Looking for pics of intercooler conversion

[J Banning]

I've got a '84 hotair that I want to intercool. I'd also like to use an 86-87 turbo. At the very least I'll use a stock 86-87 intercooler, but would prefer to do another powerstroke (what's on my 86 now).

Can you guys point me to some detailed pics of the placement and fabrication needed of the turbo, intake, and piping?

Thanks.

 

[1QUICK85]

Not really sure if my pictures in my sig will help you but ya never know. I like your powerstroke setup.......I eventually want to put one on my car...........when I get it running right There is the new intake/ic conversion coming out for the hot airs check in this forum for the thread on the kit.
I know when I ran the stock intake with the spearco intercooler kit...........you just have to ground the top of the intake a little and the turbo clocks right around towards the front without any fitment probs.....then some custom piping and a ford ic and an adapter for the ic piping to the intake and your set. Lots of fabrication, but your probably use to that.

HTH, Nick

 

[StaticErosion]

I know cool84 has done this and at one time had pics. I did the powerstroke IC myself, but don't have any pics, and I really don't like the way I routed my pipe anyway.

 

[J Banning]

Do most people clock the turbo forwards so the outlet pipe goes up & over a modified intake/throttle body setup? I thought I saw someone go behind and around the back of the manifold. Looked like an awefully long run of pipe though.

Welding and fabrication should not really be a problem for us (couple of us working on the car).

The heater box and all A/C components will be out of the car, so we may just run a 3" dump/downpipe right down where the heater box used to be since the room is avail.

We'll also be going to an electric fan, so that'll free up room in front of the motor.

 

[1QUICK85]

I have only seen the turbos clocked towards the front......the pipe going to the back of the intake, that you saw, may have been the return from the intercooler. HTH

 

[J Banning]

Originally posted by 1QUICK85
I have only seen the turbos clocked towards the front......the pipe going to the back of the intake, that you saw, may have been the return from the intercooler. HTH

Oh yeah... you are probably right. They were probably using the stock manifold inlet for the return from the intercooler.

 

[1QUICK85]

Do you plan on using the stock intake? If you find a V2 or one of those new ones.........then you would have shorter piping and throttle body relocated to after the turbo.

 

[J Banning]

Originally posted by 1QUICK85
Do you plan on using the stock intake? If you find a V2 or one of those new ones.........then you would have shorter piping and throttle body relocated to after the turbo.

I have 2 stock 84/85 intakes and 1 stock 86/87 that I can use. I also have 1 84/85 throttle body, and 1 86/87.

I have seen some pictures of a modified 84/85 where the roof was cut out, a plenum was welded in, the floor cut out & raised & welded. Was thinking about duplicating that.

From doing the powerstroke on my '86, I think I have all the pipe fitting under control. Have since done up some cold air setups for other cars as well.

HOWEVER, my friends and I are on a VERY low budget. We're trying to build a car for the $2005 Grassroots Motorsports Challenge.

 

[1QUICK85]

Cutting of the roof and welding in a plenum sounds like a V2 intake to me........and port the hell out of it. Then you will be able to fit a bigger turbo on top the intake. Sounds like a cool project to me.........I got to get a powerstroke ic. Nick

 

[StaticErosion]

BTW, just incase you didn't know (it sounds like you do), the 86/87 intake won't bolt up without about as much modification as you are thinking with the hot-air intake.

 

[fireberd350]

Yo banning, when you get the hotair?

If all works out you can do mine next

 

[J Banning]

Originally posted by fireberd350
Yo banning, when you get the hotair?

If all works out you can do mine next

Last weekend. It's a '84 Designer's Series. Looks just like my '86 (except under the hood ).

 

[cool 84]

I've done the powerstroke on hotair conversion. Don't worry about the pipe length, there was no difference in spool from hotair form to powerstroke with 3" piping.

You will have to move the throttlebody to the pressure side as close to the intake manifold as possible or throttle response will be aweful. Use an 87 style inlet bell on the intake of the turbo to mount the MAF pipe directly to the turbo. Put the throttlebody in the intercooler piping right before it enters the intake. I coupled it to the intake using an inlet bell bolted to the TB and coupledd with silicone hose. You will have to use an 87 throttle cable or FWD cable from the junkyard to get the length you need. Flipping the IAC housing around will help clearance also.

I have a TA64 in the 87 housing clocked facing forward and into the intercooler. From the exit, it runs along the drivers fenderwell and 90s over the brake booster, into the TB and then into the elbow welded onto the back of the intake.

Spearco sells an elbow that will bolt onto the back of your intake manifold but it's only 1.8" at it's smallest point and the bend is pretty sharp. I found a cast 3" elbow with a nice radius at a scrap yard and had it welded to my intake. With a slight backwards tilt it clears the turbo.

As for the manifold itself, your biggest gain is opening up the ports. It's been in the 10s in hotair trim with only a port job and I'm sure can be pushed farther with an intercooler. I ported mine to the felpro 1200 gasket which required welding material to the runners. Later on I cut the top off and gutted the inside making it an open chamber but by far the biggest seat of the pants difference was from porting the runners.

It sounds like a lot but I spent $30 on the mandrel 3" piping bought from a muffler shop. $120 in silicone hoses and good clamps. I'm sure you could go with rubber hose and hose clamps much cheaper for the challenge. The elbow was free, welding the intake was $50, porting was done in the garage for free. You could probably do the whole thing for $350 including the price of the intercooler if you really try.

Once you open the intake, get a decent sized turbo, intercooler, and get a good downpipe, the hotairs will run the same times as a similarly modded 86-87 car.

 

[justin7t]

http://community.webshots.com/user/justin7t I took my intercooler off went from 14.02 to 14.40 without IC

 

[J Banning]

cool 84: Thanks for all the info. Have any pictures? What make/year vehicle did you get that cast elbow off of?

If possible with our budget, we'd like to be in the low 12's with the stock 87 turbo, ported heads, and FMIC.