The orientation of the angular momentum vectors of the satellites in the six simulations with surviving satellites is shown below.

    Each set of two plots show the position of the satellite's angular momentum vector as seen from straight above and below the rotation plane of the primary galaxy. Vectors in the plots marked bottom have the satellites angular momentum oriented opposite to that of the primary.The diamonds and triangles indicate the intial and final orientation of the vectors respectively. The squares indicate the orientation at the time when the satellite and primary galaxy centers merge.
    Only the simulations with initial orbital inclinations of zero created intrinsic counter rotating cores. In all other cases the angular momentum vector of the satellite has been rotated so as to be oriented at a right angle with respect to the primaries rotation plane by the time the two centers merge (squares). After merging the satellite slowly reorients its rotation itself into the same direction as the primary.
    Since only vanishly small amounts of mergers will be as perfectly misaligned as the zero inclination simulation and most mergers result in the disruption of the satelitte, minor mergers are unlikely unlikely to form intrinsic counter rotating cores in elliptical galaxies. It is however still possible to created cores which appear to be counter rotating when viewed from certain directions.