Update on the crazy lots of time and no money megaghettoJBcooler
 

Here are some pics..
Attachment 217088
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...m/DSCF4861.jpg
Attachment 217089
Attachment 217090


I got the DuraFix ( www.durafix.com )stuff in today and rushed home to try it out.. I can say that i have mixed results so far. As you can see i am brazing copper 90s to my DSM intercooler. I attempted to braze the first 90 on with the DuraFix and could not quite get enuff heat with my propane torch to get it up to the 730 degrees.. i guess the intercooler was doing its job disapating the heat. Went to Home Depot to get a bottle of MAP gas, and wouldnt you know, they are out.. I guess i will have to try another tomarro. I did take a couple small pieces of 1/8th X 2 inch aluminum and did a butt weld. I will have to say, it worked very well for something you do with a propane torch and a stick. I smacked it a couple times with a hammer, and it did not break apart. I think once i get something to get the intercooler/copper 90s hot enuff.. it should braze together well.

After the SHInTercooler is complete, i think i may fab an aluminum intercooler mount as well...

err that durafix stuff is shit, do a search on it. I bed it would fall apart. Get rid of the copper and weld that shiet.

i actualy did a few searches on it.. found nothing negitive, thats why i spent 40 bucks on it.. and like i said, on the parts that i could get hot enuff.. it worked very well.. i just need something hotter to heat up the copper and the intercooler.. I think the map gas will do it... if not i will have to barrow an o/a torch..

Have you tried the durafix loki?

I think i might have confused durafix with something else. Ther ewas another brazing rod for aluminum that sucked testicles maybe durafix is better.

there are a few brands out there... this is the only one i could find that had a video that showed it in use.. and that i could not find any negitive feedback on

ab that picture cracked me up looks very redneck and very experimental. i love it you should be able to hold about 3-4 gallons of water/methanol in that+ if it doesnt work you might be able to get a big funnel and use it to chug beer j/k :rofl:

Lemme know how the durastuff works i might have to buy some if it is good.

im all about saying screw professional and go redneck... if you looked closer you would see duct tape resedue from where i have it temp mounted in my car. Duct tape is the shiznit :)

my original crossover was ducttaped in place for my test laps as well the guys at the muffler shop where like yeah this peice will work much better than the peice you made and i was like i dunno that peice did pretty good when i tried it i just dont have to worry about the solid peice having a failure eventualy. hell yeah try it first and then make it pretty or if it is hidden and works well enough leave it alone.

Ductape? I used mustard to keep position of pipes! HA!

Hahhahahahhahahah

adbradley, im gonna watch you like a hawk. This might be a DIY more ghetto than mine.

i think i just saw one of those intercoolers at RRR in gardena. isn't it off a supra or something ?

dsm side mount from an 1st gen eclipse

update, got some mapp gas, and tried that, the SHInTercooler was still soaking up all of the heat before i could get it up to the magical 730 degrees that is has to be to take the DuraFix, so next round will be a oxygen assisted torch.... If that doesnt do it, then there is no hope!

Just a thought but did you try to wrap the SHInTercooler with any kind of insulation to hold the heat in? Map gas should be plenty hot.

Or preheat. I've used an aluminum brazing rod similar to durafix with good results. I was just fooling around and putting some of the filler on an aluminum pipe, I could not get the stuff off without a grinder.

i didnt try insulation, i dont know what i would use.. my next plan of attatch is to buy a small mapp/oxygen torch setup and use that, that should give me all the heat i need! I would pre-heat it in the oven.. but its full of oil residue, and im afraid that might make a bit of a smell in the house.. not sure the wife would like that much... I do know this stuff works though, because on smaller pieces i got it to work with great results!

You could build a small oven using a metel box and use a heat gun for heat. My diy powder coating oven has reached as high a 600F with just a heat gun. It is wraped in insulation with a second box around that. I don't know how well sand is as an insulator but i would think if you put the IC down in some sand it would hold the heat better than being in the open air. I use home insulation for my oven and i think as long as you taped it up good around the IC(ie don't leave holes for oxygen to get in) you won't have a fire issue.

Just wondering why r u using copper ic pipes? Have you tried to braze the copper to alum with some test pieces first?

using copper because i had it from a cheap sourse.. I did test it before hand, and it brazed to the small piece of aluminum fine.. The only problem i am having is with the intercooler dispating the heat before the area that need to melt the rod can get hot enough... I like the sand idea though.. i might try that!

