Front Intercooler. Cutting down a truck intercooler to a GQ

[pete's GQ]

I have a large front intercooler from a semi truck and would like to know if any one has any info on cutting down the cooler to suit my 4.2 deisel with a safari turbo.

[hienuf]

most performance work shops will cut down and weld end tanks to suit but remember, larger the cooler more lag u will have as it needs to fill up entire cooler b4 reaching inlet!!!!

[stool]

Hyper flow at wolongong cut a mack truck cooler down for me
Cost $340 smacks
PH 42832281

[adam.s]

Dunno really the size you want, but intercoolers are really cheap these days, that it's not really worth cutting one down.

Try jap imports like www.importbitz.com for 2nd hand gear

or, check out ebay/jap performance sites for the hybrid copy range of intercoolers, they arnt the best obviously, but they arnt that bad for what they are, and you can pick up a decent sized fmic for sub 400$ brand new.

What sorta IC are you looking to make? Usually its more pain in the ass then its worth to find a truck cooler and then get it cut down - that said, I'm sure you could do it for $50 if you know how to, or know someone who could weld it for you.

[bazzle]

Cutting a cooler is not really a smart thing to do . As well as efficiency issues swarf does get into the tubes and "will" get thru one day into engine.

http://www.are.com.au/

read info on this site

Bazzle

[CRUSHU]

just fit this one
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... ntercooler

[awill4x4]

Intercoolers can only be cut down by cutting between the tubes, they can not be done by cutting through the tubes. Not unless you have some laser cut header plates and a quarter million $ hydrogen brazing furnace setup.

[adam.s]

Intercoolers can only be cut down by cutting between the tubes, they can not be done by cutting through the tubes. Not unless you have some laser cut header plates and a quarter million $ hydrogen brazing furnace setup.

surprisingly enough, people do cut them down the middle and reweld tanks on the end.

you have to fabricate/buy the plate that goes along the end to seal it off

it's dodgy imo, and probably hinders airflow/performance, but with forced induction unless you are running on the absolute edge of the engine, you probably wouldnt even notice.

i'd rather not cut down an IC if i had the choice.

[Quadcamshorty]

Cut down truck cores flow like crap.

As was mentioned get a good quality tube and fin style second hand cooler off a jap turbo car etc.

[adam.s]

I dunno how much boost you want to run but you could probably just get an OEM intercooler off a jap performance car, it would be easy enough to fit & cheap.

I have a spare TT supra/soarer intercooler which is like 300x300x100 or thereabouts, nice and thick - would flow well, but just not a huge amount of frontal surface area. I was going to fit it to my last car before I decided i'd go bigger.

Trade you some 4x4 parts or beer if you want it

[awill4x4]

[
surprisingly enough, people do cut them down the middle and reweld tanks on the end.
you have to fabricate/buy the plate that goes along the end to seal it off
it's dodgy imo, and probably hinders airflow/performance, but with forced induction unless you are running on the absolute edge of the engine, you probably wouldnt even notice.
i'd rather not cut down an IC if i had the choice.

Yeah, and as a full time professional Tig welder I've seen the botched results of attempts such as these. The amount of heat which has to be put into the header plate/tube assembly bows the whole core and I've yet to see one that doesn't leak. The only way to reweld a header plate if your after a good result is hydrogen brazing. I've given up using 2nd hand cores as you don't know if the core leaks until you've spent 1/2 a day or more on it only to throw it in the bin.
Regards Andrew.

[MQHOON]

I hope you didnt pay too much for it!

It got rid of it from our workshop anyway,
Sell it for scrap metal, youll get a case of beer.
Keep looking for those lights for me.


Mick Christie