Repairing Cupronickel intercooler cores
 

I just did a pressure test on my Whipple double core intercoolers. One is OK the other has two cracked cores. There are no pin holes anywhere but cracks were the flanges bolt to the end plates. It looks like corner radius was not large enough and caused cracks at the corners. Is the way to fix welding? Or is there other ways. New cores are non-existent so this is my only option. The. Mercury Racing Garrett core can be machined to work but again non-existent

Can you text me pics to 989-205-0126

The intercooler and the cracks in the cores. It is hard to fine even the right filler tig rod for the Cupronickel material. I call Whipple, Eddie, Teague, Chief, etc. No one has cores for the double core cooler. If they are available let me know. Maybe the reason there are not many quadrotors around.

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If you have no other options , Bell will probably make you a new one.

https://bellintercoolers.com/

I am trying to stay with the Cupronickle cores at this point. I did the big NO NO and bought these used cores and "said they were good" well you know how that goes just about all the time. Live and learn. Pressure tested them and Cracks. I have one set of good cores but they are only single pass through ones. These cracked ones are triple pass-though. Hoping to keep both engines the same. Aluminum cores are a last resort.

Did you find a replacement core for the one you melted down last year?

I found cores from a buddy , they were sitting on a shelf .. no longer made.Then I sold the engines. Just more money down the toilet ,that`s the BBC life!
Good luck!

It took some time to find the filler rod to weld the Cupronickel material cores. The Tig rod is $80 a pound, ridiculous expensive and only one company has it in the US. Welding supply said they never sold this stuff before. Anyway trying to find someone that has welded it is a Big Zero. I have equipment to do a lot of things so it was time to bring out the Esab Tig. Bought it years ago and is 220 volt. Got it dialed into welding this stuff and did not feel good welding it myself. Called my son that is a Welder/Pipe Fitter in the Union doing the pipe at Intel and TSW fabs here in Phoenix. Same thing never welded that alloy but knew he could figure it out. Came over and said my settings were off, test welded it and returned back to my settings and welded all the corners on both the good and bad cores. The corner radius are machined to sharp in these cores to begin with. I have melted down cores that have a larger radius in the corners and did not crack there. Small radius have higher stress areas than larger radius.

Welding did not turn out to bad. Material did not warp up as I was told it would do, all seems good so far.

Photos: All 4 core done, before core, after core.

Ready to go back together and pressure test. Will see if there is no leaks in a day or so.


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Where there is a will there is a way !!
Nice job man .. never give up