Blown intercooler

cjzender

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Location
Fostoria, Ohio
TDI
2003 jetta TDI 132k/ 2002 jetta 1.8t 85k

Blew up my intercooler today. Not sure if I should look into a smic or a fmic. Any helpful experiences with different products?? Thanks.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
mine held up to 35 PSI for quite a while
still using it in my LP loop actually

Stock one should be $20 at the junkyard, and you get to learn how to take the front of the car off without wrecking any of your own parts.
 

cjzender

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Location
Fostoria, Ohio
TDI
2003 jetta TDI 132k/ 2002 jetta 1.8t 85k
I had installed the new intercooler the body shop ordered for me after I banged up my car hitting a racoon at 70mph. They said it was out of an A3 or A4 can't remember but would work fine. So after some part number looking and some research of my own I installed it. It was definitely thicker than the stock one. Maybe less durable too perhaps...
 

cjzender

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Location
Fostoria, Ohio
TDI
2003 jetta TDI 132k/ 2002 jetta 1.8t 85k
I considered an eBay kit, but man..there are so many, I don't want to buy a p.o.'s one. I'm also considering a smic from darkside develpoment.
 

PB_NB

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Vancouver, B.C.
TDI
1999 New Beetle
I went with a custom made one from HPA Motorsports. I tried to get a FMIC for the beetle but we couldn't make it fit with the round bumper so they made a massive SMIC and squeezed it in the stock location.

It's a version that they use in their twin turbo applications. I was able to retain the stock piping locations but increased the piping diameter all the way through the system.

They are local and can stand behind their products so I an happy with this choice.
 

PB_NB

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Location
Vancouver, B.C.
TDI
1999 New Beetle
It was about 850 installed in CDN bucks. It would be pretty affordable in US dollars.

They actually made the intercooler in their shop so the inlet and outlet were in a good place to mate up with the pipes.
 

Geobmx4life

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Location
Kananaskis Alberta Canada
TDI
2005 Golf Malone tuned VNT 17, FMIC
Last edited:

Nathaniel.Troy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Location
New Brunswick, Canada
TDI
2003 Jetta MkIV
Interesting....would you have the measurements of the pipes you fabbed up?

This is the pipe I had to cut myself, I'm not too sure what the length is at the moment but it is in the wheel well where the original pancake pipe would be. 2.5" thick and I had to give it a couple hits with a hammer to deny it in so the wheel wouldn't rub (where the paint is gone)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

cjzender

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Location
Fostoria, Ohio
TDI
2003 jetta TDI 132k/ 2002 jetta 1.8t 85k
I ended up going with the darkside developments smic kit. The kit seemed to be complete with little to no fab work or cutting out this or that. The kit itself was decently priced, however the shipping was spendy. Total was 411shipped to Ohio. Pipe for upper and lower and the ic. That includes the proper adapter to go to a pd150 (vnt17) turbo pipe adapter. Also the boss is welded in already for the map sensor and the upper pipe is a one piece unit...less joints=less room for error and leaks. So over all I think I didn't get hurt too bad. Well see how she holds up.
 

turbovan+tdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Location
Abbotsford, BC.
TDI
2003 TDI 2.0L ALH, auto, silver wagon, lowered, Colt stage 2 cam, ported head,205 injectors, 1756 turbo, Malone 2.0, 3" exhaust, 18" BBS RC GLI rims. 2004 blue GSW TDI, 5 speed, lowered, GLI BBS wheels painted black, Malone stage 2, Aerotur
I went with a custom made one from HPA Motorsports. I tried to get a FMIC for the beetle but we couldn't make it fit with the round bumper so they made a massive SMIC and squeezed it in the stock location.

It's a version that they use in their twin turbo applications. I was able to retain the stock piping locations but increased the piping diameter all the way through the system.

They are local and can stand behind their products so I an happy with this choice.
What do they charge for it?
 

cjzender

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Location
Fostoria, Ohio
TDI
2003 jetta TDI 132k/ 2002 jetta 1.8t 85k
$326.51 for kit. $78.85 shipping. While shipping is steep its fast It's DHL and takes 3 to 4 days.not sure what someone would charge to do the install.
 

davidhertig

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Location
PDX
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon 5-speed
$326.51 for kit. $78.85 shipping. While shipping is steep its fast It's DHL and takes 3 to 4 days.not sure what someone would charge to do the install.
I'm having the same SMIC kit put in on Monday with my 17/22, so I'll let you know.
 

cjzender

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Location
Fostoria, Ohio
TDI
2003 jetta TDI 132k/ 2002 jetta 1.8t 85k
Sweet. Good luck. I just didn't feel I needed to spend the extra scrilla on a fmic. Well see.
 

Yourbuddysatin

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2016
Location
Pennsylvania
TDI
2013 Jetta tdi
As long as you have the correct hose or clip in pipe you should not have to clock it. Atleast from the few I have put in/seen. Darkside usually asks what you are tying into so they can send the correct hose.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Try Royal Mail next time you ship from Darkside, it is much cheaper
 
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