Let's Talk Intercoolers

[reklund]

Yeah they are pricey. But they also have what you need sometimes. Check out Nevada House of Hose too. (Play on words there, which is funny every time!)

Butchs caters to the desert race/offroad crowd rather than the industrial supply crowd. TONS of cool stuff in there if you have some time to cruise by and check it out.

 

[Clb]

Dave-
your truck is prolly one of those apps that I don't reccomend a IC for. I don't know how the full height IC's are doing to cooling systems, but my half height IC does tax the cooling system pretty good. Radiator blockage is one thing, the heat transfer of a hot air charge through an IC is unreal. I too have poped off my AC overpressure valve, much of it I think is due to the R134 retrofit(R134 runs at much higher pressures)

I'm still reading up, I want to do an ic if I can keep the ac AND not tax the cooling system during towing ?!
This is my big question,,,, how are the coolant temps on hot days loaded up?
Back to my reasearch.

 

[Clb]

With the 5th wheel in tow (16,860lbs truck and camper total), hauling through the hills of Kentucky, I saw 1100 a few times before getting the timing sorted out (was 12.5 BTDC). After Mel set the timing to 9.5 BTDC, the EGT's stayed under 1000 on hills. But, I don't let the RPM fall under 2250 either. Under that, it doesn't matter what's under the hood, the EGT's will climb. But, keep it singing over that RPM with a load and the EGT's are no longer a problem............ even with the Moose pump/injectors.

The Rodney Red has been my best mod for heavy hauling......... bar none! I used to drive by the coolant temps and the pyro. I don't have to watch either now. I can accually watch the road.



Heath

Is this THE cure for towing with a cool eng?

 

[IDIoit]

i have a 89 F350 that im working on for a friend.
he wants to keep his AC too.
i wonder if mounting a IC behind the bumper, with an air scoop under it for air flow would do the trick.
all it wants is air to cool the air, right?
with a air scoop under the bumper, id think it would do just fine. thoughts?

since ive mounted my IC, i have not noticed an increase in engine coolant temp.
non ac, mounted in the front.
but ive only towed a 1500 pound boat on a short trip.

 

[towcat]

Is this THE cure for towing with a cool eng?

he's on the right track. i have stopped using AC in high heat enviroments as a sacrifice for cooling capacity. I'm talking about 100* plus outside temp runs up grades. under more normal temps of no higher than 95*, I still run my AC and have noticed the needle does move a fair amount as the fan kicks on and off.
I do plan on modifying my stack as.... (front to back) AC condensor, intercooler, radiator. I am looking into the alu radiator option, but I haven't really persued it yet.

 

[Clb]

I figured I'd bump this back up ...
As Russ and Kalvin's conversation at the norcal gtg...
I have the windowed front bumper now , thinking the ic down there might shed its heat away from the rad some.???

 

[79jasper]

Also apparently having that piece of rubber like stuff that runs from the bumper t9 the core support will help. It directs the air.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[towcat]

I'm still reading up, I want to do an ic if I can keep the ac AND not tax the cooling system during towing ?!
This is my big question,,,, how are the coolant temps on hot days loaded up?
Back to my reasearch.

Here's what I have been gathering on my IC knowledge since I installed my system since 2005. *IF* you're running stuff in front of the bumper, snowplow, spare tire, or even an over-sized winch, either relocate, add an air scoop under the bumper, or do not do an IC conversion. iirc, Dave has stuff mounted to the front of his truck where cooling airflow is hampered severely.
If you look at the OEM's and how they stack their coolers, it goes as follows. in the front is trans cooler, next is AC, then IC and taking up the rear is the radiator. I'm still running the older CBR(copper brass radiator) and the R12 condensor converted to R134. Neither are optimum for heat transfer for what they do. Fortunately ALU radiators have significantly come down in price where I'm willing to put one in now and I have recently found a R134 condensor that is a literal drop-in where the R12 used to go. R134 is a less efficient refrigerant compared to R12 and needs a condensor with a higher tube count in order for better heat transfer. Also, a front mounted cooling fan over the condensor will keep the pressure spikes down. R134 will spike pressure when in traffic where the airflow through he cooling stack is reduced. If you are running a full height IC, you will want to do an install like the OEM's. My half height IC leaves the majority of the condensor exposed, so I am wanting to try the dedicated R134 condensor behind the IC. Those of you who have a full height IC, you might want to modify the stack like how the OEM's do it.
I've driven my setup in the same config since 2005 and through one of the hotter summers in 2012. In heavy traffic, I can either let the overpressure switch do the work or turn off the AC inside the truck. I've never had an issue with the truck running hot and I put it through some serious abuse from CA to MI to TX and back to CA. Cooling worked fine. R134 converted AC needs work. but we're working on it. I just night spring for the ALU radiator to tweek it a little more in my favor too.
that is all for now.

 

[Clb]

hell no.
i paid $1300 for the ATS "kit" and the IC is a Spearco unit. i have no regrets on anything i've done to the truck. read up on the thread. it's full of info and insights. it may be an old thread, but the info isn't outdated.

Any chance of getting a spearco part number for the cooling chamber?

Thanx cb

 

[typ4]

That's an Ats part. NLA.

 

[Greg5OH]

I still stand by using a factory ford 6.0 intercooler. Less than 80$ at most yards. I just had to trim the bottom mounts of my radiator a bit for the 3" pipes to clear. No more than 1" off each side. I still have yet to see over 1000F. Granted, I have not towed heavy with it. But going up grades 8k lb truck, lugging it in 4th smoking on purpose, still barely touched 1000F.
RPM is definitely key to keep EGT down too, as long as you are not choked on airflow

 

[Shawn MacAnanny]

I run a water intercooler on my truck, you can make a good kit for under $600 with 1/10 the piping and I still have my ac in place. I have a bull moose and misters, truck is 9klb and I only run 7psi with no get issues. Here's a video of a 5th gear pull from 45 to 75mph

http://youtu.be/fV_Esg5MiA0

 

[Shawn MacAnanny]

It doesn't take up much room and there is zero lag from the short piping

 

[Kizer]

I run a water intercooler on my truck, you can make a good kit for under $600 with 1/10 the piping and I still have my ac in place. I have a bull moose and misters, truck is 9klb and I only run 7psi with no get issues. Here's a video of a 5th gear pull from 45 to 75mph

That's the intercooler that I went with for my 85 rebuild.
"Moose Mover" engine on its way. Can't wait

 

[no mufflers]

Fortunately with my front bumper chin spoiler I have alot of room to mount the intercooler beneath the bumper.

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I want to utilize the cutouts of the chin spoiler. I'm leaning towards a bar and plate intercooler. Something around 24x12x4 core size. That should allow me to mount the intercooler beneath the radiator but still allow air flow to more than half of the intercooler.
There are many intercoolers on eBay, especially the factory Ford/GM ones from GOBANKS' eBay store . The factory ones don't look like they are in the 24x12x4 range though....?
Here's a couple I've been watching, any thoughts Towcat/F350camper/others?

Lancer/EVO III intercooler
Bar and plate core is 12.4" tall X 20" wide X 28 and 3.75 " thick





MISHIMOTO Deluxe FMIC Intercooler
Overall Size: 31" x 12" x 4" (Tank to Tank)
Core Size: 24" x 12" x 4"
Inlet/Outlet: 3"




4" monster intercooler
4" thick-24" long core-12" high-3" inlet/outlet-1cfm @ 1.5 psi drop


Any and ALL comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

as I was reading this ancient post, I noticed this sweet 350. anyone know if it is still around? just kind of curious.