Too Cool BD's New Cool-It Aluminum Intercooler for Dodge Cummins Applications Works as Good as it Looks
Written by Chris Hemer Photos by Chris Hemer
One of the most basic principles of hot rodding is that horsepower makes heat.
This close-up more clearly illustrates the differences between the BD Cool-It intercooler (left) and the stock unit. The Cool-It is actually 33 percent thicker than stock, and its inlet and discharge tubes are 36 percent larger.
One of the most basic principles of hot rodding is that horsepower makes heat. While this statement undoubtedly originated in the annals of gasoline engine history, it is especially true of diesel engines, where high compression and high boost levels conspire to elevate engine air intake temperature to extreme levels.
In stock condition, the original intercooler is sufficient to keep high air intake temperatures at bay, but when the fuel curve is modified with a programmer and/or boost levels are raised, the stock intercooler simply can't flow enough air or dissipate heat fast enough. BD Diesel Performance, manufacturers of a variety of diesel engine performance products for Dodge, Ford and GM diesel applications, recently introduced a new intercooler for modified Dodge Cummins applications to help remedy the hot situation.
Aptly named the Cool-It, the new intercooler has 57 percent more cooling surface area and a 33 percent thicker core (2.68 vs. 2.00-inches) than the stock intercooler. In BD's testing, the Cool-It increased cooling effectiveness to 90 percent, compared to only 70 percent for the stock intercooler. In simpler terms, the difference represents a temperature reduction of up to 200 degrees! In addition, the Cool-It's 36 percent larger inlet and discharge tubes can handle up to 100 psi of boost and over 1500 cfm of airflow while holding pressure drop to less than 1psi, according to BD.
The Cool-It intercooler is hand-welded and fabricated from aluminum, and comes complete with BD's blue Nomex intake hoses and heavy-duty T-bar clamps, plus all necessary hardware and instructions for $1295 retail. A direct bolt-in replacement for the stock intercooler, the Cool-It takes only an hour or so to install with common hand tools. To see what's involved, we recently visited BD's facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada and observed as one of BD's service technicians installed a Cool-It intercooler on a 2005 Dodge Cummins truck.
Another basic principle of hot rodding is that an engine's success (or failure) depends on the combination of parts. By adding BD's Cool-It intercooler to your modified Cummins engine, you can restore cooling efficiency for reduced inlet temperature and more horsepower.
The first step is to loosen the clamps that secure the intercooler inlet tube to the intercooler on the driver's side. Pull the tube free, and discard the factory clamps and rubber boot.
Next, unclamp the boots at the intake manifold and the discharge side of the intercooler on the passenger side of the truck.
To access the factory intercooler, the A/C condenser must be removed first.
To get the condenser out of the work area without disconnecting it, BD uses bungee cords through the truck's grille to keep it safely out of the way. Before the condenser is re-installed, BD uses a fin comb to straighten the fins, and to remove any rocks or bugs. These combs are readily available at auto parts stores.
There are only two bolts at the top that hold the intercooler in place; the bottom half incorporates hooks that secure the intercooler to the radiator support.
Once the two bolts are removed, the intercooler can be pulled from the truck. Now would be a good time to comb the radiator fins as well.
Here, the BD Cool-It intercooler (left) is compared to the stock intercooler. The Cool-It has 57 percent more cooling surface, yet bolts in place of the stock unit with no modifications.
The BD Cool-It intercooler is hand-fabricated from aluminum, and incorporates an extruded tube design that outperforms bar and plate/tube and fin designs. Plus, it looks as good as it works.
The Cool-It intercooler is lifted into place and bolted to the stock mounting points. BD supplies aluminum spacers to achieve the correct fit, plus all necessary mounting hardware.
Here, the BD Cool-It intercooler is shown in place. Pity most of it will be hidden by the air conditioning condenser.
To complete the installation, the Cool-It kit comes with BD's blue Nomex silicone hoses and rugged, spring-loaded, stainless steel T-bar clamps. These hoses and clamps can withstand up to 100 psi of boost, according to BD.
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Posted by Windsor Exports (Whose homepage is http://banjoboltindia.com) on November 5, 2008 at 22:53
in the picture bottom left the mech holding the spanner (wrench) with his thumb in the ring. Which is the correct way to hold the wrench in my opinion. That is not my point however, my point is the lug pointing upward is sharp at the corners nice for the hands. Why has this sharp corner not been ground to a nice champher. I see the same sloppy engineering on bridges and houses all the time. Your ally plates are welded nicely but the corner is very bad with the sharp corners, which indicates to me poor workmanship, even if the design and mats are good. Henry Richmond
Posted by Henry Richmond on August 7, 2008 at 14:52
