Maggie How To DIY: Intercooler Reservoir Relocation Mod
Reason: Cosmetic
Materials: Additional 3/4" (or applicable) hose, 3/4" aluminum tubing (Lowes carries it, not Home Depot), enamel paint, hoseclamps, brackets, new reservoir tank of choice, fittings, etc..
Cost: Less than $75
Install Time: A few hours if in a rush / a weekend with some drinks, music and friends to waste time with
Skill Level: Novice
Special Tools: Small 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" hole saw
Pros: Cleaner/uncluttered engine bay appearance / easier to work with battery / may return coolant to ambient quicker / makes the engine & supercharger stand out better / more to come
Cons: Getting initial air out of lines can be annoying / filling up reservoir first time is bothersome / getting the pro-lite 350 hose on the tubing was hard / more to come maybe
Outcome: I'm very pleased with the outcome and appearance of the setup. Although I'm still putting the car back together and haven't put the polishing touches on this mod, I'm really happy with how it turned out. It looks somewhat professional, it's maintenance-free just like the OE version, and it gives you something to do with your car on a weekend for very little expense.
Description & Reason - I might've mentioned this before, not sure. Anyhow, amongst several wild-hair inspired mods on my car over the past year, I decided (for cosmetic purposes) to move the coolant reservoir, to someplace other than the engine bay. I think they did a great job fabbing up something which looks OEM, and their kit is literally plug-and-play for any level of garage-mechanic; however, the engine bay looks cluttered with it. And I don't like cluttered engine bays. In fact, with the reservoir gone, I don't like where the ABS is either. Ah well, moving that will come some day :shiner:
Though I did it for purely cosmetic purposes, I did try a couple of configurations, including enlarging the liquid coolant capacity, using 2 pumps, etc. Just trying different things. In the end, I decided to use just the 1 pump and to not enlarge capacity. The additional lines running to the new location will add a bit more capacity, or keep capacity as it were--depending on the size of tank used.
Overview - Basically, what I did was purchase a new tank, something which would hide away where I wanted it hidden. You could use any tank you want, and place it anywhere you want. I wanted mine in the trunk, specifically hidden behind a carpet panel out of sight. I chose the cavity on the passenger-side, just in front of the brake light assembly. There's enough room for placement, and there's a liquid drain in that spot so in case something happens, the liquid just pours out onto the ground. I figure I'll have bigger issues with what causes that, than I do if I lose the coolant. I also purchased additional hose, hoseclamps, mounting clips and some aluminum tubes. I reused as much of the Magnacharger stuff as I could. I believe anyone can do this in a weekend for less than $75, and they can probably do better than what I did :shiner:
I grabbed aluminum tubing for a few reasons. When routing the tubing beneath the car, even though it's well out of the way of hitting anything, being hit or being snagged, I wanted to make sure it could endure a bit more impact than a hose would. Stainless-braided may have been the most industrial choice, however, was not within the budget. Also, I figured this could help with some of the heat-exchange between the liquid and the air. It may be able to return the coolant to ambient temperature in a more efficient manner. Copper would do this best, but copper tubing would corrode oddly under the car, and the eyesore wouldn't be worth the additional degree or two. Which leads me to the final point as to why I chose the aluminum, it at least looks like it somewhat matches with the underside of the car.
In addition, the extra hose I bought was some Earl's Performance Pro-Lite 350 hose. Ok so yeah, it technically isn't within the $75 budget either, but the hose is actually part of another mod for the future--spiffying up the engine bay.
Routing Diagram (not to scale, perspective, proportion, etc..)
![Image]()
Engine Bay
![Image]()
Driver's Side Fender well showing how I angled the hose
![Image]()
This shows where I used the hole-saw. I used some hardcore enamel clearcoating and then baked it on, to ensure nothing would rust.
![Image]()
This gives detail how I routed the tubing inside each front wheel area. Plenty of clearance away from the wheel believe it or not. Passenger's side was the hardest.
![Image]()
This shows detail on how things look with the pump. I reused 2 Maggie hoses, just moved them a bit. Also notice that one tube I was mentioning running the width of the car "under" the radiator (but not within a heat zone)
![Image]()
This is the driver's side showing the tubing under the car. It's got plenty of room.
![Image]()
This is where I ran things into the trunk behind the carpet
![Image]()
It's essentially the same setup, with more lines though. If you're wondering where the tubes go... one tube I have running along a brace under the radiator--not where it can pick up radiant heat, just trying to give you an idea of where it's at. The other tubes run one for a feed line one for the return. There's a total of 6 tubes on there, but I cut one of them in half and used the halves on each side of the car (in a tight space, you'll see in the photos). One tube runs inside the wheel-well, another tube runs beneath the car, and the "half" tube runs behind it--this is done for each side of the car. I didn't run them both together for a few reasons, mainly due to space constraints. I didn't want things fit too tightly together, and how I ran the hoses I had to drill through something and I didn't want to make the hole any larger than needed. Also on a smaller note, I figured why have the feed and return lines on top of each other? If the return line was a few degrees cooler by chance, the feed line would certainly equalize that.
