Here I am

2ndGen intercooler install

Attention: TDR Forum Junkies
To the point: Click this link and check out the Front Page News story(ies) where we are tracking the introduction of the 2025 Ram HD trucks.

Thanks, TDR Staff

Speedo no worky

Reduced steering on one side

Status
Not open for further replies.

dpuckett

TDR MEMBER
I went and done it, installed a 1996 intercooler in my 92 pickup. I will even attempt to attach pictures of the high points of the process. The instructions and pictures are from an intercooled truck- some of the cutting and grinding may be avoidable in a nonIC truck- is has just been too long since I had my 91 apart to remember.



List of supplies and tools (that I can remember):

1) 4- 3/8x1-1/2"+ bolts, with nuts and lockwashers.

2) 2- intake gaskets (the almost square ones, not the long one that goes under the entire plate).

3) 2- rubber insulators/ grommets for intercooler side brackets. Mopar P-N 52027827

4) flat steel stock of some sort or another to make the upper mounting brackets. (I used 12ga steel, about 1-1/2" wide, by 2ft long and cut to length as needed)

5) Hammer and anvil, truck flatbed, torch, or some other means of bending the steel for brackets.

6) Means of cutting OEM bracket for intercooler (I used a grinder with a cut off wheel).

7) ~3-4ft of 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 angle iron to make new support bracket for new intercooler

8) 2- 7/16" x 2 to 2-1/2" bolts, with nuts and washers.

9) Wrenches, ratchet, sockets, Vice Grips, etc.

10) intercooler, piping, hoses, clamps, elbow from turbo, and intake horn from 94-02 engine. (many have replaced their stock horn with something from Banks, et al, so these can be had cheap).

11) I'd recommend gloves, face shield, and long sleeves if you plan to grind at all. ALso, some cardboard to deflect sparks is a good idea.

12) Sharpie marker or the like.

13) Short pieces of 1/4 ro 3/8 ID steel pipe.



Here is the good part:



1. Remove bumper, parking light lenses, grille, lower fascia, hood safety latch, coolant overflow jug, battery and battery tray.



2a. Discharge AC system and remove condensor. I know, this is a PITA, but I needed to have it done anyway, so it was no big deal for me.



2b. Leave AC system alone, and move condensor out of the way for now. I suspended mine with baling twine from the hood.



3. Remove hump hoses and clamps from OEM intercooler. Remove the other pipes, tubes, turbo outlet elbow, and intake horn.



4. Cut the support brackets for the OEM intercooler back to the main part of the core support.



5. Measure the width between the lower mounting brackets from the 2nd Gen intercooler. Compare to OEM intercooler. Measure out 1/2 the difference from each OEM mount and make a mark.



6. Cut 2 pieces of anlge iron about 2" long. Clamp in a vice, and drill a hole dead center (or close to there) big enough for the rubber mounting bushings to fit into easily (mine were about 7/8". Weld these up on the lower front of the core support as shown in picture 1, centering the center of the hole with the mark made in Step5. (See photo #1)



7. Measure the width of the new intercooler and add 3/8 to 1/2inch. Center this width on the front of the core support, and mark it vertically about 7" up from bottom. Measure over about the width of the IC inlet/ outlet, and add 1/2". This is your second vertical line. Join the two vertical lines at the 6. 5 to 7" mark and cut out the square. (See Photo#2).



8. Cut about 1" off the lower part of the hood release assembly bracket. (The part angling under the "shelf" that the release is on. Sorry, dont have a pic of that one).



9. Test fit the intercooler into the mounting holes and make sure it is going to fit well. (I reused my OEM lower rubber stops/ bushings on the new IC) Measure to see that IC is vertical in relation to the core support. Leave a 1" gap between the core support and the intercooler. Measure from the installed grommets to the core support. This will be the height of your brackets.



10. Make your brackets. I bent mine 2" from the end to a sharp-ish 90deg bend, measured out the distance needed (It was about 2-3/4" , but this proved to be too short- 3-1/2" is close, but measure- your results may vary), and bend it back so it is parallel to the first 2". Go down about 2" bend back to reverse the first half of it. You should end up with a squared "U" with a couple wings coming out the end of it. Drill a 3/8 hole in each "wing" of the bracket, and a 7/16 hole in the "bottom" of the "U".



11. Mount your newly made brackets to the intercooler, and move the whole thing against the core support. Mark your holes and drill them out. Install 3/8" bolts to hold the bracket. Remove brackets and intercooler.



12. Hang your AC condensor against the core support. I took some more of the same 12ga steel I used for the brackets and made some brackets for the condensor. Cut a 4" section, double it back almost on itself at the 3" mark, leaving enough room for the thickness of the core support (Just a hair thicker than the 12ga). Slip the bracket in the bottom of the hole for the AC condensor, with the longer side hanging to the front. Place your condensor where you want it, and mark the holes from the condensor bracket on the new bracket. Drill holes in the mark. Rivet the bracket in place and install bolts in the condensor bracket to the newly made bracket. (Picture is worth a thousand words, I know). You may have to use a spacer of some sort. I used a but ~1/2" ID. Repeat on driver's side. I figure with the intercooler holding the condensor in place, lower mouting brackets are unnecessary.



