How best to fix and prevent intercooler damage?

Started a discussion back about the need for some screens for bugs to protect all these coolers, what I did not expect is a small hail storm here in the rockies while on the highway, pea size hail or smaller.
Regardless, here is what happened to the intercoolers.

How do I repair this, radiator combs dont work here, and what about preventing ?

 

Sure seems like there is a business opportunity for someone to come up with a metal mesh, thinking "hardware cloth" that is custom fit over the intercooler and radiator of our gen 3 tundras. Any takers??

 

Used to place a hard stainless mesh ahead of coolers on race cars. Thinking of some way to frame and fit the cut out, something easy to install.

 

I put window screen on the backside of my grille to keep all the bugs out of the radiator and intercooler and it works great. It's flexible and soft so it won't chafe on anything.

 

Interesting. Got pictures?

 

I can tell you from experience the cooler up front as in tundra is not so much a bug issue as a rock hitting radiator of turbo and knocking a hole in it. you warranty doesn't cover this .
I have a Porsche 911 that got hit in AC coolers up front leaked out all freon , warranty would not cover insurance claim did plus deductible .This has been a common problem on 911's and several manufacturers make a mesh screen that doesn't restrict air flow and is heavy enough to keep rocks from busting the cooler .
some require bumper removal and some don't for installation .
I hope someone comes up with an aftermarket fix.
It will happen sooner or later .

 

Use this to straighten...somewhat

$18 Allstar Performance ALL10680 Radiator Fin Comb Kit , Black

https://www.amazon.com/Allstar-ALL1...t=&hvlocphy=9012944&hvtargid=pla-448763788226

Hardware cloth or plastic gutter screen to prevent it.

 

I put it in mainly to keep bugs and debris out of the radiator and intercoolers. It may slow down a rock but not stop it.

 

Could be my crappy picture as well, it's soft screen. Makes getting it in without taking apart the whole front end much easier.

 

Yea, I do the same on my race cars.

 

Looks good, and I agree that it probably does little for rocks. Maybe smaller "stones" are stopped or slowed down enough. But looks easy and cheap to install.

 

How about the possibility that adding a mesh would restrict air flow?

Supposedly, the air intake and radiator that we have has exact air flow that's needed to cook these turbos etc.

How do we go about doing this safely?

 

The material used looks like what i had used long ago with an 06 Honda Odyssey.

Went down to Home Depot and picked up a roll of black pastic gutter guard. Basically its a roll of plastic mesh about 6 inches wide x 20'.
Doesnt keep out the super small stuff but slowed down or stopped the larger stuff.
HD show this stuff locally for the high cost of 93¢

 

Works great, it's easy to pull out but the bugs dry out and fall off so not much need to remove it as of yet.

 

I drove it across country last summer pulling our toy hauler over the Rockies and Cascade mountains with temps in triple digits and experienced no over heating issues. I've done this for years on all of our cars and I've never had any issues with any of them. I imagine if it plugged up with a lot of bugs it could be an issue but when the bugs dry out they just fall off.

 

ok not to sound the alarm, tried a small screwdriver to try and improve my situation, the fins are paper thin and softer than paper, no effort required to bend stuff, hard to straighten because they are so soft they fold. I am not exaggerating, I think they will get damaged with bug strikes easily. I dont understand how a cooler in such an exposed spot is this fragile.

 

Wait until you get a few N/E winters worth of salt on the thin aluminum.

 

Has anyone installed something a bit more rigid?

Modengzhe 40 x 13 inch Car Grill Mesh Sheet, Black Painted Aluminum Alloy Multifunctional Grille Mesh Roll, 3 x 6 mm Rhombic-Shape Grids https://a.co/d/hPvYDFo

 

how exactly did you “instal” the screen? Friction fit? Zip tie?

 

Just drive backwards?

 

is it hardware cloth? 1/4”? Zip tied?

 

This is what I used on my 911 Turbo S. From Zunsport.com in England. They make one for Hilux. (AKA Tacoma. I think) Since a Tundra wouldn't fit on most Euro roads, they probably won't make one. But if enough folks ask then maybe?

 

I went ahead purchased some grill mesh on Amazon.

I initially installed the mesh onto the grill and thought it looked TERRIBLE so I removed it.

Then I went ahead and installed the mesh directly onto the coolers, removing the ducting helped get a good fit.

 

Which material did you buy and how much did you actually need to cover the turbos?

 

I used this material:

$20 Tongze 47"X16" Universal Black Metal Mesh: Aluminum Alloy 3 x 6mm Rhombic Hole Car Grill Mesh for Front Grille Insert Bumper

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD7KSRWM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I bought the largest sheet, but the cutouts were exactly 12 1/2" X 11 1/2" so you can get the smaller sheet.

If you want additional information on how to get the ducting loose let me know.

 

It looks like you have to remove the front grill to install the screen? Any disassembly help would be appreciated. Also in post #24 the 2nd photo it looks like the screen has a crimped edge to it? Thanks in advance.

 

I didn't have to remove the grill, I did have to remove the bolts to the ducting so I could slide the mesh protection.

I didn't crimp any of the edges.

 

Well seeing how this thread was resurrected from the dead...can you still share how you got the ducting loose?

 

I think there are 3 or 4 bolts holding the ducting in i just removed the bolts and that gave me enough clearance to insert the mesh sheet.