Additional Notes - Now, although I didn't want to do this, I did use a couple of 90* pipe bends in my setup. I could've probably gone the extra mile to design around not using them, but I doubt it hurts the flow much because I'm already increasing flow over the Magnacharger setup. Has anyone noticed how small the ports are on the Magnacharger reservoir? They supply us with 3/4"ID tubing. The heat exchanger and intercooler both have about the same size ports, 3/4"ID. The pump is almost as large. However, the reservoir they give us is 1/2"ID on a good day. Iv'e seen one where it was barely 1/2". So flow is restricted there. With my tubing and reservoir, the only restriction points would be the 90* turn the liquid has to make in a few spots, and also the pump. Once I've run the system, it seems to flow a bit better than the original design--even with the 90* bends in place. So, I'm happy. You don't want too much flow because it won't give enough time-lapse for the liquid to exchange heat/absorb heat, but you don't want it too slow either. I feel mine is right where it needs to be.
The pro-lite 350 tubing isn't an exact 3/4" or 5/8" fit to get over the aluminum tubing, because it's rated as AN size. As such, I had to use some additional encouragement to get the hose on there. Once on there however, I really doubt it needs hose clamps to stay on. I did put them on though, since it's the right thing to do. Part of the lines run in the front wheel-well, but fear not as they're not anywhere near the tires or anything else which could wreak havoc. I was worried about it too but my measurements worked out well. If you're wondering about the hole-saw, I had to drill a hole out near the fender to run a line through it. You'll know what I mean when you see the photos. Also, I had to put the fittings onto my tank. If you could find one with fittings already, that'd be great. I accidentally broke one of the seals on the fittings to my tank, so I have to glue it back together haha..
In addition, the Pro-Lite is a stiff-walled tubing, and I suggest for some of the bends (specifically in the wheel-well area up front) you want a stiff-walled tubing, or else somehow make sure your junk doesn't kink. It may appear my hose is kinked going through that hole I cut, but it's not.
The only other thing to note is that with this additional tubing, the pump had issues priming the lines. There were some spots with air in them which I suppose the pump didn't like, and it wasn't able to prime the tubing by itself. I popped on a second intercooler pump (had a spare one in the garage), on the rear portion of the lines near the reservoir tank, and ran them both. Within a few minutes the majority of the bubbles came up to the top with a triumphant "ploomp!" noise, and I was able to turn off the 2nd pump and let the primary pump do its thing. I let the pump run for about 45 minutes while I did other work on the car, and by the time it was done, all the air bubbles were gone and it was pushing liquid just fine. With the system "bled" of air, the 1 pump works flawlessly.
Reason: Cosmetic
Materials: Additional 3/4" (or applicable) hose, 3/4" aluminum tubing (Lowes carries it, not Home Depot), enamel paint, hoseclamps, brackets, new reservoir tank of choice, fittings, etc..
Cost: Less than $75
Install Time: A few hours if in a rush / a weekend with some drinks, music and friends to waste time with
Skill Level: Novice
Special Tools: Small 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" hole saw
Pros: Cleaner/uncluttered engine bay appearance / easier to work with battery / may return coolant to ambient quicker / makes the engine & supercharger stand out better / more to come
Cons: Getting initial air out of lines can be annoying / filling up reservoir first time is bothersome / getting the pro-lite 350 hose on the tubing was hard / more to come maybe
Outcome: I'm very pleased with the outcome and appearance of the setup. Although I'm still putting the car back together and haven't put the polishing touches on this mod, I'm really happy with how it turned out. It looks somewhat professional, it's maintenance-free just like the OE version, and it gives you something to do with your car on a weekend for very little expense.
Description & Reason - I might've mentioned this before, not sure. Anyhow, amongst several wild-hair inspired mods on my car over the past year, I decided (for cosmetic purposes) to move the coolant reservoir, to someplace other than the engine bay. I think they did a great job fabbing up something which looks OEM, and their kit is literally plug-and-play for any level of garage-mechanic; however, the engine bay looks cluttered with it. And I don't like cluttered engine bays. In fact, with the reservoir gone, I don't like where the ABS is either. Ah well, moving that will come some day :shiner:
Though I did it for purely cosmetic purposes, I did try a couple of configurations, including enlarging the liquid coolant capacity, using 2 pumps, etc. Just trying different things. In the end, I decided to use just the 1 pump and to not enlarge capacity. The additional lines running to the new location will add a bit more capacity, or keep capacity as it were--depending on the size of tank used.
