Thread: radiator/intercooler shroud mods for aftermarket intercooler and radiator

Originally Posted by boxhead1990

curently have a pwr rad that come with my current rig and the top of the shroud was zip ties on one side but now that i have fitted a 90mm intercooler from ebay (i can provide a link it was about $330 delivered bar and plate style unit)

and i can see where i have to trim pieces on the side and on the top i want to try and get it to bolt back into place like it would on a dead stock one if i can


just wondering if iv not searched enough and if someone could point me in the right direction to where some images or other details are (i like to see pics tho if i can so i can see what is being spoken about at least) to aid me in doing a good job of this and not ending with with a really hacked up looking shroud thats still kinda neat and stuff

I haven't started my install yet, but basically doing the same or similar thing.
I recently noted that another member posted some info re those 90mm intercoolers, and that there's a very high likelyhood that the steering box bracket on the LHS chassis rail will foul the IC, unless trimmed down with a grinder.
On the LHS chassis rail near the IC's bottom hose you should see an unused bracket. This is where the steering box is bolted for LHD vehicles. This one is the culprit, which may need to be ground down a little .. so it may not be a quick and easy install.

What I did, for what I'm going to do, is I got an Alloy rad, and the 90mm IC, and I got myself an Alloy radiator frame to work with too.
Got all this to try and do it before summer(just gone) .. so it gives you an idea of just how slack I can get!
But, the alloy frame, is a few mm too narrow to fit the larger IC and alloy Rad with enough room so they don't rub, and I can install the foam between each rad too.

So my install steps will be along the lines of: get Alloy rad and 90mm IC installed and snugly fitted into alloy frame first. Install the complete alloy frame and rads all together, measure up clearance to the LHD steering bracket, grind as needed, measure again and grind just a little bit more to be sure no chance of IC rubbing given vibrations and any potential for flex in frame.
Drive it around for a bit to test reliability and durability and hope for the best!
If it all goes south, remove, and reinstall the old (but usable) items as they were removed .. keep motoring along until I can work something else out.

Note, I'm fairly sure that we probably have the same $300-ish 90mm intercooler, and if we do, I have a sneaking suspicion that yours may also be a few mm too wide to fit properly into the steel frame too. There needs to be a few mm of gap between the two rads, and there will be a thin foam insert to eliminate them rubbing. Rubbing radiators = bad results!!!

Sorry no pics(yet) as like I said, I've yet to start, and yet to mod the frame to fit the rads as an entire assembly.

i have a rhd vehicle and theres nothing other then the shroud interfering but i do have to relocate the pins that locate the intercooler due to my rad being larger in all directions

have pre trimmed and when i have time and money to pull it all out again il have a local exhaust place that can do alloy with a tig relocate them and get it sitting over enough so there not hard up against each other

Originally Posted by boxhead1990

i have a rhd vehicle and theres nothing other then the shroud interfering ....

All RHD D1's (and RRCs) have the same chassis.
On the LH chassis rail down near the bottom intercooler hose where it fits onto the intercooler is the bracket(only!) for the LHD vehicles steering box mounts.
So to be 100% sure and clear, it's just the bare bracket where the LHD steering box mounts onto the chassis.
That steering bracket is almost certain to interfere with a 90mm intercooler, unless the header tank on the IC is of a chamfered design on all the edges.
Post a link to the 90mm IC you got to see if it's the same as mine.
Mine has the chamfered edges on the sides of the header tanks only, not the front/rear edges(which are square).
Chamfered edge design = 45 degree corners, not the 90 degree corners you commonly see.
My 90mm IC fits the locating pin holes perfectly tho too, so we probably have dissimilar designs.

Anyhow, if you aren't aware of the LHD steering box mount bracket, be sure to have a good look on that chassis rail to be sure you don't get any rubbing.
The bracket has to D shaped ends and a tube all welded onto the chassis rail, and I remember that the D shaped ends just touch the IC as it sits out so much further than the stock cooler tanks.
You will easily see it just looking down into the engine bay, at the front of the LHS chassis rail.

Originally Posted by AK83

Anyhow, if you aren't aware of the LHD steering box mount bracket, be sure to have a good look on that chassis rail to be sure you don't get any rubbing.
The bracket has to D shaped ends and a tube all welded onto the chassis rail, and I remember that the D shaped ends just touch the IC as it sits out so much further than the stock cooler tanks.
You will easily see it just looking down into the engine bay, at the front of the LHS chassis rail.

Confirming AK83's notes concerning this LHD steering mount. I did not notice this initially, until I pulled the Allisport IC after a couple of years, the LHD steering mount had rubbed a groove nearly all the way through the bottom of the IC. Fixed it by grinding the mount right down for complete clearance then filled the groove in the IC. I did pen a note to Allisport to let them know of this issue and did not hear anything back, I guess they figure its up to the end user to check clearances. Would have been nice to have had a heads up about any issues like this though.

the lower tanks are angled it doesnt apear to hit anything down there apart from the shroud which i trimmed up but due to my radiaotr being a little wider and the pins for the intercooler sit a few mm to one side i have to have them relocated now and shorten my hot side charge pipe a touch and then trim the fan shroud to suite now



also does anyone elses oil cooler lines for the engine run under the fan shroud at all? coz i have a leak around the oil filter somewhere that im attempting to chase down but its a tad diffacult to see where exactly itys coming from -.-"

Originally Posted by boxhead1990

also does anyone elses oil cooler lines for the engine run under the fan shroud at all? coz i have a leak around the oil filter somewhere that im attempting to chase down but its a tad diffacult to see where exactly itys coming from -.-"

A culprit for a near oil filter leak is the small oil pressure relief valve cover - there is a small O ring inside that gets hard and breaks. Its on the oil filter housing, oil from there drips all over the place, including the lines. If it is that, get the right O ring, its quite a thin section and the ones in the o ring kits are all the wrong size.

The lines that run under the fan shroud are the power steering lines - with those if they are leaking could be anything from the press on ends failing, to the metal sections of the lines rubbing through on the chassis, usually near the clips in the centre.

Originally Posted by Spel1

A culprit for a near oil filter leak is the small oil pressure relief valve cover - there is a small O ring inside that gets hard and breaks. Its on the oil filter housing, oil from there drips all over the place, including the lines. If it is that, get the right O ring, its quite a thin section and the ones in the o ring kits are all the wrong size.

The lines that run under the fan shroud are the power steering lines - with those if they are leaking could be anything from the press on ends failing, to the metal sections of the lines rubbing through on the chassis, usually near the clips in the centre.

cheers il have a further look i have some o rings that come with the car and had no idea what they were for and that sounds a bit like what they are for the packet was unlabbeled so yeah there is 2 in the packet does trhat sound right for where you mentioned?

Originally Posted by boxhead1990

cheers il have a further look i have some o rings that come with the car and had no idea what they were for and that sounds a bit like what they are for the packet was unlabbeled so yeah there is 2 in the packet does trhat sound right for where you mentioned?

It only takes one O ring in that location. But, there are thin O rings on each end of the oil lines too - you need 2 for each line, so worth looking there too. Not sure if they are the same ones as for the relief valve but worth a look.