WRX Intercooler into an LN61

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:03 pm

Well, decided that for #1 modification will be an intercooler. Mainly cause I was given a WRX bonnet scoop by a panelbeater about to bin it and scored an intercooler from a WRX with the pipes for $50.
So I thought I'd post a quick write up as I go and how much of a difference alone an IC makes.
Thus far I brought a can of "Toyota 138 Metallic Grey" Spraypaint from Repco - $8.25 and painted it.

Sat it on to get a rough idea of the colour match - close, not quite right, but for $8 I'm not about to complain. Spraypainter was asking $120

From the front

Next weekend I'll start thr scary part - cutting up my bonnet!

Post by **mike** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:16 pm

hmmm nice.

Where can you get intercoolers for a reasonable price from? I got quoted $900 bucks for a second hand prado setup. Thinking this is a bit to much.

I will be watching what you do closely :wink:

Mike

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:21 pm

Easy to get them off trademe. Where i got the WRX one. The boys in their skylines, silvias, wrx's, lancers all pull them off to put a big front mount on. Then can't get rid of the factory ones quick enough. Keep your eye out, bargains always come up there.

Post by **mike** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:01 pm

Just been browsing around and yeah some good ones on there. Also found this site, quite interesting http://autospeed.drive.com.au/cms/A_0901/article.html comparing all the different flows etc

Mike

Post by **mike** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:36 pm

Well now I'm definitly doing what you are doing. I got a wrx sti one.

Although I paid $100 more than you but I couldnt afford to wait till next wednesday when the auction finished and plus someone was already bidding on it and I get to pick it up as its already in chch.

That website said those were second hand for about 500 in oz!

Have you sussed or got any good ideas on how to mount it yet? The twin inlets could be a problem??

Mike

warlord225 · Post by **warlord225** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:35 am

if I were you I would stick with the early legacy water to air intercooler because it doesn't suffer from heat soak as much as the air to air.

now I know that the wrx/sti/twin turbo legacy intercoolers ar all the same except for the 2 inlet pipes on the bottom.
hell I had a 13.2 second 1/4 mile twin turbo wagon.

if you jump on either http://www.clubsub.org.nz or http://www.submerge.org.nz you should be able to pick one up very cheap.

but in saying that I personally wouldn't waste my time with them and I would throw on a mitsubish lancer vr4 inter cooler, one problem with those though is they have to be front mounte, but they are long and shinny so you could mount it high

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:13 am

My IC has the Y pipe on it, the 2 inlets merge into 1. Will post some photos when it arrives.
As for heat soak, I had already thought about this problem. I will go to a wrecker and scavenge some of the heat sheilding from around an exhaust that procects the fuel tank/brake lines and cut and shape it to prevent the heat from the rocker cover and exhaust/turbo reaching the IC.
Had looked into a front mount, but throttle lag and lack of room were my reasons for going against it. Same with water-air, nowhere to mount radiator.
Keep an eye on this topic - I will post what i've done with photos.
Mike - do you want to meet up at some stage and have a look/discuss ideas? If so, pm me

niblik · Post by **niblik** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:06 am

are the intercoolers very effiecient when goin offroad at offroad speeds? ie slowish?

just wondering..

Post by **mike** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:24 am

I've seen a setup on the net somewhere where a fan was mounted directly onto it to suck air through it at low speed. But I'm wondering if this is an issue really because its open road driving where I'll need the extra power and help with keeping it cool. The 1kz has enough power offroad as it is for me :wink:

Once I get the cooler,the head and bits back then I'll be keen to come round and have a look and a chat etc.

Mike

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:47 am

ater to air are considered better as the heat soak doesn affect them quite so much especially when travelling at slow speeds

warlord225 · Post by **warlord225** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:21 am

mitsubishi had a fan under their intercoolers, can't remember what model pajero it was though.

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:03 pm

I'm not going for all out power, if i was i'd be doing a water-air setup and a dry ice bin. And putting it on a twin turbo V8! :wink:

But I'm after an improvement in torque, esp on the open road, hills etc. But i don't want the throttle lag penalty and the difficult setup on a front mount, hence why I'm comprimising on a top mount. No intercooler is going to make a huge difference at low speeds as they all depend on airflow (except maybe the above option!) But that's what low range is for.

It will also cool intake temps, thus helping on the overheating front.

Post by **mike** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:09 pm

Rollux wrote:I'm not going for all out power, if i was i'd be doing a water-air setup and a dry ice bin. And putting it on a twin turbo V8!
But I'm after an improvement in torque, esp on the open road, hills etc. But i don't want the throttle lag penalty and the difficult setup on a front mount, hence why I'm comprimising on a top mount. No intercooler is going to make a huge difference at low speeds as they all depend on airflow (except maybe the above option!) But that's what low range is for.
It will also cool intake temps, thus helping on the overheating front.

Exactly what I'm after as well. I'll be A-Framing a LR around and possibly on a transporter at times. This is where the benifits will come in. The only times I need power 4wding down here is going through rivers, but then I could just rig up a bilge pump to pump water over the intercooler if under bonnet height :lol:

heh imagine that

Mike

warlord225 · Post by **warlord225** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:36 pm

another good idea is an intercooler water spray, esp good when going up hills and the speed starts to get down a bit. believe it or not it does make a difference

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:13 pm

That's what Marvin the Martian is hangin on the windscreen for!! :lol:

MATT4U · Post by **MATT4U** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 10:11 pm

Look here for fitting a wrx cooler
http://toyotasurf.asn.au/techsite/intercoolingtop.htm

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:47 pm

Already had. But is more applicable to LN130, and not very detailed. Thanks Tho!

