Turbo intercooler addition...

Topic: Turbo intercooler addition... (Read 844 times) previous topic - next topic

Turbo intercooler addition...

June 07, 2012, 12:51:17 PM

My '85 XR7 has the stock turbo w/o intercooler; should I convert it over to an intercooled turbo? Are there aftermarket kits? I understand that newer XR7's and TC's had intercoolers in them. Should I go for an aftermarket model, if they exist.

Turbo intercooler addition...

Reply #1 – June 07, 2012, 01:43:46 PM

you can get a aftermarket universal front mount intercooler and plumb from you turbo into the intercooler then back into the intake. I don't think the turbo would need changed at all. You could always just get a stock one off a 87-88 TC but then you would need the hood also or it would be pointless.. as it sits right over top the turbo.. I'm from PA. Where about in PA are you located man?

Turbo intercooler addition...

Reply #2 – June 07, 2012, 11:22:15 PM

North of Harrisburg. I've seen those hoods, do they have cut~outs for some type of air intake?

Turbo intercooler addition...

Reply #3 – June 08, 2012, 12:29:39 AM

I worked in harrisburg doing cable last winter. Seemed like a pretty cool place for the 6 days I worked there.

The radiator support and engine bay dimensions are almost identicle to mustangs, so almost any setup that works on a 87-93 stang should work well.

There's a ton of aftermarket stuff out there for tc's and turbo stangs. I know nato has a lot of info there, and ikn sure some of the 4 poppers here will chime in.

Welcome to the forum, and throw uo some pics.

Turbo intercooler addition...

Reply #4 – June 08, 2012, 09:31:32 AM

Well, it depends on your skill level, and how much work you want to do. Personally, I wouldn't waste your time with one of the stock 87-88TC ones, or one from an SVO. No XR-7 had an IC from the factory.

You're not going to find a "drop in kit". Even with the offerings from some of the 2.3T-specific vendors, you're going to have to do some fiddling/modification. Since we don't know what you are capable of, it's hard to give any recommendations.

Your turbo (a Garrett T3) has a 2-bolt outlet on it. You can easily make an adapter to covert it to attach couplers to it. The SVO Mustangs had a Garrett T3 turbo as well, and you could use one of those compressor housings in place of yours if you wanted to, and not make an adapter. Some guys have ground off the , and made the stock housing work with hoses. 87-88 TC's did not use Garrett turbos, so the turbo parts will not swap.

Once you have an IC installed, the car isn't magically going to be faster. It will allow you to up the max boost a bit on the stock set-up. 14-15# boost vs the 10-11# it's running now. The stock ECU doesn't have any way to adjust itself to take advantage of the cooler air charge, etc. An ECU swap from one of the factory-intercooled cars will help. The SVO ECUs (85-86) will drop in, but are pricey. The 87-88 TC ECUs require some minor repinning of the wiring harness, and a couple other minor things if you want to make full use of it. The wiring work is minor, and the ECUs go for much less than the SVO ones do.

It all depends on what you want to do, and what you're comfortable doing.

The FMIC install on my '83 is semi-detailed starting about HERE.

Turbo intercooler addition...

Reply #5 – June 09, 2012, 05:56:13 AM

Quote from: Chuck W;391842

Some guys have ground off the , and made the stock housing work with hoses... It all depends on what you want to do, and what you're comfortable doing.

This is exactly what I did with my '86 XR-7. I ground the to make it round and used t-bolt clamps for the hose. There wasn't much of a "snout" left when I was done, so I had issues with boost leak at that area. I even left a slight edge near the tip so the hose could have something to grab onto, but it was still a constant problem. That's just something to consider.

Turbo intercooler addition...

Reply #6 – June 10, 2012, 09:51:31 AM

You can get a from a ler shop. They stock several sizes and you can weld up anything you want to it. Search for one that has the spacing you need and the bolt centers you need for that turbo. I have mad a few in the past on the band SAW and the drill press. It is not that difficult.