Can I reverse the chargecooler?

[Jeemy]

I'm half serious. I've removed it to get better access around it, and 3 of the 4 bolts have snapped off.

It looks completely symmetrical and I think I could just flip it and mount it the other way around, using the bolt threads on the other side.

Its very delicate and a lot of the fin edges are broken, there are stones, wasps etc inside it. I am brushing away the loose fin ends and detritus with a brass brush, pulling out the stones with tweezers then will give it a gentle blow through - then I will spray it with radiator paint to help it cling together - at £500 a replacement I'm going to have to get away with it.

But again, if I flipped it, I'd be presenting a much neater front. Anybody know?

[rip]

You appear to have taken so much care of other aspects of your Elan it would seem a shame to short-cut this one.
£500 is the OEM price. I believe SJ Sportscars did an aftermarket one for under £200 but their website now shows £1185, which I presume is either an OEM one or a typo? Worth giving them a call.

[muley]

I had one fabricated by Alisport - it was a lot cheaper than £500 and a lot bigger - I had a matrix created that entirely filled the gaps between the 'tanks'. Thicker, too.

The header tank guys said they could create an intercooler, too.

In the meantime I'm confident they could be fitted either way round - they are not marked 'front' on one side ..

Jim.

[Jeemy]

I will have to reverse it. Although one bolt drilled out, the other now has a 2mm drill bit embedded in it and the 3rd wouldn't drill out at all - even if I manage it, number 2 is still wrecked.

I will look into the replacement options - in the meantime do you think I will get away with this "refurbished" cooler?

[Giniw]

Hi, I reversed mine a couple of months ago, too.
I really think they are 100% symmetrical.

[Jeemy]

I haven't tried Allisport yet, got a quote of $895 from the Americans for a custom bolt-in intercooler (note, this would be watercooled - how, I do not savvy).

Or SJs, or Paul Matty, or SW Lotus who list at £1200-odd.

What I have done is given up trying to tap it out and given it to a local engineering firm to helicoil, to whichever side they can manage! Pics on my thread soon.

[Giniw]

Well, actually yours seems perfectly OK to me: I don't think it's worth buying a new one.
What is really important is to check it's not leaky, because it would make the turbo spin faster to (try to) compensate the pressure loss.

[Jeemy]

Hurrah for George Brown & Sons of Edinburgh - I was told 'if you only get one chance, use them' - they helicoiled the charge cooler for £5!

So the final thing is to test it for leaks. I know technically it should be capped and 25psi applied to it - can I just fill it with a water/korrosol solution and see if anything comes out!?

[ccb056]

You really should test it under pressure.
I've done hydrostatic tests on chemical piping and most times you'll only find the leaks if they are under pressure.

[Jeemy]

Well, in preparation for bleeding off the brakes I bought this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-Expert-6 ... B0002GV0YC

Its possible I can use it - might need to get some caps made. I have contacted Young Calibration to see what they would charge. Any suggestions of who or what to use?

[ccb056]

The brake vacuum pump wouldn't be a proper test, the air inside the intercooler isn't under vacuum, its pressurized.
First thing that comes to mind is a tire pump for bike/car.
A hardware store may have appropriate endcaps to seal the system for a benchtest.