• From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Topic: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

I want to change the cooler stackup in the front of the Saab. Right now it uses an intercooler that is the same footprint and construction as the radiator. I want to move to one that is around half the footprint so I can get some clean unheated air through the radiator. Anyone have a proven budget friendly part? I don't care if it's ebay, or junkyard pulled, just curious if there are some proven units out there.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice
  • chaase
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: East Meadow, NY
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,558

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

Check eBay/Craigslist for some used Volvo intercoolers.
I found one dirt cheap for another project

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner
  • From: Birdsboro, PA
  • Registered: 2009-10-26
  • Posts: 892

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

Evo intercoolers are about the size you are looking for, OEM quality, and are often removed to upgrade for all the boosts.   I also have hear people using the Isuzu NPR diesel truck intercooler for junkyard turbo setups.

Chris from 3 Pedal Mafia
  • chaase
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: East Meadow, NY
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,558

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-intercoo … ition=3000

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner
  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

chaase wrote:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-intercoo … ition=3000

That style looks a touch small for a replacement. But I like the OEM approach.Like I said, the stock intercooler is the same size as the radiator, it's not small.



Thanks Sonic for the Evo tip, I should see if my buddy still has his stock one after upgrading.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice

6 Reply by chaase (edited by chaase 2020-08-13 11:56 AM)

  • chaase
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: East Meadow, NY
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,558

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

TheEngineer wrote:
chaase wrote:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-intercoo … ition=3000

That style looks a touch small for a replacement. But I like the OEM approach.Like I said, the stock intercooler is the same size as the radiator, it's not small.



Thanks Sonic for the Evo tip, I should see if my buddy still has his stock one after upgrading.

I’ve seen that style. They tend to be very thin. I am sure you can find something closer to your liking going OEM used. Saab, Volvo and anyone selling diesel will have intercoolers and those can be found used for cheap.

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner
  • chaase
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: East Meadow, NY
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,558

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

This looks promising

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Intercoole … XQVT9S9UTN

1992 Saturn SL2 (retired) - Elmo's Revenge -  Class B winner, Heroic Fix winner x2
1969 Rover P6B 3500S(sold) - Super G-Rover - I.O.E Winner, Class C Winner
1996 Saturn SW2 - Elmo's Revenge (reborn!), Saturn SL1  Dazzleshipm Class C x2 and IOE winner
1974 AMC Javelin - Oscar's Trash heap - IOE,”Organizer's Choice" and "I got Screwed" award winner
  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

Nice Find. I'll try to look up measurements on that one and see if it fits with the way the end tanks are pointed.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice
  • MDG
  • Ripened Lemon
  • Offline
  • From: Indiana
  • Registered: 2014-05-06
  • Posts: 142

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

I have a Dodge Turbo II intercooler you can have. You likely have experience with them and would know if it will work or not.

  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

MDG wrote:

I have a Dodge Turbo II intercooler you can have. You likely have experience with them and would know if it will work or not.

I have a couple that survived the great garage purge. They aren't quite big enough I don't think. And I'd have to do a bunch of surgery to change the way the piping attaches because they're really weird how they're cast.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice
  • From: Aurora, IL
  • Registered: 2012-02-06
  • Posts: 910

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

Sonic wrote:

Evo intercoolers are about the size you are looking for, OEM quality, and are often removed to upgrade for all the boosts.   I also have hear people using the Isuzu NPR diesel truck intercooler for junkyard turbo setups.

+1 for the Evo intercooler. The one of the Quantum is from an Evo X (1 side outlet, 1 top outlet) but the Evo 8/9 ones are side inlet/outlet. Used to be able to get them around $100 bucks but when I last looked people seemed to be asking twice that.

"THE WONDERMENT CONSORTIUM"
Everything dies baby that's a fact,
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back?
  • From: Pembroke MA 02359
  • Registered: 2016-06-27
  • Posts: 151

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

We have gone  though a few kinds of intercoolers on VW /Audi TDI plate forms we run some times in 35 lb boost range. Bigger is all was better but miles of tubing is BAD. We found a well build air to water is the best way to go run as short of pipe is best and a bigger intercooler and front radiator with a big water pump. From turbo to intake piping is 3 ft now from 14 ft with just a air inter cooler up front. DRVOLKS com

  • From: Duxbury, MA
  • Registered: 2014-11-05
  • Posts: 51

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

I have an Audi 200TQ intercooler you can have if you want to give it a try.

#9 Audi CQ Scooby Doo Car known as the Mystery Machine, #44 Audi 4KQ painted as a tribute car to the 1989 IMSA  car driven by Haywood, Stuck, and Rohrl, and the #95 Audi TT Lightning McQueen.
  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Re: Lemon's budget friendly intercooler?

So we're going deeper down the rabbit hole. We really need to reduce the stackup in the front and I think we're looking at a water to air intercooler now. There's a good place in the engine bay for the intercooler itself, and I think we can remote mount the water cooler somewhere else so the front of the car is just oil cooler and radiator.

So I think I'm skipping the air to air change all together.

20+ Time Loser FutilityMotorsport
Abandoned E36 Build
2008 Saab 9-5Aero Wagon
Retired - 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby 2011-2015 "Lifetime Award for Lack of Achievement" IOE, 3X I got screwed, Organizer's Choice