intercooled front clip on non i/c pickup?

[406CTD]

Hey guys just bout a 1990 w250 auto here in Portland Oregon. Seen a intercooled front clip without the intercooler for sail on Craigslist for 40 bucks. Just wondering if the are a direct swap to older trucks? Or is it worth it to just fab a cooler mount?

[PToombs]

Does it have the core support? That is the only difference between IC and non-IC front ends, the IC support has the cut outs for the tubes.

[GO OVRIT]

The headlights are higher on the 91-93 trucks. The gassers and early 91's use the intercooled grill, but the core support is still different. The vertical support pieces are different and the mounts for the cooler are not there. If you get everything from an intercooled truck, its easy. (Core support, grill , radiator, water outlet, a/c condenser, valence) If you're not getting this stuff, expect some fab work.

[PToombs]

I didn't realize the headlights are higher! I knew about the radiator and thermostat housing, but he was asking about the front clip so I didn't go there.

[RumbleFish]

yep, and I believe they also stick out further to match the thicker grille.

[Remps]

Then you might as well get the bigger bolt in IC radiator, thermostat housing to go with it, and then the fan will have about 1/4" room to the bigger rad, so might as well get a shallower IC fan... unless you are just doing it for the IC look, you'd just have to fab some rad mounts.

[CumminsPower59]

I wonder if there is a slight difference between fenders too, as I have two different fenders on my 91, and the older one seemed to pull the core support back about 3/8", causing misalignment...

[Remps]

If I had to guess I'd say sloppy production tolerances. I put the nice dash out of my 86 parts truck in my D250, about half the screw holes lined up. Managed to force most of them in.

[CumminsPower59]

I think you're right. I pulled both fenders off a truck recently, both in decent shape....might have to swap them on...

[Remps]

I was thinking it might also depend where the truck was manufactured. I've got a mexican, american, and canadian first gens. Maybe the molds or dies (or however they made fenders) were slightly different between plants.

[cougar]

Why not use a 2nd gen intercooler?

[Mark Nixon]

There's a cascade effect to doing all this.
If you swap to the I/C front clip you end up needing the following INTERCOOLED parts:

Radiator.
Fan Shroud.
Fan hub with pulley.
Fan blade.
T-stat housing.
Longer fan belt.

Why the longer belt, you ask?
In my experience the I/Ced fan hub combined with the non-intercooled A/C compressor and mounts ends up with things being further apart.
It's a ~1" difference.

In addition to this, the A/C condensor needs re-mounted (fabricated).
Cause and effect at it's finest.

It's not HARD to do, if you have the parts and you know the differences, but it'll make you think you're going nuts if you don't.

Mark.