SMIC removal issue

[lockwood77]

Tried to take my stock mount Arc intercooler out today, but despite removing everything I could see, it still wouldn\'t come out. I checked the workshop manual and as far as I could tell, I\'d removed all the necessary bolts.

Further inspection shows some kind of bracket/fastener affair at either side of the bottom of the plastic air routing thing, but I can\'t see how to get this off without removing the job lot (thus making it a much bigger job).

Anyone got any tips on this one?

[pdtaylor18]

I can not remember how I put that in, pretty sure it used only the stock mount locations, it was a little too long ago to remember, sorry mate. Trouble is I have had FC stuff engraved in my memory so can not even picture those brackets but and this may be a but.......... not entirely sure that was a simple drop in cooler.  Old age mate.

[Bobbit]

Stick some pics up fella, it\'s not usually a tricky job TBH, but you may have missed something small

[leon]

IF its mounting in the same way as the standard one there should be a bolt either side holding the plastic shroud onto the intercooler. I had fun and games removing the standard one a few days ago but i did manage to get a spanner under - don\'t know what the arc one looks like, got pics? :wave

[lockwood77]

No worries Pete, it looks like a stock fitting that is holding it in place. Will try and take some pics, but it\'s tricky as the little brackets in question are inside the plastic shroud.

I got all the bolts off I could see - three at the top (middle one is a separate bracket thing) plus two at the bottom, so that the intercooler could be moved freely, just not away from the shroud!

[leon]

on the standard intercooler there are 4 bolts holding it to the shroud (two at the top two at the bottom) then 3 larger bolts holding it to the car - two at the bottom and one at the top.

[lockwood77]

Ah, that sounds interesting - the two at the top I\'ve obviously seen, but not at the bottom. How do you get to them!?

[leon]

I managed to lift and tilt the intercooler enough that I could see them and get a spanner onto the bleeders.

[lockwood77]

Hmm, OK, I will have another play (really pleased that I refitted all the pipes etc. now...)

Could be that I was working in slightly dodgy light and couldn\'t see them, but I did have a torch to hand.

[pdtaylor18]

Are you by any chance selling the Arc Cooler?

[lockwood77]

No, I just wanted to clean it out as I\'ve been running water injection and there\'s a bit of oil coming through from the other side (apparently common on even low-mileage cars), so I imagine there\'s a bit of residue in there. It\'s not the best cooling I\'ve ever known to be honest, but I think that\'s mainly down to the useless stock air ducting.

I\'d only change it if it was broken, as I don\'t fancy the hassle and expense of FMIC or V-mount - would probably swap the car for a single turbo, V-mount, uprated fuel beast rather than do it to this car, as it\'d cost too much and it\'s very nice as it is (thanks to you Pete! )

[karl_tate]

is the stock air ducting stopping you taking it out??
 
if so im sure i just wiggled it about after i removed all the bolts, it is very tight though.

[lockwood77]

Stock ducting, yeah. No matter how much I wiggled and pulled, it wasn\'t going anywhere!

[karl_tate]

hmm, there must be something stopping it somewhere but with out pictures its hard to picture/describe.

keep at it mate, im sure you will figure it out.

[Nik da Greek]

From what I remember of swapping my stock I/C to my Trust one (which isnt much lol, I can barely remember what I was doing yesterday) I had a similar prob getting the old one out. There were little 90 degree brackets, one at each corner of the actual core part of the cooler that were crimped into the duct and then bolted to the I/C. The top ones were obvious, but the bottom ones were a total pig, cos you could neither see them nor get easy access since they were either underneath the plastic ducting, or inside it (cant remember which). I\'d be surprised if they were reatained for your ARC I/C, though. They weren\'t for mounting my Trust one, cos its so much deeper the duct needed to be trimmed back, but just in case they\'re the culprits?

EDIT:
Ooops, teach me to re-read the entire thread before answering, I\'ve just reiterated pretty much what Leon said ages ago. Soz! Hopefully we\'re both right then! :Giggle