13. Mount the intercooler back in place.



14. I had to do some trimming on the inner corner of my inner fender for the piping to clear to the intercooler. This may (or may not) be fixed by moving your lower brackets up about 3/4 to 1". The rubber shielding slips under the lower boots and pipes, and offers some protection from the road.



15. Install intake horn (94-98 12V horns will need the last 2" of the "leg" trimmed to clear injector lines) and piping. The IC outlet pipe should be trimmed about 2-1/2" to fit properly. I just have mine jammed in there for now, with the hoses going too far down the pipe. Passenger pipe needs about 2" trimmed from the long side. INstall clamps, hoses, pipes, and intake horn.



16. Install battery tray and battery, coolant overlfow jug, grille, fascia, bumper, etc.



17. Double check everything and test for leaks. Enjoy markedly lower EGT. I dropped 300deg across the board, but I also had a badly leaking stock intercooler. Your results may vary, esp if your stocker was in good shape. bgilbet, you need to do this to your nonIC'd truck, and compare notes. :D



Daniel
 
Well, crap, I cant get the pics to upload. By the time I get them small enough to upload, they are so fuzzy, it isnt worth the time or effort. Sorry, guys. Philip, if you think you can do something with them, I'll send them to you.



DP
 
Last edited:
Thanks a bunch, Philip. They look better than when I got them shrunk down.



The one on the left shows the new hole where the inlets/ outlets go through the core support, along with the angle iron brace I made and welded.



The one on the right shows the new bracket, with the "new" bracket being the one that was obviously MIG welded by an ameteur.



Pete, are you making fun of me? ;) :D That's cowboy ingenuity at its best with the baling twine. I'll just call it twine or string from now on, though y'all will still know what it is.



DP
 
Now DP you gotta get into the local sayings. You been there long enough to be one. Thats ballin wire. :-laf:-laf



That's the joke! ;) At SOP 3 he was telling ME it was baling wire! I kept telling HIM it was baling twine! :-laf:-laf



Some peoples kids! ;):D
 
Hmm, this topic went drastically wrong somewhere. Call me crazy, but there is a difference between baling wire and baling twine. Am I going to have to bring samples out???;)



Now back to tech... ... ... does a 96 have 3" piping like a powerstroke intercooler? Would a powerstroke intercooler be larger, ie 'better' upgrade, or would it be a "6 of one, half a dozen of the other" type of deal? I could really use a 300* drop in egts, and have a wrecked 94 with air piping on it... ...



Michael
 
MM, on the first question; yes! :-laf



On the 2nd, I think they are the same tube size, from what I have read.
 
i think i am gonna get a couple of those kc offroad lites and mount them to my hood



then i can put radiator and ic across the whole frnt of truck!



all of ya are nutz



don



ps - isnt it bailin wire?



not ballin wire (lol), or baling wire, right? like for a hay bail ? or to make bail from jail?
 
1st gen cac's are 2 1/2" , 2nd are 3 3/4", 24valves are 3 1/2" and HPCR are 3". I not exactly sure when the switched to 3 1/2" but I believe it was with the 24 valve engine. This info taken from the Duralite catalogue. Shadrach
 
Last edited:
Don- it is balin' wire, balin' twine (and there are two sizes of it, one for square bales, and one for round), a bale of hay, getting bailed out of jail, and bailing water from the sinking john boat.



Pete- Shadrach is right about the end tube sizes on the IC- they are bigger than the piping, and the PSD intercooler in/ outlets.



Michael- I havent done a side-by-side comparison of cooling and flow, but the 2nd Gen intercooler is bigger than the 7. 3PSD intercooler, though not vy much. 15-1/2" T, 46" W, 2-2. 5" Thick for the Dodge. I wouldnt expect a 300deg drop in EGT unless you have a seriously wastegated intercooler like Bill and I have (had). Bill, you need to get one, and cut some of your smoke. I dont think 200deg when towing is too much to expect. RonA noted a 50deg drop from the 1stGen Banks to an 02 IC. Banks claims a 200-250deg drop over stock.



DP
 
FYI Re piping: The outlet elbow on the turbo on intercooled 5. 9's is available from Cummins in 2 1/2", 3", 3 1/2" and 4" but the biggest intake manifold connection is 3". On my buddies 1st gen ( with a 2nd eng ) we modified the cac ends to 3" and used 3" tubing all around. Shadrach
 
Sorry I don't know how to do a "parts sticky" Here are the part numbers for the elbow that attaches to the turbo for intercooled engines. The 91. 5-93 Dodge with the H1C are an oddball. Elbow p/n 3918800 clamp p/n 3069053 and oring p/n 3919852. It is 2. 5" and 90*. The rest of these use oring p/n 3883294 and clamp p/n 3069053.

2. 5" 90* 3918684

3" 90* 3918685

3" 73* 3923178 ( for 94-98 Dodges )

3. 5" 90* 3918327

3. 5" 45* 3918350

4" 90* 3883977

4" 45* 3893059

Shadrach
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top