Overview - Basically, what I did was purchase a new tank, something which would hide away where I wanted it hidden. You could use any tank you want, and place it anywhere you want. I wanted mine in the trunk, specifically hidden behind a carpet panel out of sight. I chose the cavity on the passenger-side, just in front of the brake light assembly. There's enough room for placement, and there's a liquid drain in that spot so in case something happens, the liquid just pours out onto the ground. I figure I'll have bigger issues with what causes that, than I do if I lose the coolant. I also purchased additional hose, hoseclamps, mounting clips and some aluminum tubes. I reused as much of the Magnacharger stuff as I could. I believe anyone can do this in a weekend for less than $75, and they can probably do better than what I did :shiner:
I grabbed aluminum tubing for a few reasons. When routing the tubing beneath the car, even though it's well out of the way of hitting anything, being hit or being snagged, I wanted to make sure it could endure a bit more impact than a hose would. Stainless-braided may have been the most industrial choice, however, was not within the budget. Also, I figured this could help with some of the heat-exchange between the liquid and the air. It may be able to return the coolant to ambient temperature in a more efficient manner. Copper would do this best, but copper tubing would corrode oddly under the car, and the eyesore wouldn't be worth the additional degree or two. Which leads me to the final point as to why I chose the aluminum, it at least looks like it somewhat matches with the underside of the car.
In addition, the extra hose I bought was some Earl's Performance Pro-Lite 350 hose. Ok so yeah, it technically isn't within the $75 budget either, but the hose is actually part of another mod for the future--spiffying up the engine bay.
Routing Diagram (not to scale, perspective, proportion, etc..)
Engine Bay
Driver's Side Fender well showing how I angled the hose
This shows where I used the hole-saw. I used some hardcore enamel clearcoating and then baked it on, to ensure nothing would rust.
This gives detail how I routed the tubing inside each front wheel area. Plenty of clearance away from the wheel believe it or not. Passenger's side was the hardest.
This shows detail on how things look with the pump. I reused 2 Maggie hoses, just moved them a bit. Also notice that one tube I was mentioning running the width of the car "under" the radiator (but not within a heat zone)
This is the driver's side showing the tubing under the car. It's got plenty of room.
This is where I ran things into the trunk behind the carpet
It's essentially the same setup, with more lines though. If you're wondering where the tubes go... one tube I have running along a brace under the radiator--not where it can pick up radiant heat, just trying to give you an idea of where it's at. The other tubes run one for a feed line one for the return. There's a total of 6 tubes on there, but I cut one of them in half and used the halves on each side of the car (in a tight space, you'll see in the photos). One tube runs inside the wheel-well, another tube runs beneath the car, and the "half" tube runs behind it--this is done for each side of the car. I didn't run them both together for a few reasons, mainly due to space constraints. I didn't want things fit too tightly together, and how I ran the hoses I had to drill through something and I didn't want to make the hole any larger than needed. Also on a smaller note, I figured why have the feed and return lines on top of each other? If the return line was a few degrees cooler by chance, the feed line would certainly equalize that.
Additional Notes - Now, although I didn't want to do this, I did use a couple of 90* pipe bends in my setup. I could've probably gone the extra mile to design around not using them, but I doubt it hurts the flow much because I'm already increasing flow over the Magnacharger setup. Has anyone noticed how small the ports are on the Magnacharger reservoir? They supply us with 3/4"ID tubing. The heat exchanger and intercooler both have about the same size ports, 3/4"ID. The pump is almost as large. However, the reservoir they give us is 1/2"ID on a good day. Iv'e seen one where it was barely 1/2". So flow is restricted there. With my tubing and reservoir, the only restriction points would be the 90* turn the liquid has to make in a few spots, and also the pump. Once I've run the system, it seems to flow a bit better than the original design--even with the 90* bends in place. So, I'm happy. You don't want too much flow because it won't give enough time-lapse for the liquid to exchange heat/absorb heat, but you don't want it too slow either. I feel mine is right where it needs to be.
The pro-lite 350 tubing isn't an exact 3/4" or 5/8" fit to get over the aluminum tubing, because it's rated as AN size. As such, I had to use some additional encouragement to get the hose on there. Once on there however, I really doubt it needs hose clamps to stay on. I did put them on though, since it's the right thing to do. Part of the lines run in the front wheel-well, but fear not as they're not anywhere near the tires or anything else which could wreak havoc. I was worried about it too but my measurements worked out well. If you're wondering about the hole-saw, I had to drill a hole out near the fender to run a line through it. You'll know what I mean when you see the photos. Also, I had to put the fittings onto my tank. If you could find one with fittings already, that'd be great. I accidentally broke one of the seals on the fittings to my tank, so I have to glue it back together haha..
In addition, the Pro-Lite is a stiff-walled tubing, and I suggest for some of the bends (specifically in the wheel-well area up front) you want a stiff-walled tubing, or else somehow make sure your junk doesn't kink. It may appear my hose is kinked going through that hole I cut, but it's not.
The only other thing to note is that with this additional tubing, the pump had issues priming the lines. There were some spots with air in them which I suppose the pump didn't like, and it wasn't able to prime the tubing by itself. I popped on a second intercooler pump (had a spare one in the garage), on the rear portion of the lines near the reservoir tank, and ran them both. Within a few minutes the majority of the bubbles came up to the top with a triumphant "ploomp!" noise, and I was able to turn off the 2nd pump and let the primary pump do its thing. I let the pump run for about 45 minutes while I did other work on the car, and by the time it was done, all the air bubbles were gone and it was pushing liquid just fine. With the system "bled" of air, the 1 pump works flawlessly.
