My first intercooler

[fatmobile]

This is my first intercooler install.
 I'm using an intercooler from a starion/conquest.


I'm wondering if I should put some relief in the metal pipe,.. should I weld them together in the middle or silcone hose.
 Hump hoses?? What's up with that?
 The stock silicone 90 that goes from the turbo to the intake works great. It's a 1 3/4" on one end and 2" on the other.
 The starion intercooler has 1 3/4" pipes but I'm running 2" stainless from the turbo.




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No room to go around the radiator, so I went under it.
Didn't have to move that pipe, but the long one used to be in the other corner.
 

[1outof5]

do you have enough room above the oil cap? I guess what I mean is can you still close the hood with the pipe above the oil cap?

[GEE-BEE]

You will want at least one silicone coupler for the center, maybe a 45 off the turbo

Note :turbo would be a elbow reducer 45 or 90

Use smooth lined clamps ( silicone type )I dont care for the bulky t-style

GB

[Rabbit on Roids]

i had to go up over my valve cover like that too. but not to get the boost out of the turbo, i had to do it to get the cold air in the engine.

[arb]

I'd use silicone at each joint = less stress. Also, you'll want to put a rib at the end of each pipe, like your IC has to keep the silocone from sliding off the end. Mine lasted a number of months at 9 psi max before I nearly had a blow-off. My pipes are aluminum, so I took a set of vice grips and made a crimping tool


And the result:

[GEE-BEE]

If we could get enough of us we could all go in on a Tube bead roller from :beadform.com

I would go in on one , it's half of what I paid for my large band saw


or it could be another service for someone on here to sell ( libby ? )


Gee-Bee

[fatmobile]

You will want at least one silicone coupler for the center, maybe a 45 off the turbo

Note :turbo would be a elbow reducer 45 or 90

Use smooth lined clamps ( silicone type )I dont care for the bulky t-style

GB

I'll have to check on what clamps you are talking about,.. I was thinking of getting the T-style.

I think I can go with a straight piece of hose coming off the turbo, I'll have to remove some of the bend and weld a straight piece to the end of the pipe so it lines up better. Both the turbo and pipe are 2" so no reducer needed.

 You really think I should put a piece of hose in the center? Instead of welding it into one piece?
 I'm not sure what good that would do,.. doesn't look like it could reduce vibration from getting to the intercooler.
 What's up with the hump hoses, are they for isolating engine vibration from the intercooler?
 If they are; I'd like to weld the center solid and maybe put a hump-hose just before the intercooler, the 90 on the intercooler pipe should help a little.

The pipes clear the hood by quite a bit, but I might have to remove the pipe to add oil.

arb, I like your bead "roller".
 My pipe is stainless.
I've only been welding mild steel until now, but my tank is about empty and I'm replacing it with an argon tank this time and some stainless wire. I plan to weld a bead near the end
 I've heard you don't have to weld a bead all the way around, a few spots is enough to keep the hose from sliding off.

[mystery3]

Hump hoses just give you a little flexibility if you need a few degrees or allow you a little more room for error.

[fatmobile]

Oh, not for isolating engine vibration from the intercooler?
Does anyone worry about that?

I think I have a plan,.. I might put a hump hose in that piece of aluminum between the 90 and the intercooler, That would allow the end of the pipe to move with the engine.
Hard to imagine a hose in the center relieving any stress, the lower pipe would still be pushing toward the front, needs flex after the 90 to isolate it good.
I'll probably try it without first and see if the intercooler jumps around.

[arb]

My pipe is stainless.

 I've heard you don't have to weld a bead all the way around, a few spots is enough to keep the hose from sliding off.

S.S. ? Cool. You should be just fine welding the two together then. Aluminum might crack over time from the viboration with a long pipe welded in the middle.  Yeah, 4 humps or so should keep the hose on.

[fatmobile]

I like the way it flows as one piece.
 The other end, coming back to the intake is a little more contorted,.. and I haven't gathered any scrap stainless 1 3/4" pipe for that part.
 Lots of 2.5" stainless and mandrel bends for the exhaust.

[motörhead]

I joined here to investigate a 1.6 idi working well in a toyota so you won't hear from me much as I tend to lurk through ARBs threads and a few others, but I also tinker with 80s turbo dodges...had a friend who was a very creative welder, and instead of using vise grips to bend flanges or make 'bead rollers', what he did was take a small length of scrap metal, say 3/16" wide, and wrap it around the pipe in question to make a spiral.  then he cut off the excess so that the scrap was a ring.  He then welded the ring to the end of the pipe around the rim, giving a squared-off ridge right on the end.  We used it on my buddy's old omni when the hoses kept blowing off at 25lbs of boost, and once we did that and used good t-clamps, never had a problem after that...

My .02, back to lurking

[fatmobile]

Good one.
 Better than just a couple spot welds,.. but it probably only requires a few spot welds.