OBS Intercooler Install

[zpd307]

i hear ya. $148.00 for pipes you know will fit is worth it in my book. there are too many variables when making a set of pipes with that many bends. all i saw when trying to route pipes on the 90 was how many tubing sets i was going to have to buy to get one complete set intercooler pipes. i would inevitably screw up a small angle and have to scrap that bend.... and what does hypermax want for a set of their up pipes?????????

 

[apextrans]

Warden, I'll get you some measurements but yes i could have gone further back.

I see one big problem with those pre made pipes. Every install is different. Take mine for example, I didn't want to cut into any reinforced metal in my core support so that raised the installed height of my I/C a couple inches. If the pipes he's selling are prebent, you need to know where the cooler needs to sit BEFORE you install it. I think it's a great idea but I'd rather make my own so everything is exact. But I have a welder & enjoy fabbing stuff so it's sorta relaxing to me. If you don't have that stuff available, it's a great alternative.

 

[h2odrx]

anybody want one, i just got done doing the 6.0 intercooler swap on my 99. so i have all aluminum 99 intercooler left over....

did you get a early 99 spider? what did you use for the pipes? i see a guy on ebay is fabbing some up for the swap.

How much for it?

Warden, I'll get you some measurements but yes i could have gone further back.

I see one big problem with those pre made pipes. Every install is different. Take mine for example, I didn't want to cut into any reinforced metal in my core support so that raised the installed height of my I/C a couple inches. If the pipes he's selling are prebent, you need to know where the cooler needs to sit BEFORE you install it. I think it's a great idea but I'd rather make my own so everything is exact. But I have a welder & enjoy fabbing stuff so it's sorta relaxing to me. If you don't have that stuff available, it's a great alternative.

I'd like to see it....

 

[zpd307]

i quoted another member $120.00 shipped, it will come with the original boots and clamps.

 

[apextrans]

i quoted another member $120.00 shipped, it will come with the original boots and clamps.

Somebody need to jump on that!!!! That's a hell of a good price! I paid 165.00 on flea-bay for cooler only, no boots or clamps.

Warden, I didn't get a chance to measure today because I ended up working late & it's pouring here now. I would say on an approximation (is that a word?), if you were to cut the hood latch bracket off just below where the actual latch bolts to it, you could bring the I/C within a 1/2 inch of the a/c condenser. I chose to leave the the full brace but modified it to a straight down brace. My bottom mounts at the forward most surface are 2 3/4" out from the face of the core support. If I had left the brace off the hood latch bracket, I could have gone back probably an 1 1/2" further. With the header panel installed, the I/C is about a 1/2" from the header at the closest point (out on the sides where it curves in to meet the marker light assemblies. There isn't enough room for me to mount my 6.0 tranny cooler without grinding out some of the header panel in the current setup. I'm leaving it the way it is because I dont want to undo all that I did. Here's a picture of the brace i'm talking about deleting. Just dont add the long flat section like I did & you will probably have to cut into the reinforced sections at the bottom of the core support ( where the I/C tubes paas thru)to get the I/C to slide in under the hood latch, ie. back further.

 

[apextrans]

I re-read what I typed & just wanted to clarify. 2 3/4" from the face of the core support to the forward most edge of the bottom mount, not the front of the I/C.

 

[apextrans]

Another valuable piece of information to remember while installing it. Check to see whats on the back side of the core support before you drill. You can see the lefthand bolt is cockeyed because of the metal contour behind it. I drilled to low..... I'm a *******

 

[The Warden]

Thanks for the info and pics, Scott I'll probably have a few more questions for you as I start to get into this...if all goes to plan, I'm hoping to start doing a mockup with the core support next Monday...one nice thing about swapping clips is that I can get everything on the core support ready to go before installing the core support on the truck

BTW, how important do you think that brace is going down from the hood latch? Eliminating it seems like a good idea as far as installing the IC goes, but is not having it there going to risk damaging the core support after repeated opening/closing of the hood?

Thanks again

 

[towcat]

Thanks for the info and pics, Scott I'll probably have a few more questions for you as I start to get into this...if all goes to plan, I'm hoping to start doing a mockup with the core support next Monday...one nice thing about swapping clips is that I can get everything on the core support ready to go before installing the core support on the truck

tim-
we may be working with the '94 F450's core support. I seem to have misplaced my extra OBS core support. irregardless, you are goinna be taking the darn thing apart anyways.

 

[apextrans]

BTW, how important do you think that brace is going down from the hood latch? Eliminating it seems like a good idea as far as installing the IC goes, but is not having it there going to risk damaging the core support after repeated opening/closing of the hood?

Thanks again

I felt the same way about deleting it completely & tried to talk to a few guys that have done this install when I was at that stage in the process. Since I couldn't get ahold of anyone, I figured ford put it there for a reason so I better put in there too. Well, after I was done, I got a call back from one of my buddy's who told me he removed his with no adverse effects. He running a 6.0 I/C & tranny cooler up front. I guess it's ok that way. He's under the hood all the time.

 

[Russ]

Scott first off nice install, but it's kind of hard to tell from the pictures, did you use any rubber between the IC and the lower mounts? I know the factory uses rubber there, and just wondering if the mounts will wear on the aluminum IC?

 

[apextrans]

Thanks Russ. I haven't been around much lately trying to keep the trucking biz alive. How ya been?
Actually, the factory rubbers are in there but I tried to clean up the aluminum before install & the cleaner left a white residue on them that makes them hard to see. , someone said the same thing on another forum I frequent. On my computer, if I double click the pic after it opens, it supersizes it & you can clearly see the rubber.

 

[zpd307]

x2, the factory uses rubber insulators on the intercooler mounts. they must be glued in or something.

 

[The Warden]

tim-
we may be working with the '94 F450's core support. I seem to have misplaced my extra OBS core support. irregardless, you are goinna be taking the darn thing apart anyways.

I figured as much re: taking it apart...it'll be good practice for when I go hunting for good body panels, and I can get a feel of how things go together and whatnot. I guess we'll see where things are at on Monday, assuming I don't end up hauling a small boat up the Delta for the Scouts

I felt the same way about deleting it completely & tried to talk to a few guys that have done this install when I was at that stage in the process. Since I couldn't get ahold of anyone, I figured ford put it there for a reason so I better put in there too. Well, after I was done, I got a call back from one of my buddy's who told me he removed his with no adverse effects. He running a 6.0 I/C & tranny cooler up front. I guess it's ok that way. He's under the hood all the time.

Okay, cool! I'm actually going to be running a 6.0l IC also (it's been sitting in my kitchen going on 2 years now ), so good to see that it's been done on an OBS before

Thank you again!!

 

[apextrans]

I don't know who's truck this is & I think I found these thru a google search but check these out for some tips on installing the 6.0 I/C.

Clicky