anyone made an intercooler?
05-28-03, 02:39 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Socal
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
anyone made an intercooler?
m2 and pettit charges a grip load for intercooler. i know they are badass intercoolers but just curious is anyone made their own with some spearco cores and endtanks
05-28-03, 11:07 AM
#3
WingmaN
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Fort Worth Texas
Posts: 4,324
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When I lived in L.A.when I was a kid my dad was a hardcore hotrod builder. He had a friend that made radiators for hotrodders using short pieces of 1/4" copper tubes. I watched him a few times working on them between him and my dad talking about his latest project and them drinking beer 
He had this tool he made that would make each end of each tube sort of flared. But the flare looked more like the end of a piece of exhaust tubing that was expanded to slip another pipe of the same size into it for a slip connection like you use U-bolts on.
If you took a couple of the tubes and put them together side by side there would be a gap between them which would be where the coolant would go.
He would take a rectangle frame that he would put all these tubes in them and run strips of sheet copper between them every few rows so that the water would travel back and forth between the tubes between the inlet and outlet. After they were all in place the rectangle box was setup to where he could tighten the sides down against the tubes so they could not slip.
Now this is where the neat part came in. He had a lead vat that was in effect a big tub of molten lead. He would lower the box down into the lead and I guess he had something in there that controlled how deep it would go. He would do the to both sides. This would solder the ends of the tubes together. I don't remember how he did the sides and the tanks because I just wanted to see it go into the vat at the time
My dad swore by those radiators and my dad knew his **** (not sure what happened to me )I have always wondered if with a little modification if the same concept could be done for an intercooler. Radiators and intercoolers are obviously based on the same principle.
He had this tool he made that would make each end of each tube sort of flared. But the flare looked more like the end of a piece of exhaust tubing that was expanded to slip another pipe of the same size into it for a slip connection like you use U-bolts on.
If you took a couple of the tubes and put them together side by side there would be a gap between them which would be where the coolant would go.
He would take a rectangle frame that he would put all these tubes in them and run strips of sheet copper between them every few rows so that the water would travel back and forth between the tubes between the inlet and outlet. After they were all in place the rectangle box was setup to where he could tighten the sides down against the tubes so they could not slip.
Now this is where the neat part came in. He had a lead vat that was in effect a big tub of molten lead. He would lower the box down into the lead and I guess he had something in there that controlled how deep it would go. He would do the to both sides. This would solder the ends of the tubes together. I don't remember how he did the sides and the tanks because I just wanted to see it go into the vat at the time
My dad swore by those radiators and my dad knew his **** (not sure what happened to me
)I have always wondered if with a little modification if the same concept could be done for an intercooler. Radiators and intercoolers are obviously based on the same principle.
05-31-03, 03:10 PM
#6
WingmaN
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Fort Worth Texas
Posts: 4,324
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Okay guys, as if I did not have enough projects I am going to try this and see if it works.
As I tried to explain earlier the tubes are expanded at the ends so that when you place them against each other they have a gap. Once you boxed them against each other and put them in a solder vat you would only dip them the length of the flange. My dad passed away several years ago now and all I remember was that the guy that made the radiators name is Jimmy and he lived in El Monte (California) If any of you guys live in the LA area and can talk to some of the old hotrod guys there we may be able to track him down if he is still around/alive.
Obviously there are alot of details I would like some answers to but I have a game plan I think will work as far as sealing off the sides and setting the inlets and outlets.
The expander I made real quick on my lathe and I think the tube could withstand a larger flange without splitting. The hardest part of this will be making the solder vat and finding the ideal temperature and dip time for the best seal. I also thought about making the expander so that it would square the ends of the tubes although that was not the way Jimmy did his.
As I tried to explain earlier the tubes are expanded at the ends so that when you place them against each other they have a gap. Once you boxed them against each other and put them in a solder vat you would only dip them the length of the flange. My dad passed away several years ago now and all I remember was that the guy that made the radiators name is Jimmy and he lived in El Monte (California) If any of you guys live in the LA area and can talk to some of the old hotrod guys there we may be able to track him down if he is still around/alive.
Obviously there are alot of details I would like some answers to but I have a game plan I think will work as far as sealing off the sides and setting the inlets and outlets.
The expander I made real quick on my lathe and I think the tube could withstand a larger flange without splitting. The hardest part of this will be making the solder vat and finding the ideal temperature and dip time for the best seal. I also thought about making the expander so that it would square the ends of the tubes although that was not the way Jimmy did his.
06-02-03, 12:59 AM
#7
There were multiple articles on a radiator constructed that way by www.thebrassworks.net
The Brassworks
289 Prado Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805-544-8841
800-342-6759
They used to call it the heat sponge. I contacted them a while ago and they told me they discontinued making them because they were too labor intensive. A couple months earlier I had talked with them and they had a year backlog. Scalliwag, maybe they could give you the information needed now that they abandoned the product.
The Brassworks
289 Prado Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805-544-8841
800-342-6759
They used to call it the heat sponge. I contacted them a while ago and they told me they discontinued making them because they were too labor intensive. A couple months earlier I had talked with them and they had a year backlog. Scalliwag, maybe they could give you the information needed now that they abandoned the product.
Trending Topics
06-02-03, 12:02 PM
#8
WingmaN
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Fort Worth Texas
Posts: 4,324
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow! That brought back some 30+ year old memories! Here is a link directly to the page with pics of the radiators http://www.thebrassworks.net/brassworks_heat_sponge.htm
I will contact them and see if they know Jimmy. This is the exact same type of radiator he did. It would be very labor intensive because there are a shitload of tubes to cut and flange.
I think on a intercooler you could use a little larger diameter tubes and make them longer.
I have never looked close enough to an intercooler to see how the air routes through it. That will help determine the best way to try out the baffling strips.
I will contact them and see if they know Jimmy. This is the exact same type of radiator he did. It would be very labor intensive because there are a shitload of tubes to cut and flange.
I think on a intercooler you could use a little larger diameter tubes and make them longer.
I have never looked close enough to an intercooler to see how the air routes through it. That will help determine the best way to try out the baffling strips.
