how to protect intercooler?

[Fenvy]

yeah, so I am almost ready to do engine swap... actually I am ready but phase2motortrend isn't

anyways, I know that when you drive, you tend to pick up rocks that shoot toward the front of your car, that means the intercooler is in danger of getting hit....

is there anyway I can protect it? I was thinking stainless steel grills from home depot

[180fan]

get a few meshes in different sizes. Put the large one up at the front most, middle size in the middle, smallest size closest to the intercooler. If there's a big enough a rock, it'll hit the front mesh, hopefully collapse into smaller pieces, and stop at the next mesh, but if it doesn't, then it'll probably stop at the next size mesh, or if that doesn't do it, the intercooler probably won't have much trouble deflecting it. There's a two piece design although solid pieces that are used in aerospace design all the time. Figure it'd work in this case and the probability of a piece flying through each and every mesh without hitting something and having enough energy to cause significant damage to the IC is very slim. Put about at least a cm of space between the layers. It gives the particle time to break apart.

[book-ends]

I don't think that multi-mesh system is going to protect you from the dump truck full of golf balls barreling down the highway at 90mph +........

You could spend the fab time to make a v-mount radiator and intercooler system.

[rousie13]

I don't think that multi-mesh system is going to protect you from the dump truck full of golf balls barreling down the highway at 90mph +........

You could spend the fab time to make a v-mount radiator and intercooler system.

If that happens, I think you have more things to worry about than your intercooler.

[book-ends]

lol

The reason I thought of that was because I was driving through Nevada behind this truck carrying a bunch of pipes and a couple of them slid out of the back and caused me and a few other people to make some serious high speed manuvers to get out of the way.

Granted, pipes aren't golf balls, but I'm sure that somewhere some poor bastard has been hit by hundreds of highway golf balls. If not, then it's about time.

[Ninetyfive240sxSE]

i havent seen anyone that has a mesh infront of thier ic yet, but i have seen some cars while doing long driving, some old people on thier crown victorias and stuff have nets infront of their car to catch the bugs and stuff. it was a wierd sight, ugly even, but it saves them the trouble of cleaning bug splutters you pick up on the way, even rocks lol. so now when i go for a road vacation, i ussually put the front mask of the car, to prevent rock chips messing the front. put one on yours and show us a pic pls

[[Zero-S]]

lol

The reason I thought of that was because I was driving through Nevada behind this truck carrying a bunch of pipes and a couple of them slid out of the back and caused me and a few other people to make some serious high speed manuvers to get out of the way.

Granted, pipes aren't golf balls, but I'm sure that somewhere some poor bastard has been hit by hundreds of highway golf balls. If not, then it's about time.

LMFAO!

I'm just gonna use some steel mesh, looks good enough for the 3000, dammit its going to work on the 240.

[Nathan]

Check out http://www.mcmaster.com for mesh, I think I got the 1/4 inch size, get the galvanized and spray paint it black...you cant see it from more than 20 ft. away and it protects you from the big stuff

[C-Kwik]

Little rocks and such will have little effect on an intercooler. At worst they will get wedged in the intercooler fins. Larger objects on the other hand can do some damage, but intercoolers are pretty durable. They can take a pretty good impact from a larger object without developing any leaks. It may get dented but, it would take a really good hit to break it. They are generally stronger than a typical Radiator or a AC Condensor. It's rare that these get damage that bad unless a collision is involved. You can get the mesh if you wish, but I wouldn't get it for the sake of protecting the intercooler...

[jus2shy]

well, I currently only own a Spec_V, but am looking for a 240 as a project car right now. What I did to protect the radiator of my spec is that I bought some black fiberglass mesh, and used the bumper and radiator mounting bolts, and just stretched it taught between all the bolts. Helps keep the bugs off the radiator, and protect it from pebbles and such, when I finally get a 240 and do a swap (haven't decided which one to do, or go KAT), I'm probably going to put some fine mesh in front of it, and maybe get the chicken-wire-esque grille for looks and protection from the larger rocks to go in front of that.

[NoStickers]

This is an old pic but I have gutter guard in front of my ic and it is nearly perfect. I'd take some new pictures but its raining outside.

[GEO]

yeh, jsut get mesha nd paint ti black..

[NeedCAforS13]

gutter mesh painted black for me:) you can barely see it from afew feet away...



Sean

[op.tic]

do what SCC did, http://sportcompactcarweb.com/...lvia/