Is intercooler pipe supposed to get really hot!!

[Spooling supercrazy]

Ok. I know what many are going to say but here's my concern. I just upgraded to the eBay hot air headers and did the necessary mods to get them to fit right. However , I have noticed that the under hood temps are much hotter and even the intercooler piping from the turbo is HOT !! It wasn't like this when I had my stock hot air manifolds on. The pipe was just warm then. I don't know if I should take them off and go back to stock as I can't see how the car can make great power with the restrictive passenger manifold. The up pipe inside flange of the manifold is like 1.5". Anybody have any thoughts??

 

[cwmccray]

If I understand your post correctly, you have added headers and now under your hood is now hotter? Other than adding headers, you have not changed anything else? Do you have any noticeable exhaust leaks? The up pipe should not be 1.5. Take a picture or give more info on the headers...

 

[cwmccray]

You may need to invest in some DEI header wrap. Please take a picture of your header install. Headers should actually lower temps. Are your headers glowing at night? I had a BAD TPS (actually broken behind the mounting screws) and my stockers were GLOWING RED :-(

 

[Chuck Leeper]

"the up pipe inside flange of the manifold is like 1.5". Anybody have any thoughts??"
A common problem w/ the cheapo headers...AIRC, some time ago, there were several posts w/ pics of the nasty pipe work that these headers displayed.

Chuck's comment on the 1.5" hole, is what others were seeing.
Check the system back pressure. I'm betting that it's very high, and can well be the reason for the hi temps.

 

[cwmccray]

"the up pipe inside flange of the manifold is like 1.5". Anybody have any thoughts??"
A common problem w/ the cheapo headers...AIRC, some time ago, there were several posts w/ pics of the nasty pipe work that these headers displayed.

Chuck's comment on the 1.5" hole, is what others were seeing.
Check the system back pressure. I'm betting that it's very high, and can well be the reason for the hi temps.

Chuck Leeper is correct about the 1.5" hole and back pressure. Take off the Up pipe that came with the Headers (5 bolts) and compare it to the Stocker. Even the crush bended stocker is 2". Most aftermarket pieces are 2 1/4 mandrel steel or stainless. If the Up pipe that came with the headers is 1.5, you have found your issue with increased heat and possible back pressure...

Thank God we have "Professor Leeper" still hanging around the Forums

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Hehehe!!
"Thank God we have "Professor Leeper" still hanging around the Forums "
See, there is an advantage to being "older than dirt", in I can remember my first, [1953], girlfriend's fone number, but not what I had for dinner, last nite!

 

[Spooling supercrazy]

Ok,sorry for the late reply. The eBay headers up pipe is 2.25" but on the gn stock manifold (passenger side) , the inside diameter flange for the up pipe to connect to is around 1.5" . Not to mention once you screw in the o2 sensor that even makes it worse by creating more restriction.In my opinion that's way too restrictive and a weak link in the flow, however once it took them off to install the eBay headers I noticed the eBay headers ran much hotter and the temp of the intercooler pipe got way hotter than before. Do I need to have the car tuned /chipped?? I bought a TT chip "hot air" chip for it but wasn't impressed. I put the old hypertech back in it and got boost back up to 17psi . I lost the great idle the TT gave but got power from the other chip. I might just put the stock manifolds back on, any thoughts ??

 

[TurboDave]

Those Chinese headers are paper thin which might explain a lot of the heat issue.

Posted to TurboBuick.com from my RAZR MAXX HD

 

[cwmccray]

Are these SPEED DADDY headers? Many Board Members have bought these headers and have had no issues. They are not an exact fit. They have to be modified however. I would talk to Eric at Turbo Tweak and get a chip cut for your combo. You will need to upgrade to the 86-87 ECM. I am not sure the 85 ECM could handle your current changes. Take pictures of headers. Question? Do you have a adjustable fuel regulator? What is your current fuel pressure with vacuum line off? If you are not adding fuel, your A/F is off (possibly lean). Adding headers and a TT chip would require fuel to match.... You will have to have some kinda of scanner: Powerlogger/scanmaster...

 

[Spooling supercrazy]

They are the set that's $225 on eBay . I think speed daddy sells them also. They are just like the ones everybody has bought and modded on here. I don't have an adjustable fuel regulator nor do I have the 86/87 ECM . The car makes great power as is and I feel that it might be at its limit with these stock components at 17psi . All I know is its hotter under the hood and at the charge pipe. It gets so hot that it's sometimes hard to start after some run time.

 

[cwmccray]

OK, as far as stock, Ken Duttweiller went in the 12's with stockers in 1984. Lee Thompson went in the 10's with modded stockers. As a suggestion, check your cooling system. Are you getting any indication it is running hot: bubblling water/coolant in overflow; idiot light coming on? Put a coolant gauge on it. You will have to put a adjustable fuel regulator on the car. As it stands now, you have added headers, intercooler and a host of mods, but you did not add fuel. Stock boost for a Hot Air is 10 lbs +/- 1lbs. You non adjustable is set for this boost +/- 1-2lbs. With a TT chip, you would need a base of 43lbs fuel pressure with vacuum line off. Rule of thumb is 1 lbs of boost equals 1 lbs of fuel. 17 lbs of boost = 17 lbs of fuel pressure. At WOT, you will need 60 lbs (43+17=60 lbs).