evaporator intercooler update

[Jim P]

I finally got the top half of my intercooler casting done today but the pipe that goes to the turbo did not cast right so I cut what was left of it off. The rest of the casting is not too bad but it does have a place right in the front that did not fill right. I guess I will keep trying until I get it right.

Here is a picture of it if any body wants to see it.It is the last picture in the group.

http://myweb.core.com/photos/jpfarmer@raex.com/intercoolercasting/

[pannhead]

looking good (way beyond my metal-work skills)...how is the clearance to the hood?...my intercooler only has about 1/2" to spare :eek:

[Jim P]

The hood closes but I don't think there is much room left. Maybe an inch or so.

[ 03-08-2004, 01:48 PM: Message edited by: Jim P ]

[Peter J. Bierman]

I realy like the 6.5 TD written on it, you have eye for detail ! :D

Great work.

Peter

[britannic]

Are you using a wooden pattern in your mold or the sacrificial type?

[Marty Lau]

It is amazing how talented folks on this site are.
Thanks for the info and hope you keep us posted on your progress and results. ;)

[Shotuscnc]

Jim, that is some kind of nice work... make sure i am on the list of 'wanna buy it' when you get to anything near production...

i would buy just the rough castings..

Chris

[triggerman]

Outstanding fab work !!
Be sure to braket the bottom shell to the block else ware other than the 6 manifold mouth bolts. Also I would give the exchanger a thick urothane bedding so it can in no way chaf on your caseings. Don't let vibration kill this project. I would also consider useing K-1 as a coolant If infact your building a water to air system. Best of luck on this, keep us posted.

[whatnot]

If you use freon, you might want to be careful.
I have heard that R-134A will burn. A leak in the intake wouldn't be too good.

[Peter J. Bierman]

Don't worry, R134a or R12 are selected as AC medium becouse it will not burn.
It will burn your skin if it gets on it in liquid form. :(

Peter

[TurboDiverArt]

Originally posted by Peter J. Bierman:
Don't worry, R134a or R12 are selected as AC medium becouse it will not burn.
It will burn your skin if it gets on it in liquid form. :(

Peter Yeah, freezer-burn! :rolleyes:

Very "cool" idea, can't wait to read about the results. Good job!

Art.

[TurboDiverArt]

Wonder if the casting could be made out of fiberglass? I'd think it could be thinner and lighter allowing for more hood clearance. Also a possibility for others to easily make it as you won't have to smelt aluminum. I remember seeing in some hotrod magazines about kits being sold to fabricate fiberglass body parts. I don't remember seeing how it was done but I think you created a mold out of just about anything that was semi-rigid and you poured in the fiberglass and let it harden. Then you could sand and paint.

Either way, this is way cool!
Art.

[a5150nut]

Cast resin would be too brittle. Hand lay-up with mat and cloth for strength.

And yes you could build a form out of a foam block and make your mold out of fiberglas off that. You want 3 to 5 times the glass in the mold or re-inforce with plywood in flat areas. From what I have seen of carbon fiber, it is allmost the same as working with polyester resins only stonger yet!

[Uncle Wally]

Jim,

I was thinking about this the other night while I was tryin to get some sleep.

What do you need to make your own castings?

I am working on a 72 Blazer currently and was thinking about 6.5 diesel power with twin turbos and a liquid intercooler. I have a lot of R&D work to do, but I was thinking that a new ram style manifold like they use on the GM Performance Parts Crate engines would look way cool and even improve performance. I was originally thinking of making one out aluminum stock - kinda like the sheetmetal versions that are currently run on the extremely high HP versions at the track. Maybe casting one is a better idea.

I'm sure there are other people on here that wouldn't mind knowing how ya do it. Otherwise I would just have you send me a note via email. If it isn't too much trouble.

Waldo

[Jim P]

Some other type of cast material may work but keep this in mind.

My evaporator is 12" x 8" so the under side of the top casting has about 96 sq. inches of area. If you have 15 psi of boost that means that you will have a force of 1,440 lbs. trying to lift this casting off the bottom half. I am planning to run 20 psi of boost so mine will have 1,920 lbs of force trying to lift it off. I am not sure if fiberglass would hold up to these pressures.

[TurboDiverArt]

Originally posted by Jim P:
Some other type of cast material may work but keep this in mind.

My evaporator is 12" x 8" so the under side of the top casting has about 96 sq. inches of area. If you have 15 psi of boost that means that you will have a force of 1,440 lbs. trying to lift this casting off the bottom half. I am planning to run 20 psi of boost so mine will have 1,920 lbs of force trying to lift it off. I am not sure if fiberglass would hold up to these pressures. I think fiberglass or other material can handle it. Ram air pro stock hoods create a good amount of pressure at 200 MPH and I

[eracers999]

This is a great idea.
Any thought given to the condesation off of the evaporator ? Could this turn into a mild form of water injection ? What about condesation after you shut it off, could it cause a starting problem ? Nice work !
Kent

[TurboDiverArt]

Originally posted by Kent:
This is a great idea.
Any thought given to the condesation off of the evaporator ? Could this turn into a mild form of water injection ? What about condesation after you shut it off, could it cause a starting problem ? Nice work !
Kent Hum,

I too thought about the condensation but only when running. I figured when running, the hotter it got the more water would be produced the better. Never thought about it when the truck is shut down. Might need to groove a circle/channel around the opening at the intake to catch water running down the side of the enclosure. Tap and plumb in a catch can if a lot is produced. The engine bay is going to stay hot for a while. I don't know A/C units but most cars **** water when you turn them off, I assume from the engine compartment heat and the evaporator. If it is a problem I think it's an easy one to deal with. I'd think that the little amount of water that would fall directly into the intake opening when the engine was off (vs. running down the sides) would probably not be a problem. Might not be a problem at all.

Art.

[eracers999]

Couldent a guy just shut the system down a little bit before your done pulling, or just hi idle it for 5 min with the system shut down, that should balance out the temp between the evaporator and the eng, wouldent you think?
Kent

[Jim P]

Yesterday I cast a new top half but I still had a few minor problems with it. I machined it all over(except the two front corners, I have to get a longer 1/2" endmill for that) to make it smooth and I am going to use this one for a pattern for the rest that I make. It does have a few sand holes that I am going to fill with bondo so that these holes are not duplicated on the next ones that I cast. I did not cast the letters on this one but I will attach metal letters to the top before I use it for the pattern. I have decided to make the pipe that goes to the turbo a seperate piece. I will machine the hole in the front for the air to flow through after I cast them.

I know that you guys are real interested in how I make these castings. I guess it won't hurt to tell you. I machined the first few patterns out of styrofoam to form the hollow shape in the sand. This is alot of work for only one casting but hopefully some of you guys will want some and make this all worth while.

This aluminum pattern will be much more durable for doing multiple parts. Melting aluminum requires a furnace because the metal has to get to about 1,400 degrees before you pour it.

I have a few more pictures of this casting.

http://myweb.core.com/photos/jpfarmer@raex.com/intercoolercasting2/

[ 03-14-2004, 03:15 PM: Message edited by: Jim P ]

[triggerman]

.... uhhh, speachless.
By the way Jim, just what do you do for a livin?
After those photos, its apparent you know what time it is.
Keep up the great work ;)

[Jim P]

I am a machinist. I have a few machines at home too. I have a lathe, milling machine, drill press and four tool and cutter grinders. I do some tool and cutter sharpening for the shop that I work at and also for other shops. I also do some trick machining for local tractor pullers.