Holes in my intercooler!!!!!!!!!

[Dfeland]

O. K. so I am cleaning my K&N tonight. After putting in my POD's my boost seems a little low I only see about 24# max. I think to myself what the H^%, I will pressure up my intercooler just to see if it has any leaks. So I block both ends and have a tire shrader on one so I can put air in it. I put some air in it and HOLY *&^%. It sounded like a jet engine pssssss, pssssss, psssss from all over the place. So I pull the radiator(need to have it rodded anyway, I think to myself) pull the grill pull the little metal thing off below the grill carefully slide the intercooler out without dissconecting my condensor get the thing on the bench and OH MY GOSH WHERE DO I START? I found 5 holes the size of a pencil lead right off the bat and that does not include the small ones. Tomorrow when I go to the radiator shop a good buudy of mine owns we are going to have our work cut out for us. He has the epoxy crap that you heat up and stick it to the hole to patch alumium radiators and I am hoping that it will work on the intercooler. It seems that the holes are being caused by corrosion under the paint. Like there is a crack in the paint and water gets in and rots the aluminum away, so I think that I will also try to blast the paint off so I can keep an eye on it.

 

[BushWakr - RIP]

I'm thinking that once that thing is fixed you may find some nice boost numbers. Keep us informed as to how the 'epoxy' fix works/doesn't work.



Right now I run about 25 psi boost with my setup, including the POD's. Your situation makes me wonder about my intercooler. I've never had any indication that there was trouble but who knows.



Bob

 

[MikeO]

Epoxy

The epoxy may not hold over 20psi. It is designed for 16psi in a radiator. Let us know.



Mike O.

 

[bvanetten]

JB Weld

I to had holes in my intercooler. The smaller ones I JB Welded and the larger ones I JB Welded small pieces of tin over the hole. Charged the cooler with 40 lbs. of air and it held all night. The truck makes around 20 lbs. of boost and it has held for over 3 months. If it ever does break again I'll have it welded.



Bruce

 

[Dfeland]

epoxy

Well the high speed expoy that he supposedly had, he was out of! So he says to me, I know a guy with a TIG welder. I think that will be the perfect way to fix it. The guy is not home and won't be back! So I am now trying the ol'jb weld approach. I have so many holes in my intercooler that if this does not hold then I am going to have to buy a new one. Can you say banks? I am letting it dry right now and will keep everyone posted.

:--)

 

[Old Smoky]

An intercooler is allowed to have some leakage. Cummins specs are 7psi drop at 25psi in 15 seconds. Usually this leakage is along the sides where it is glued. Mine droped about 4. 5psi during the test. Just thought this info might be helpful.



Mike

 

[Dfeland]

cracks in the paint

My cooler has corroded through that is where the holes came from. There are small cracks in the paint where water is getting in and setting and eating the aluminum. Mine pressure went from 20 to nothing in about half a second. If it were factory leaks around the tube entrances then I could understand it but these are leaks in the front of the tubes themselves that were caused by corrosion.