Intercooler Modifications???

Chevycummins

Chevycummins

Bad case of Tinkeritis!
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
3,488
well i went to install the dodge intercooler in my GM conversion. Come to find out that it interfers with my headlight assemblies. i have tired calling around to some radiator shops and asking if it is possible to take the header off the top of the core and shorten it. Almost everyone i talked to was afraid to touch it due to not being inside one to know how it would have to be done.

my options are

1. shorten the dodge IC
2. find a different one with a shorter height
3. change over to the W/T grills of the GM trucks
4. modify my silverado lights and lose some of the support.

i am curious as to what all of your opinions are as to what might be easier or cheaper to do. i would like to keep the silverado grill but dont want to spend anymore than necessary to get an intercooler installed. For now i am just gonna have a 3 inch pipe bent to fit. will go through the slots for the intercooler tubes around the front of the radiator just above the bumper to get me by til i find a better solution.

thanks


michael
 
Have heard of rumors of fitting a duramax cooler, but never seen any pics or evidence of this. Have you looked into stroker coolers?
 
no i havent really started looking yet just was thinking about how i could do this so that i only have the front end of my truck apart once. might have to see if i can find some dimensions on the other two intercoolers and see how well they work i have heard of the powerstroke ones being used but like you i havent seen any pics to show how they are working.
 
a 3rd gen intercooler is narrower and taller... just cut straight across the bottom or top and cap the tanks... i have seen mitsubishi guys do this with powerstroke intercoolers... seemed to work pretty well
 
24vriviera could you elaborate a little more on that. all the shops i talked to either thought it was too thin to weld/tig or it had glue or something on the tubes and once heat was put to it would melt and cause leaks.

Roachie if you could get some measurements off that dmax intercooler i would appreciate it.

thanks

michael
 
if the core flows side to side.. cut fins between the tubes all the way through the tanks with as much room as you can get between tubes to weld to... tanks have to be aluminum. there is a plate welded to the ends of the tubes where the tank welds to. it is thick enough to tig to. after you cut just fill the hole left in the end tank with a piece of plate. you may try a welding shop instead of a radiator shop. this will work if you are trying to shorten it. you cant "take some out of the middle".
hope it helps and doesnt confuse
 
24vriviera so your saying that all the cross tubes are seperate only connected with the fins? if so i see what your talking about. yes i am trying to shorten the height of it to clear the headlight assemblies.

from what you said all the tubes are connected to a flange that is welded/tig to the tanks on the end. in that case be able to cut a section of tank and core and then re-cap the tanks on the end. wish i had a junk one around to play with lol.
 
Ill measure the dmax tomorrow.

From memory the radiator support is very similar on GM trucks from current til the 80's area.
 
alright i got the dodge radiator in there right now so that i could eliminate the coolant tank that was on the pass side to open up room for twins someday lol so i have a radiator that i can work around as far as running pipeing just would like to see if the dmax one will fit around it and be short enough to clear my headlight assemblies
 
you just need to trim a tad bit out of the head light supports and adjusters. and very minor slotting of the headlight mounting(to the core support) holes to move the head lights outward. No big deal.

Joe
 
joe you got any pics of these mods. just curious as to where trimmed and did you have to remove the two tabs off the side of the tanks of the IC?
 
you do have to remove the tabs for the OE rubber mounting setup. smooth everything out and make sure you keep the little tabs that are more towards the core support. they will not interfer with the lights and you could use them to mount it to the core supp. i will get some pics as soon as it quits snowing aound here. its got my schedule screwed up.

Joe
 
when ever you get a chance joe i would like to see this pics of the areas to clearance.

thanks

michael
 
found a shop that would do such thing but want to charge me like 6 hrs of labor to cap the two tanks, and at $55/hr would add up quick. i figured it would of only taken a couple hrs to put two little pieces of aluminum on. not sure how long it takes to tig that but wouldnt think it would take 6 hrs.


24vriviera said:
if the core flows side to side.. cut fins between the tubes all the way through the tanks with as much room as you can get between tubes to weld to... tanks have to be aluminum. there is a plate welded to the ends of the tubes where the tank welds to. it is thick enough to tig to. after you cut just fill the hole left in the end tank with a piece of plate. you may try a welding shop instead of a radiator shop. this will work if you are trying to shorten it. you cant "take some out of the middle".
hope it helps and doesnt confuse
Click to expand...
 
time to find a buddy with a tig machine and buy him a case of beer and pizza!
 
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