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01-04 Duramax inter cooler mounted into the front of 95-99 platform.

Husker6.5

Husker6.5

135' diagonal 16:9HD, 25KW sound!
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I've tried using thread search, but keep coming up with the thread for the top of engine mounted inter cooler and custom scooped hood.

I could have sworn I saw a thread on this forum (if not this one perhaps a different forum, and if so, could some one point me to that one?) about installing the inter cooler out of an LB7 GMT-800 into the front of our GMT-400 platform 6.5TD's and all the modifications/fabrication needed. I have most of the parts,tubing, bends, couplings, including the inter cooler, sitting here. IIRC, it involved moving the radiator back an inch or so with fabricated mounts and the A/C and fluid coolers forward a bit, making brackets, modifying the hood latch support, etc, and cutting holes in the radiator support for the tubing to/from the inter cooler. I could have sworn that the article had pretty much step-by-step instructions and photos of the mods/build.

Help?
 
Theres a thread over at DP where somebody swapped one in, or you can llook through my engine swap thread here in the conversion section from where I swapped one into mine. It can be done, but is ALOT of work to do. You will also probably want to look into using the 03-05 DURAMAX radiator with it as I'm not sure if the drivers side end tank of teh 6.5's radiator will fit inside the DURAMAX intercooler very well. And I would go with a 01-05 LB7/LLY intercooler versus the 06+ with the plastic side passenger side tank.
 
on my old truck when i did my cummins swap a 94 dodge intercooler fit. of course my truck did not have a/c. the hood latch support you just trim a bit off. i didn't have to move the rad at all. and i still had room for the trans oil and power steering coolers. then just cut some holes for the piping
 
I have the I/C out of an '02 LB7 AND the I/C out of an '04 Cummins Dodge sitting here. I believe, if I measured right, that the 6.5 radiator will fit between the inlet and outlet horns of the LB7 I/C. I nixxed the idea of using the Dodge I/C for two reasons: 1) Although wider than the 6.5 radiator and shorter than the LB7 I/C, the core is nearly twice as thick as the LB7's and would cause a LOT more clearance and fitment issues with the A/C. 2) The intake and outlet diameters are 3-1/2" on the Dodge I/C which makes for a lot of stepping up and down in sizes to hook to the turbo and intake manifold, and there is a major obstruction in the inlet the way it's cast which hampers air flow. The LB7 I/C is 3" diameter inlet/outlet which makes plumbing easier and the flow of the castings is much smoother.

So 'Ferminator, did you retain the 6.5 radiator when you did the conversion, or swap in the D'Max radiator?
 
I used the DURAMAX radiator because of teh trans cooler. The 6.5 radiator used 3/8" fittings VS the DURAMAX's 5/8" -10 fittings. The 6.5 and LB7 DURAMAX radiator both use the same core, but different end tanks.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
I used the DURAMAX radiator because of teh trans cooler. The 6.5 radiator used 3/8" fittings VS the DURAMAX's 5/8" -10 fittings. The 6.5 and LB7 DURAMAX radiator both use the same core, but different end tanks.
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Well, since I'm leaving my 6.5 in it, and the overall widths of the two radiators are the same, I guess it makes it obvious that I'll be leaving the radiator alone as far as swapping those. Do you have a link to your thread on your conversion? I'm sure pretty much all of it will apply to what I want to do, minus LB7 specific plumbing of the inlet and outlet to turbo and intake. It's the nuts and bolts of moving the radiator back, altering the radiator support, hood latch support and A/C and oil coolers that I'm after. Why try to reinvent the wheel when Thor's (B.C. comic strip reference) already made one?
 
I have a duramax intercooler in the front of my truck the one with the plastic on the one side. Been running it for about 30000 km already and not a problem yet. I did a thread on DP but didnt get to much responce on it so just left it at that. I can do a thread here if anybodys interested.

Sorry i dont think i have a signature but its in a 96 half ton 2wd with ac
 
thor said:
I have a duramax intercooler in the front of my truck the one with the plastic on the one side. Been running it for about 30000 km already and not a problem yet. I did a thread on DP but didnt get to much responce on it so just left it at that. I can do a thread here if anybodys interested.

Sorry i dont think i have a signature but its in a 96 half ton 2wd with ac
Click to expand...

I would like to see your write up. Does it have any pictures?
 
I got a ton of pictures and a bunch of videos of AIT and 0-60s before and afters. I had a pretty good write up on how to do it but i can't seem to find it on the computer so i will have to redo it i could copy my old one but i would like to rewrite. i'm doing a oil change this afternoon so i will take some more pictures of the finnished product and i will do a complete write up on it tonight.
 
thor said:
I got a ton of pictures and a bunch of videos of AIT and 0-60s before and afters. I had a pretty good write up on how to do it but i can't seem to find it on the computer so i will have to redo it i could copy my old one but i would like to rewrite. i'm doing a oil change this afternoon so i will take some more pictures of the finnished product and i will do a complete write up on it tonight.
Click to expand...

I'm very interested, as I'm looking at "dropping" (ok, lots of sheet metal massaging, fabricating and probably swearing) the I/C out of an '04 DMax into my '98 K2500 'Burb. Do you have a link to the thread you had over at DP?
 
I'm starting one here. Now my intercooler is newer than the a 04 so some different fabricating might be needed. But a guy always telling me to get a earlier dmax intercooler and rad also the pipeing and turn the upper plenum around and everything should be close to fitting.
Hes the only reason i tried mine i just couldn't find a older i/c or rad for under 700 buck but found a newer one for 100 bucks and with that curved outlet pipe on the newer dmax i/c let my rad fit in there nicely. So with a older one your cutting might be close to what thefemanator had to do and if you want to keep existing rad it might sit up higher to clear lower inlet of the intercooler.
 
Geez, I picked up my '04 DMax I/C off eBay for a winning bid of $35 + $30 shipping from a private party who had upgraded to a Spearco when he hopped up his tuning on his LB7 two springs ago. The lower inlet on the pass. side on the I/C has that little "crook" in it to fit around the bottom of the radiator end tank.
 
With the all aluminum intercooler, it would be a good idea to have it checked for cracks. They are known for leaking on the bottom where the rows enter into the end of the core, and also for splitting the lower seem on the end tanks. This isn't a huge issue on a 6.5 as it takes about 35-38 pounds of boost to get close to cracking one, but buying used ones there is a good chance you could be buying a cracked one. I know I paid $200 for mine, but that was a few years back and itt was a low milage one.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
With the all aluminum intercooler, it would be a good idea to have it checked for cracks. They are known for leaking on the bottom where the rows enter into the end of the core, and also for splitting the lower seem on the end tanks. This isn't a huge issue on a 6.5 as it takes about 35-38 pounds of boost to get close to cracking one, but buying used ones there is a good chance you could be buying a cracked one. I know I paid $200 for mine, but that was a few years back and itt was a low milage one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I'm sure I can rig up a way to do that. Probably the simplest would be to flip it ports up on its face and fill it with water and see if it leaks anywhere. I checked it visually when I got it and didn't see anything, but a hairline crack would show up with a water test, and would be fairly easily fixed via heli-arc welding or some JB Weld.
 
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