head gasket let go. If your money is short like mine & you use your head you can always find a way to get by on somethings. But the wall I run into this time was my headgasket. I will still run the modified sidemount next year & spend my money somewhere else. But if I had the money I would buy a good IC.

 

[King Salami]

For bang-for-your-buck (especially with your setup), a Supra sidemount is hard to beat.

 

[initialRES]

I just rigged up a sprayer for my stock side mount. I just re-routed my windshield washerfluid and now it sprays on the intercooler. It cost me about 8 dollars in hose and nozzles and about 30 mins of setting it up.


I don't know if it helps or not, I think it helps after lots of hard driving to cool it off. But either way, its something to do, it was fun and it was really cheap. That could help you a little bit if you don't want to dish out a bunch of money.

 

[Blk95gs]

Originally posted by initialRES
I just rigged up a sprayer for my stock side mount. I just re-routed my windshield washerfluid and now it sprays on the intercooler. It cost me about 8 dollars in hose and nozzles and about 30 mins of setting it up.


I don't know if it helps or not, I think it helps after lots of hard driving to cool it off. But either way, its something to do, it was fun and it was really cheap. That could help you a little bit if you don't want to dish out a bunch of money.

Funny, my friend and I were talking about doint that to his Laser the other day. We weren't too keen on spraying washer fluid on his though...do you actually spray that on the intercooler?

 

[Spidey]

Washer fluid will work fine, my friend has a water injection setup that uses the washer fluid resevoir as a source of liquid, and he injects immediately before the TB. This has allowed him to run 17psi on back to back runs without a hint of knock(it's a 1g, 14b, exhaust/intake/ic pipes). He did it the nice way, got a Hobbs switch so it auto-sprays at 5psi. Anyway, nothing to worry about with washer fluid, I hear it even helps clean out carbon deposits due to the 1% alchohol.

 

[Enigma_Man]

Things you can do to the stock IC:

1) Clean it: Disconnect it, take it out of the car. Take rubbing alcohol, or gasoline, or your favorite de-greaser, bung up one end of the IC, pour in the cleaner, and shake shake shake. Lather, rinse, repeat until clean. Let it dry out, so you don't have an IC full of explosive fuel when you reinstall it.

2) Move your stock foglights out of the way of airflow in front of it. On my Laser, I bought some Walmart specials to replace my broken foglights, and mounted them more towards the center of the car. This left the space in front of the IC open to scoop in more air.

3) Trim, or replace the stock plastic shielding behind it. Be warned though that if you trim it, and the tire happens to kick a rock into your IC, you're going to cry. Some people replaced that plastic shield with some heavy grade screening material.

4) Get bigger inlet/outlet pipes welded onto the IC. Unless you're good at welding aluminum, you'll need to send it off to a shop to get this done. Really any shop that can weld aluminum, and works with cars can give you what you need. Just tell them to cut off the small pipes, and put bigger ones on.

That's what you can do with the stock sidemount. People have also upgraded to larger core sidemounts (such as the supra sidemount), though it seems to be a little difficult to finagle them into place (need to use a big hammer to dent things sometimes).

-Jesse

 

[initialRES]

Originally posted by Blk95gs
Funny, my friend and I were talking about doint that to his Laser the other day. We weren't too keen on spraying washer fluid on his though...do you actually spray that on the intercooler?

I haven't used washer fluid yet, just water. Down here in texas it doesn't freeze much so no need for anything more than water. I don't think the washer fluid will cause a problem because it isn't much different than water.

 

[nine5raptor]

Originally posted by initialRES
I haven't used washer fluid yet, just water. Down here in texas it doesn't freeze much so no need for anything more than water. I don't think the washer fluid will cause a problem because it isn't much different than water.

Anyway, nothing to worry about with washer fluid, I hear it even helps clean out carbon deposits due to the 1% alchohol.

It is 49.999% Deionized, distilled H20
49.999% Methanol
0.002% Blue dye

It shouldn't hurt anything as it evaporates so quickly and the blue dye is inert.