Well a big suprise package arrived today by a nice courier lady with a Santa hat on. I wont tell you about previous time I saw a nice lady with a santa hat on.
my hat off to Andrew Graham at Allisport , he said I'd be pushing my luck to get it before Christmas, but he sure came through with the goods.
All I read on the forums about replacing the intercooler says its easy, "just undo a few bolts and take the angled support braces off and bobs your uncle"
I must be missing something because you have to take off the bonnet latch support bar that goes from one wing to the other, easier said than done. The intercooler lives under that support bar, between the A/C condensor & the Radiator.
(Same issue when I cleaned out my intercooler when I fitted the provent- by the way- this time there was NO, none , nada , zilch oil in my intercooler, The Provent really is worth having.)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...2013/01/71.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...2013/01/72.jpg
Just check out how puny the standard intercooler is in comparison, how the hell do those poor Td5's breathe thru that.
my camera battery went flat after the above photos so some below are putting it back together instead of taking it apart but you get the idea.
You have to take the cross bar / bonnet latch support off. how the hell do you undo those bolts, I cant get the them inside the guards so had to use a big lever to pry the wings apart . I could feel the car wincing.
Also dont forget to undo the bolt in the center of the condensor top support bar. it also holds the black bar in place
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/12/573.jpg
once the bar is off you can take the black brackets off.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/12/574.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...2013/01/73.jpg
once the black brackets are off there are just two bolts that hold the top of the intercooler to the radiator, then jiggle the old intercooler out.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/12/575.jpg
in the pic below you can see I took the headlight bezel off trying to get to those pesky bolts - no luck
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/12/576.jpg
Expect your old intercooler to have some oil in the bottom, do your new intercooler a favour and fit a Provent 200 .
This took about 2 hours, hardest part was getting the hose clamps into a position where I could tighten them with a long screwdriver.
Road test, I noticed an IMMEDIATE improvement, turbo lag was all but gone, improved response and I could instantly tell the engine was breathing better as I could hear it more in the snorkle head. I must say that I previously have replaced the restrictive 2" air hose from the snorkle to the airbox with hotrod 90mm inlet hose and done the airbox mod.
Mission accomplished, EGT's have lowered at least 50 deg for the same speed on the same hill. Road test hill, before ....
100 kmh on flat before the hill then flat chat up the hill I'd be at 95 at the top with egt about 730
now same scenario but flat chat 112 at the top of hill and egt about 710,
second run watching the speedo & keeping on 100 egt was 650
I am a very happy vegemite and see no need for the VNT just yet.
all I can say --- just do it.
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UPDATE,
I recieved a message from Andrew Graham at Allisport thanking for my feedback,
he explains how to wind those studs in - so simple once you know the trick
hope this helps othersQuote:
There is a neat trick to getting those studs out of the wings which means you do not have to prise them apart! Simply use the nuts you have removed to lock two together and wind two studs out from the wing on one side then the catch panel slips out.
...Don
.
