INTERCOOLER

[MARQ2277]

Okay all my idi brothers, I need to figure out how to make an intercooler for my 1990 F250 4X4 idi. I have an ATS turbo, and a bunch of other mods, most of the mods have been on the cheap to be honest (pump turned up, exhaust cut off, etc). Unfortunatly, I am a disabled vet, and I do not have the budget to go out and buy a shiny new anything. So, I have been thinking of ways of either getting cold air to my intake, or some sort of cheap intercooler. I have thought of putting a hood scop over where my K&N intake is, and installing a fan in the hood, right were the scoop would be. This would pull colder air right onto the filter itself. Or, getting a big radiator, and plumbing it as a cheap intercooler. I just know, if you run a turbo, you really have to have a way of getting colder air, . . . period. The other thing is, I will probably never have the funds to buy anything new. I had to save up for three months to buy my stage one (1) injectors. The truck, came with a brand new ATS turbo, so I got lucky there, but I have been trying to get everything else to match it ever since.

Anyway, I know there are a lot of you out there who are very intelligent, or have way better resources than myself, . . . so any help, and or ideas would be greatly appriciated!!

Marq

 

[RLDSL]

If you rig any kind of hood scoop, make darn sure that you put a low spot in the tubing before it gets to anything important with a water drain valve ( you can scavenge one of those off an N/a air cleaner )

 

[MARQ2277]

I am kinda new to all this, and I am not sure what you mean by a low spot, and this tubing thing??

I have an ATS turbo setup, and a K&N filter set up off to the side. It would be on the driver side of the hood in which I would place a scoop, and cut a hole in the hood. Than on the under side of the hood, I would mount a cooling fan, like the ones you place on the radiator, but mount it actually on the hood, below the scoop; so scoop on the top of hood, and fan on bottom of the hood. That way the air, regardless of speed, is being pushed directly onto the big K&N filer, instead of sucking the hot air which the idi gets now. This ford does not get hardly any freesh air from anywhere, it is amazing the idi engine can even breath.

Marq

 

[RLDSL]

If you open the intake directly to the outside and dont leave a low spot in the tube with a drain , you will suck water into your engine and hydrolock that sucker. Either that or blow nice big holes in your pistons, either way, not good.

Besides, with a turbo on there, the whole setup is redundant. That turbo is going to pull all the air that engine needs through the filter when it's spooled up. If it's having trouble spooling up, might try opening up the other end first and see what happens. An old clogged up restricted stock exhaust will really put a damper on things.

When I first put the ATS turbo on mine it didn't boost worth a hoot til I trashed the factory exhaust and put a 4" setup on there. The old muffler was so clogged with soot that i couldnt even lift the thing.

 

[MARQ2277]

Okay, I think I got it in regards to the low spot and drain. I did not think of that before! You have a point, water in the system and hydrolocking is not a good thing. I am glad I have idi brothers out there, or I could have had an issue.

Thanks

marq

 

[tractorman86]

it dosen't sound like you where planing on having any kind of tubing on your "ram air" set up, am i correct? it actually sounds like a heck of an idea. it sounds like a pretty nice truck. in regards to the exhaust, what do you mean be cut off? where is it cut off and what size pipe do you have? do you have a w/g or non w/g ats?

 

[MARQ2277]

My exhause is a 4" down pipe and continues to the end (the back of the cab)of the truck cab, and is cut off their. Where as, before it went to a three (3") inch and to the biggest muffler I have ever seen. I first just cut the **** off, it was like a 55 gal barrel, then I just cut the three (3") inch off at the end of the four (4") inch down tube.

The Turbo is a Garrett with a waste gate; when I bought the truck (paid $3000 for it), it had a brand new ATS turbo set up on it (of cause the turbo itself is made by Garrett). The truck is a 1990 F250 4X4 standard cab, fully loaded with 110K miles on the clock. Body is way straight, no rust, nice tires and rims.

I live in a 1985 28 foot RV trailer, and needed something besides my S-10 to haul it. This truck is my first Ford, and my First diesel, and to be honest I would have never thought I would buy a Ford. I have had nothin' but nice chevy's 'till now. But I could not afford a Duramax, and I got a good deal on this Ford IDI. After some research, I have learned a lot about International, and the history of the 7.3, and there was a lot of thought and research done on the engine. They did alot of cool things from the off crank oil pump, roller lifters, heavy duty oil cooler, head bolts tie into the main walls with 5 bolts per jug; and the use of the BD2 injector pump, and all makes this engine just about bullet proof. I might not get 500 hp out of it, but I bet with all the mods and all, I am getting close to 600 ft/lbs of torque. In fact I have to be easy on the go peddle so not to tear the transmission out of the truck.

Marq

 

[tractorman86]

sounds like a nice truck, make sure the exhaust points away from everything. bad things can happen!

 

[FordGuy100]

For an intercooler, most use a stock intercooler off of a 99-03 Ford 7.3 powerstroke. Typ4 use's a intercooler off of a 6.0 PSD, but he has some cooling problems in the summer while towing, so he was thinking about switching over to a 7.3 intercooler, cause its a little smaller. You can buy a intercooler pipe kit off of ebay for around $100, you might need some more though. Basically, its all custom work.

You will have to clock the turbo housing (intake) a different way, it might cause some clearance issues. Then you might have to rig up a custom intake hat (the aluminum piece that goes from the turbo to the intake manifold), and you will have to point that towards the drivers side. You might have to rig up a different intake/filter setup, it might cause clearance issues.

 

[Agnem]

Time to update your signiture dude! Your 17.

 

[FordGuy100]

Time to update your signiture dude! Your 17.

I forgot

 

[royzell]

'always worth checking, I picked up my intercooler on e-bay a few years ago. It was cheap, but I can't remember the cost. Patience may turn up a deal.