Aftermarket intercooler or OEM

tomasnc · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 5:35 am

I steam cleaned my cooler yesterday. From the amount of buildup along the seams where the plastic tanks connect to the coil. I'm guessing I have a major leak. From my reading there's no repairing these coolers? Y/N ?
I thought I'd found the CAC on id parts site but cannot locate it.
Guessing a factor y cooler is my only choice?

Thanks,

Tom

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 7:32 am

I have posted several times that I have access to a plastic welding wizard who would like try a KJ CRD IC as a prototype. There are undoubtedly many cracked ones sitting around the country, but, inexplicably, nobody has ever responded to the offer of a free repair to an otherwise useless IC. (JB Weld does not last and no aftermarket option has appeared yet, to my knowledge.)

So, how about you?

DOC

BTW, how long have you had your OME shocks and how much loss of damping have you noticed, over time?

dirtmover · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:36 am

What type of plastic is it made of. Are the cracks purely due to stress. Is it being weakened due to a chemical reaction with the oil residue or accelerated aging due to temperature?

It may simply not be repairable.

olypopper · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 12:17 pm

Since I'm relatively new to CRD's, what boost pressure do these things see, maximum in stock configuration? I know mine is leaking a bit at the top left corner where the hot air is entering and I was going to slather it with 3M 5200 marine sealant. It holds pretty well on just about everything else I've tried.......

Doc, if I lived a little closer I'd love to have your friend try to repair mine but shipping would be brutal!

flash7210 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 12:45 pm

There are lots of aftermarket intercoolers.
None of them are a direct fit for a CRD.
You would have to do some custom fabrication to make one fit.

mass-hole · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 1:26 pm

olypopper wrote:

Since I'm relatively new to CRD's, what boost pressure do these things see, maximum in stock configuration? I know mine is leaking a bit at the top left corner where the hot air is entering and I was going to slather it with 3M 5200 marine sealant. It holds pretty well on just about everything else I've tried.......

Doc, if I lived a little closer I'd love to have your friend try to repair mine but shipping would be brutal!

I dont have an actual gauge, but when reading the MAP sensor with Torque app I have never seen above ~21 psi on a GDE hot tune. I believe the stock tune has a maximum boost of ~19psi on the boost tables.

I know Subarus have issues with the plastic end tanks separating on their intercoolers even stock(at least the legacy) and I think thats like 12 psi or something

thermorex · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:23 pm

mass-hole wrote:

olypopper wrote:

Since I'm relatively new to CRD's, what boost pressure do these things see, maximum in stock configuration? I know mine is leaking a bit at the top left corner where the hot air is entering and I was going to slather it with 3M 5200 marine sealant. It holds pretty well on just about everything else I've tried.......

Doc, if I lived a little closer I'd love to have your friend try to repair mine but shipping would be brutal!

I dont have an actual gauge, but when reading the MAP sensor with Torque app I have never seen above ~21 psi on a GDE hot tune. I believe the stock tune has a maximum boost of ~19psi on the boost tables.

I know Subarus have issues with the plastic end tanks separating on their intercoolers even stock(at least the legacy) and I think thats like 12 psi or something

You're correct, on my analog gauge, with gde Eco, highest I saw was around 25psi, then immediately drops to about 20-ish, probably because the vacuum is reduced which drops the turbo vanes to prevent overboost.

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 5:42 pm

Oly,

I am waiting to see if someone else jumps at the offer, but when you see what a new one costs, the shipping may seem like a bargain. (I would not pay more than $50 for a used one that tests good , if you can find one, because they rarely last more than 100K miles and are trashed in any sort of frontal accident.)

DOC

thermorex · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:39 pm

We're waiting for weeks to come up with a fully aluminum masterpiece

tomasnc · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 7:05 pm

The leak is located at the inlet. There is a small crack in the aluminum plate. I can't TIG it due to heat so the radiator shop is going to clean the inside of the cooler and use an epoxy to make the repair.

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 7:18 pm

Another option will be great, but it will probably be well north of$1000. In that case, some may prefer a $150 repair that lasts MUCH longer than OEM.

DOC

thermorex · **Posted:** Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:03 pm

DOC4444 wrote:

Another option will be great, but it will probably be well north of$1000. In that case, some may prefer a $150 repair that lasts MUCH longer than OEM.

DOC

Agree, but from my point of view, what's one more thousand-ish in this money pit jeep, lol.

CATCRD · **Posted:** Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:38 am

tomasnc wrote:

The leak is located at the inlet. There is a small crack in the aluminum plate. I can't TIG it due to heat so the radiator shop is going to clean the inside of the cooler and use an epoxy to make the repair.

I used aircraft fuel tank sealant in this location. Still holding a year later. I applied it to the outside though, at the end of the tubes, let it run between the tubes completely from side to side to the flanges.

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:03 am

Just saw the post about the problem being in the aluminum section. Was not aware of failures other than the plastic tanks.

DOC

Auberon · **Posted:** Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:35 am

Confirm highest steady state displayed on mine with GDE ECO tune is 20 psi but that's is absolute WOT.../no real gain from it.
It's well outside the desired 1600 -2400 rpm rev range where torque delivery is fairly flat and then diminishes (benefit from turbo).

tomasnc · **Posted:** Sat Mar 21, 2015 5:55 pm

The radiator shop called and said their epoxy repair was successful. Hope the guy doesn't mind my asking him to pressure test test it before my own eyes

Mountainman · **Posted:** Mon Apr 11, 2016 12:24 pm

With all the AC crap gutted, I have a lot of room to hopefully fit in an aluminum Mishimoto or similar CAC (less than $300 on Summit Racing) Should I just match the volume roughly by taking outside measurements, or is bigger better? I know Doug (lost name Dougbob) put an aftermarket one in his gasser to CRD conversion. I'll have to see exactly what he did. The cac in mine was repaired with epoxy by a PO, but leaks.

Anybody have any ideas on what aftermarket CAC would be best to try?

olypopper · **Posted:** Mon Apr 11, 2016 12:32 pm

"Anybody have any ideas on what aftermarket CAC would be best to try?"

I don't know but hopefully someone will chime in. I'm still watching the oil slobber slowly creep out of mine............no leaks anywhere else on my rig except that spot!!!!

Bigger is better when it comes to intercoolers generally speaking. The little VM may not have any real benefit though as it's so small. Hell, as hot as it gets down south, it's gotta be better to have a larger one!

flash7210 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 11, 2016 2:12 pm

Quote:

Anybody have any ideas on what aftermarket CAC would be best to try?

You are gonna have to measure the space you have available and find one that will fit.
Most aftermarket intercoolers are 2.5 -3.5 inches thick. With the AC condensor and fan removed, you should have plenty of room.

tomasnc · **Posted:** Wed Apr 13, 2016 9:54 pm

Update.

The epoxy repair on my cooler failed and is leaking again. Not enough to worry about though.

Aftermarket intercooler or OEM

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