Preheat the core in your over at home to 500 F. That will help, then hit it with the MAP gas. Work quickly.

Mark

cant use the oven, it will stink up the whole house!!! Im gonna try the sand trick

I just had a smack myself in the head moment... I can heat this damn thing sand and all in a pan on the freakin grill!!!! That should get me to at least 300-400 degrees... then heat the rest with the mapp torch... hope this works

yeah hell your grill surface runs about 700 degrees when piping hot. :bigtu: Why not just keep it on the grill as you work?

i think im gonna do that!!! Hell YES

and make a burger at the same time too

well did it work?

hells yes, its not perfect... but it is workin.. i just gotta try and test it a bit now. hahahahahhaa this is as redneck as it gets!!!

hmmmm not quite water tight yet.. still needs some work.. a real torch would make this a lot easier

Throw another Intercooler on the barbi :gay: Attachment 217085

Hahaha this is great! We need more pics of the brazed joints though. Are you gonna pressure test it?

best intercooler thread evar!
all of your page 2 belong to me

ever wonder about all that heat weakening the metal?

Uhh no this isnt strutural the only real possible point of failure is the weld itself. He isnt dealing with that much heat here.

i was just curious, cause the metal was heated over and over again. I wonder how taht dura fix will hold up. lol

na, i think its cool, its not like its holding anything up at all... The only stress it has to endure is the 10psi pressure from within. I leak tested it with water.. and it still has some issues... i gotta heat it up again today and fix the problem areas... and im going to join the other elbow on. I will post more pics after thata.

ok, i think its time for the final verdict.. The 90s are attatched and are firm.. they are not going to fail. As far as being air tight, thats another story. I still dont think that i was getting the pieces hot enough for long enough to make a real good bead of braze.. But in any matter Durafix should not be used to attatch a pipe to an intercooler and be expected to hold much pressure... There seems to be small holes through the braze all around the pipe that are collectively leaking a good amount of air.

My next question is, how much leaking air is to much? I know that this thing will work even if it is leaking.. But im wondering if it will even be worth installing with some leaking.


Other option:

Sand down the areas that are leaking, and fill the small holes with JB weld?

Coat the areas with some kind of sealant?


Kick myself in the face once again, and throw this thing in the trash.



????

that sounds like a plan.

you think the jb weld will hold??

is a small amount of leak ok?

I wouldn't want a small leak.

I think JB weld will hold. It won't look pretty but it should hold.

I think pretty went out the window a few pages ago lol:gay:

if jb weld doesnt work try some more liquidy type epoxy or fiberglass resin

jb weld has been applied, waiting for it to cure

LOVE the jb weld quick cure! Works like a charm.. looks like the SHInTercooler may live after all!!!

Jb weld will definitly hold if done probably currently holds A) a hole in a motorcycle block shut B) a hole in my oil pickup.

Do decent thickness multiple coats so you get good coverage (dont glob it on)

oh my god :gay:

This is such a redneck intercooler. Jbweld is great stuff mate.

well im not counting on it for structural strength, just to plug up all the lil holes.. and it seems to work wonderfully for that!

And yes.. Redneck it is, :)

leak tested and approved! It may be ugly, but it works. Now to finish my manifold

pics!!!!!

hell yeah gotta love ole JB

here you go boys, as promissed, not pretty but air tight at 10psi

Attachment 217079
Attachment 217080
Attachment 217081
Attachment 217082
Attachment 217083

DSM intercooler ..FREE (got it with a turbo i got of fleabay)

2 inch 90 degree copper elbows ..FREE (friend thats a plumber)

Durafix Brazing rod $40

Half a new tank of propane to heat up the grill because i dont have a O/A torch ..$20 (had to get a new bottle, old one ran dry half way through)

JB Weld $5.99


I think i would have been better off buying one of those cheap fleabay intercoolers but o well.. it was a fun experiance

There's ghetto, and then there's adbradley ghetto! haha that's sweet

not bad but kinda small good luck man.

is it just me, but did the post change names...:confused:

it did dunno how though i can never edit my titles

Wonder if it could be done a lot cheaper by using JB Weld only?
This project isn't really complete until you've sprayed all the JB Weld with "aluminum" spray paint.

true

Wow. Thats, uh, awesome.

so are you going under or over the radiator? (assuming over)

spacing the radiator back and the intercooler is going in front of the radiator offset to the drivers side, and the pipes will come up over the radiator.


Yea the name changed a couple times... im not sure who did it or how.. wasnt me