Gale Banks Intercooler Question

[Tom Foolery]

My Brother In Law bought a used gale banks setup recently & he noticed that the intercooler may have been modified.
One of the radiators in it appears to have been replaced.
Here is a picture of the two radiators side by side
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/1979Image-34-med.JPG
When you look at the top of them, one has 7 rows of inlets and the other has 8.
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/1979Image-35-med.JPG
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/1979Image-36-med.JPG
The intercooler has a gasket which looks like this
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/1979Image-39-med.JPG
From the looks of the gasket the thin center part should set between the rows on the radiator. On the one with 8 rows it does, the one with 7 it doesn't, it sits directly on one of the vents.
Also It appears that the end of the intercooler has been machined down for some reason.
In this picture you can see the center of the cavity appers to have been machined down where the thin part of the gasket would sit.
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/1979Image-38-med.JPG
It seams like the center metal rib should not be machined like this and that it should press the gasket inbetween the vents on the radiator. This would seperate the inlet and force the water thought the radiator to the back and then out the outlet. As it is now it does not look like the water will flow through the radiator but around it.
Has anyone seen anything like this? Also does anyone know where he could find a replacment radiator or end cap like this?
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/1979Image-37-med.JPG
Thanks

[flat broke]

Tom,
You're outa luck on easily finding a new end cap. What you could do though is mill the old one flat again. I'm a little fuzzy on the details but doesn't that intercooler have 1 big inlet and 2 outlets? If so the dividers within each core might not be a big issue. I could see if the water had to do a U turn within the core, because then you wouldn't want the incoming cooling water bumping into the outgoing water disrupting the flow, but I think... and I could be wrong that the housing routes the water to each core, then straight through to the other side of the core where it is discharged out of the other end of the housing.
Either way, we could mill that badboy flat for ya if ya need us to. Hopefully the depression on that center rib isn't too deep so we wouldn't have to cut a lot of material.
Chris

[flat broke]

BTW, the core on the left looks like the correct one for the housing you have. The one on the right looks like one of the ones that would be used in a Race Aero setup. I'd be willing to bet that the back of that core on the right is blind on the end towards the ground. Whereas the one on the left flows straight through.
Chris

[Tom Foolery]

More milling would be going in the wrong direction.
The arrow points to the bar that appears to have been milled. It seems to be more evedent in the area circled. It would seem that the area that the arrow points to would be at the same level as the rest of the face where the gasket goes.
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/19791979Image-38-med.jpg

[flat broke]

well, more milling would have worked if the damn thing hadn't been cut so deep. We'd just run a cutter accross the whole surface bringing everyhthing onto the same plane, but there's too much material missing. If you need that bar to be there, have Jack or someone you trust to weld cast aluminum add some material and we can re-surface the whole thing.
Chris

[Tom Foolery]

Yeah. That may be the route that needs to be taken. We just wanted to check & confirm that it isn't correct and maybe see if someone might have a end cap or radiator around or know where we can find one.

[Turbojack]

The setup (orginal from 1974) I have has the gasket divide an inlet. Evertime I take it apart I bitch about it. The center cover should not have been milled. With it being milled it is letting the water take the path of least resistance & that is to bypass the intercooler complete. Take & weld it back up!

[GofastRacer]

This might sound dumb but if it's been milled more than it should be, couldn't you just mill it flat and make a spacer to bring it back to it's original state??..:confused:

[schiada96]

weld it up and machine it

[J540]

If you need new coolers PM me for my # i can get you some brand new ones.
JOHN

[bonesfab]

the problem is banks made a bunch of different coolers. the one on my boat goes straight through ( enters from the back exits the front ) but i also have a spare that has just two big 1" pipe fittings one in one out. i have also seen a few other variations amongst friends boats as well. whether the divider is needed depends on the rest of the housing( if you feed and return from the same end you wouldnt want the divider i dont think) the plate you showed has no outlets in it so i would assume you dont need the divider.. now ill shut up and go away....:)