- It happens to turn out that the cores of the Volvo intercooler and a radiator from an '87 Dodge Omni automatic are the same size. There should be enough room between the engine and front clip that you can piggy back the Omni radiator behind the intercooler. Back to the machine shop ... make some custom brackets, bolt the intercooler/radiator together. You now have your very own custom Intercooler/Radiator assembly! You should make it so you can use your original mounting brackets from the radiator, it's really convenient (No drilling, nothing funny...) The inlet and outlet of the intercooler were on the top at either side, such that the one on the drivers side was pointing at the battery. Here's your excuse to buy a smaller battery. Move the power module back by one bolt hole (only one holding it in now) and join it to the air hole using a piece of the origonal power module to airbox tube. A skinny battery is placed in that front corner. Now for the connecting up the Intercooler/Radiator.
- Cut shorter a Daytona upper radiator hose.
- Cut short an Omni lower radiator hose.
- Turbo to intercooler - use rubber sewage elbows and exhaust pipe, (1) Go from the turbo outlet up, around the back of the engine bay, (2) Between the timing belt cover and shock tower, (3) and into the intercooler. (NOTE: Rubber sewage hoses like these ones used may melt under high temps. I suggest using the strongest hose you can find.)
- Intercooler - Throttle Body - Use (as they happen to fit perfectly) two original airbox to throttle body hoses. You can fit a Daytona blow off valve (from most 87+ Turbo automatics) near the solenoids, and "T" a 3/4" swing check valve (one way valve) from Mcmaster Carr (p/n 45275K53) pointing in between the Intercooler and Throttle Body.
- Why the one way valve? When you hit the throttle from a non-boost position, for up to 2 seconds (depending on load) there is vacuum in that part of the air delivery system. This is because air must come in through the turbo compressor (which is spinning slower that the air trying to rush past it,) through the intercooler, and finally to the throttle body. Less air into the intake, less exhaust trying to get that turbo spinning, which is holding back air to begin with! Testing has proved that adding the one way valve gives better throttle response AND reduces turbo spool time. No, this valve will change nothing of the power output of the engine, just makes it a little more responsive in many situations.
One problem arose - the plugs on cylinders #1 and #2 read lean. It turns out that 1986 T1 electronics were programmed to lean #1 and #2 compared to #3 and #4, to compensate for a poor flowing intake manifold. It has been learned from the mysterious 5DIGITS that a rough average of the difference in duty cycle for that injector circuit was about 8% less that the 3-4 circuit. Well, Stock TII injectors happen to flow something like 10% more that stock TI injectors. Install TII injectors on cylinders #1 and #2, and leave #3 and #4 stock. You should clean up your lean-burn problem.