[TheSilverBuick]

I'm not quite to the point of purchasing an intercooler, but hope to do so next spring or summer but want to get some idea's (pictures!) of how people have installed them on a '69 Firebird.

My car is the L6 engine, no A/C, currently has a 3-core brass copper radiator but will be upgrading to a two 1" row aluminum one around the same time as the intercooler upgrade. The battery is in the stock location and would prefer to keep it under the hood, but am looking at all options right now.

I'm not opposed to cutting up the core support some or welding in other supports for the install.

Share with us your set up, and ideally the cooler dimensions/part number. Thanks!

[69FIREBIRD76MM]

Air to air or air to water intetcooler?

[TheSilverBuick]

Ah, air to air.

[69FIREBIRD76MM]

check this pics from my car. cooler measures roughly 12"x20"x3" thick. 3" oulets.

[BruceWilkie]

Consider an air to water intercooler. With your six Id try mounting the heat exchanger on ignition side of block. A/W is much smaller pkg and tank in trunk helps traction. A/W more efficient too.

BTW you don't have to use ice or ice water in most street tune apps...water at ambient does fine for short bursts if you carry enough. can recool water just circulating when running off boost.

Plenty of pics ideas and info on this topic on yellow bullet turbo forum.

[TheSilverBuick]

Originally Posted by 69FIREBIRD76MM

check this pics from my car. cooler measures roughly 12"x20"x3" thick. 3" oulets.

Hmm, I guess one thing I hadn't given much consideration too was purchasing a narrower radiator. I see you are in southern California, any cooling issues?

Originally Posted by BruceWilkie

Consider an air to water intercooler. With your six Id try mounting the heat exchanger on ignition side of block. A/W is much smaller pkg and tank in trunk helps traction. A/W more efficient too.

BTW you don't have to use ice or ice water in most street tune apps...water at ambient does fine for short bursts if you carry enough. can recool water just circulating when running off boost.

Plenty of pics ideas and info on this topic on yellow bullet turbo forum.

Hmm, certainly food for thought and evaluation. I'm not overly keen on using up trunk space (though I know what you mean about getting some of the weight over the rear), but there could still be plenty of room for a small'ish tank of water under the hood at the firewall or in front of the core support. Hmm...

[BruceWilkie]

With mods to orifice an AC system can make a alternate intercooler system using an evaporator as the heat exchanger for intercooling instead of cabin cooling...

Tom V has some posts on the subject. Tested successfully at Ford(600 hp level iirc) and patents exist.

Also ac evaporator can alternately be a water tank cooler in a more conventional a/w system(Ford tested and patented as well) which seems the route Im leaning toward as my power/cooling needs will probably be double what your ohc needs.

Lots of possibilities all types intercooling... do your homework before just jumping in.

[TheSilverBuick]

The car is a non-A/C car and the A/C compressor brackets and associated hardware are fairly pricey, so not going that route for sure.

I looked at a few water to air kits last night, and the plumbing isn't significantly simpler, especially with the air intake/throttle body on one side of the engine and the turbo on the other side. Crossing in front of the radiator still may be the simplest method of simply fitting the plumbing from which ever cooling method to the throttle body due to the length of the L6 and the electric cooling fans on the radiator making a tight fit between them.

Water to Air still isn't ruled out though.

[BruceWilkie]

I'll scan some long six examples from my old turbo book(71) for ideas on your cold side tonight.

btw you should be able to go over valve cover and return to hat without clearance issue or performance issue regardless which type you chose.

Additionally adapting JY ac condensor, compressor, evaporator would mostly involve adding a pulley and fabbing brackets and box for evaporator(heat exchanger). It wouldn't require going in cabin like you normally think when discussing ac.

Also modernizing the OHC6 is way cool! I like what your doin and something I'd like to do as well!!!

[TheSilverBuick]

Thanks.

I'm building a new intake manifold that will separate the intake manifold from the exhaust manifold, and the throttle body will open facing forward instead of up. Plus, between the coil packs and the cool cam housing (PMD!), I'd rather not go over the top.

[70 bird]

Dont cut up your car = water/meth injection. I have been using it for over 5 years on two of my vehicles on pump gas with iron heads.

Go here and check it out....

http://www.alcoholinjectionsystems.c...FZTm7AodAlEAHQ

[BruceWilkie]

Originally Posted by 70 bird

Dont cut up your car = water/meth injection. I have been using it for over 5 years on two of my vehicles on pump gas with iron heads.

Go here and check it out....

http://www.alcoholinjectionsystems.c...FZTm7AodAlEAHQ

Works good...

I ran boost activated/regulated winter grade washer fluid(or straight water) to 20+ psi(mid 70's mystery gas octane ratings...sure wasnt good stuff as real stuff was too hard to find) on my old corvair turbo...easy cheap to make... sprayed right at compressor entrance(90 deg angle @.040" jet) with no issues.(turbo is quite effective homogenizer!) only wiring is optional to detect fluid level.

At 6-700 hp level shouldnt have to cut up car for A/W intercooler or AC cooled intercooler either.



SilverBuick... I'll try scannin pics tomorrow... grandkids messed the interlock up.

[TheSilverBuick]

I have zero qualms cutting up a car. The car isn't exactly mint to start with, and was originally a 400/4-speed car that is now a L6 auto, so originality means little to me as well.

I'll add water/meth injection on top of the intercooler if I am not achieving my goals and just need a few more psi of boost to get there.