HELP - Blew My Intercooler on Vacation

[Boaring1961]

Last night I left for a month long, multi-state hunting trip and 4 hours from home while climbing a grade my truck's intercooler blew the passenger side end cap/tank from the core. Truck still drives, but has very little power.

Question is...how far can I drive like this? Could I drive another 4 hours so I can get to a good diesel mechanic where I can install a highend intercooler or should I keep it at 20 miles and use someone in the next town to install an OEM unit?

BTW, day time temps today will be around 110 to 115 degrees if that matters.

 

[Mark31]

I wouldn't drive mine 20 ft sucking unfiltered air in the engine. Say where you are and maybe a member can help/haul/whatever.

 

[p-Bar]

Only if you can gerryrig a hose from turbo to intake. Like Mark said you are sucking in dirt. This must be an 05 with plastic endcaps?

 

[Motorhead]

As said above, I would NOT drive it. In an utter emergency only would I try to bypass the intercooler. Without the intercooler in place, the engine is getting way hotter air into the engine. Try to find a good used ALL Aluminum stock cooler or buy an aftermarket one.

 

[ringneck]

if you have to,drive it.same thing happen to me.drove it 100 miles more towinng 32 5thw.not good but you have to do to get good help.it runs good now with the new one.i stop at dealer before i left on my trip,told then it didnt run like it should.said good to go.it went out 10miles over warrenty,pricks

 

[Tuesdak]

If it's a matter of life and death where ruining the engine is acceptable... Seriously why drive a broken truck and add thousands to a repair bill? As above this is emergency only. Once you dust the rings the dirt never goes away.

A better question is AAA, Good Sam, your ins, cell phone roadside assistance, even Craigslist to get frugaly towed to a repair shop. Yes a $100 tow keeps a $10,000.00 engine from sucking dirt. Overnight parts with a phone call to vender of choice is possible.

Even a bad day hunting broken down is better than a day at work.

 

[jjdiesel]

JDoremire....Good answer....makes sense.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Extra heat no problem! If your traveling thru death valley where there is a lot of sand or bugs question able.

The intercooler was added to keep the epa in business. The intercooler cools the air out of the turbo so the fuel will not burn to far from dead center. Another words you fuel air mixture would burn to early as in advancing the timing and create the dreaded box ( the dreaded nitrogen oxides that could mess up the ozone. Run with out it. But I like the idea of running the hoses together from the tourbo to the intake.

 

[Motorhead]

The only thing to add is that it has been well known here and on other sites that the plastic end tanked intercooler was very prone to this problem. I would have changed it out a long time ago.

 

[cerberusiam]

Not going to suck air in a blown CAC with the turbo boosting the system. It will always have a couple lbs positive pressure in the system. Typically they blow the seal out between the tank and tubes, JB weld can plug it enough to get you somewhere with judicious driving. The plastic tank CAC's really aren't that bad and rarely fail unless one is really pushing it hard. I have one with 300k that frequently sees 35+ psi boost and it ain't broke yet. Can't say as much for the plastic radiator tank that cracked for absolutely no reason.

 

[Mark31]

Not going to suck air in a blown CAC with the turbo boosting the system. It will always have a couple lbs positive pressure in the system. Typically they blow the seal out between the tank and tubes, JB weld can plug it enough to get you somewhere with judicious driving. The plastic tank CAC's really aren't that bad and rarely fail unless one is really pushing it hard. I have one with 300k that frequently sees 35+ psi boost and it ain't broke yet. Can't say as much for the plastic radiator tank that cracked for absolutely no reason.

Cerb, you have forgotten more than I will ever know and I have no wish to "cross swords" with you, but Boaring said it blew the end cap from the core. How that could not let dirty air be drawn into the engine? With all the "fines" in the air from drought and wild fires, I believe an engine could be "ruint" very, very quickly. I doubt that the OP qualifies for food stamps if he can take a month long vacation. There are times to be frugal, and there are times money must be spent like water. I say haul the truck to a known guru, next day air the parts, and, if reservations have been made, buy/rent a suitable 2nd or 3rd hand ride, and go. Get the truck back between "stages", or after the vacation. Times is "a wasting"!

 

[cerberusiam]

I don't have any info on where he is or local conditions so hard to tell if that is an issue. Obviously driving in a dust storm would definitely enhance the potential for problems as opposed to a normal day.

Same for the actual damage to the CAC. When was the last time you saw a cap completely off the CAC that wasn't part of a failed starting fluid ingestion? Never seen a completely detached end cap unless it was the result of a wreck or explosion. Doesn't mean it can't happen just that it is rare. A failed crimp and the gasket pushed out is the usual issue and only takes an inch or soo of that and there is no more boost. They are crimped all the way around wiht a rubber gasket in between, CAC is bolted to the cross member on top and the tubes tend to hold things in line.

It is situational call as to whether it will suck in dirt and how much. Usually, a temp patch will get it holding enough to get where one wants to go without issue.

 

[Mark31]

I don't have any info on where he is or local conditions so hard to tell if that is an issue. Obviously driving in a dust storm would definitely enhance the potential for problems as opposed to a normal day.

Cerb, Boaring's profile page shows he is from San Luis Obispo, Ca. Draw a 250 mile circle (4 hrs from home) around it and there are wildfires and excrement in the air for a good part of the state. To me, it ain't worth rolling the dice for even a $1000 tow/haul as compared to a $10,000+ engine. Maybe lose a day fidddlefarting and JBing the CAC to stand 7-8 lbs boost? What happens when you let off the fuel (no Boost) and suck in bad stuff? I know this is different, but my uncle had an old 60's Farmall 560 gasser overhauled and one clamp wasn't properly tightened and it graveyarded that engine in an afternoon. Even after another overhaul, it never was too much worth a hoot. Maybe that "programmed" me. When I was farming, my tractor drivers knew that if something went wrong that could have consequences, cut it off in the middle of the field and walk home. If they tore up anything by driving something broken, they knew I would give them their paychecks in 2 or more pieces. A friend's driver kept going with a leaking hydraulic cylinder and tore the rear end out of a 120 hp John Deere. I hope Boaring now has a game plan in motion and is getting on with his vacation. Please overlook the "rant" part! Mark

 

[cerberusiam]

Maybe he was high ion the mountains where the air is clean and fresh, just don't know. JB weld will harden and hold on a small leak without issue even when boost drops but it will almost always maintain positive pressure over ambient unless the hole is huge. It is a situational call on what is too much and how it can be temp fixed, not going to be the same every time but a lot of times it will be comparable. Running that 560 in a dusty field farming is a bit different than driving on typical hard pack roads in typical weather, and, a gasser is pulling a vacuum all the time wear a diesel with a turbo isn't. Any boost and it it is positive pressure in the system and won't suck in dirt. The concept is correct but the situations differ considerably.