Post by **mike** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:25 pm

Are you going to do a body lift or do you already have one? I thought it would be an excellent excuse to do one for mine as I'm pretty sure as hell that it aint gonna fit in with out one.

I picked the intercooler uptoday. I had a quick look at how it would go on, but without the head and rocker cover there its a bit of a waste of time trying to determine how its going to sit. Hopefully by next weekend I'll have it all back on. I'd be keen to have a gander at yours next weekend which I bet youll have completely mounted it :wink:

Mike

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:50 pm

I haven't done a body lift, I'm hoping to get away without it. There is about 150mm from Rocker cover to bonnet, so it's gonna be close! Haven't got the intercooler yet, will have it here wednesday all going well. Plan to use the workshop at work on Saturday to fit it, as I'm gonna need the welder to modify the inlet on the mani.
A couple of the articles on the Aussie site say you don't need a body lift, one says you do, so we'll see when the IC arrives.

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:05 pm

Hmmmm, intercooler arrived today. Gonna be damn cclose fit to the bonnet! Will have a better look at the weekend when I can re-route the heater pipes and so forth. It's gonna be so close that if it touches I will just mount the scoop to the intercooler and cut a hole in the bonnet big enough to go around it, bug catcher style

Will post photos and write up at the weekend for mounting the scoop and intercooler. Plumbing will happen the following weekend when I know what I'm gonna need

4wdnuts · Post by **4wdnuts** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:02 pm

just as a side track i was in super cheap auto yesterday and they had alloy pipe in 45 and 90deg bends for air intakes. also had silicone joiners to. could be worth a look if you need some piping or joiners etc.

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:01 pm

what diameter pipes did they have anything could use for a snorkel

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:01 pm

$&IG%^$&$&%%*^%^%&! Gonna need a 50mm body lift to fit this. Grrrrrr. So close, yet so far. Resting on the rocker cover with everythin re routed the bonnet closes without touching, yet there is no room for the 1.5" pipes to run underneath. By the time allowances are made and for space between everything, the cooler sits too proud.
Bugger it, i really don't want to do a body lift, but looks like i'm gonna have to if i'm gonna intercool the ol girl.
Can anyone tell me the other things i need to alter if i go this way, ie p/s pipes, brake lines, rad hoses etc? And where can i get an inexpensive kit? What are the downsides? I'm picking a b***h to get into, more body roll, harder to load, easier to roll. Anything I've missed?

Cheers
Dan

Post by **mike** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:04 pm

yes cert at $350 or bucks :cry:

But then you might as well do everything including running the feet you want ie 33's get the right rims to put them on. do the rear disc brake conversion also and anything else that might need certing. Starting to get real expensive for me hence why im going to get a warrent and then do the lift and then put the intercooler on and then get the rims and tyres i want to run and then do the rear disc conversion and then get the cert :roll:

And that is 6 months worth for me easily...

Mike

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:50 pm

Not interested in 33's, rear disc conversion or anything like that. This truck is my daily driver, does about 85% on road, and barely has enough power to turn the 30x9.5s on it. I won't be doing any hard-core offroading in it. All I'm looking at doing is giving it a bit more power and help keep the head in one piece. So looks like I might as well flag this idea as too expensive.

wjw · Post by **wjw** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:14 pm

Just have a massive bulge in the bonnet

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:09 am

I was thinking that, or a massive pro-stock scoop. I'm still looking at ways around it, I really want to fit it without doing a body lift. I will look into it again after I go on holiday, put the money towards an exhaust instead. And confer with my wife as to her thoughts on it (she wants to fit the Lexus V8 now, wheras I want a house first :roll:

)

Post by **mike** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:44 am

Rollux wrote:I was thinking that, or a massive pro-stock scoop. I'm still looking at ways around it, I really want to fit it without doing a body lift. I will look into it again after I go on holiday, put the money towards an exhaust instead. And confer with my wife as to her thoughts on it (she wants to fit the Lexus V8 now, wheras I want a house first )

good idea with the house first because .......

http://stuff.co.nz/3929672a10.html

house prices are just getting stupid as time goes by. Either get in now or move to oz.

The whole body lift thing just adds a huge cost to it doesnt it

Mike

4wdnuts · Post by **4wdnuts** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:14 pm

cant you just cut a hole in the bonnet that fits around the cooler? then in the mean time just put some of that ruber edging around the hole? would look pretty tidy and get awesome air flow through it.

Rollux · Post by **Rollux** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:42 pm

Have decided to sell the WRX cooler and scoop. Anyone interested in it, pm or email me. $65 for both freighted anywhere in the country.
However, watch this space as I think i have found a way around the body lift thing. Just requires a different cooler (and hence scoop also for sale)
Shouldn't be too hard to fit, but I'll wait till i have it and have checked it out before starting a write-up!

Cooler has some bent and squashed fins, but nothing 1/2hr with a small screwdriver doesn't fix. (already done some of them myself) No longer have y pipe, but would need to be binned anyway as this particular one had a large downwards hump in it adding about an extra 30mm to the depth.