Lower Intercooler Pipes cracking!

[dtrvler]

Lately, on Mk5 BRM cars. I'm finding a crack at the back end of the lower intercooler pipes (3C0145840H, and 3C0145840C depending on the date of mfg) where the hose connected to the turbo connects to the lower intercooler pipe. These are not cracks from accident damage or mechanic abuse. The crack is in the plastic. There is a stainless sleeve inside the plastic pipe and it looks like the plastic is shrinking and cracking. The crack starts right at the end of the pipe and grows in length over time until it reaches past the stainless sleeve and starts leaking boost. It's not the first time I've seen it but now almost every pipe I look at is cracked (but may or may not be leaking yet.) The easy way to find leaks aside from smoke testing, is to look for oil leaking and also if you place your hand up by the pipe near the connection you can feel the lost boost. I usually run the engine up to 2k rpm to make it easy to detect.
In this area of intercooler piping, there are two versions part numbers listed above. The numbers for the tubes going from the front of the lower intercooler pipe to the intercooler are 3C0145832M and 3C0145832D. Referring to the part number last letters ONLY, the C fits the D. The H fits the M.
Anyway, are you guys seeing this happening alot more lately too?

 

[oilhammer]

There has been an updated charge air tube for that, the new style one has orange instead of black rubber section at the turbo connection. Usually manifests itself as an oil stain in the area, but since the breather heater also tends to weep oil, too, it can be difficult to pinpoint. I use a smoke machine to find charge air leaks. Works great.

3C0-145-828-K is the updated rubber bit I am talking about. I have seen that a few times. You are talking about the actual plastic charge air tube as it goes over the bellhousing area? Or the lower rubber part that goes to the bottom of the cooler?

Keep in mind, too, that modifications that include higher levels of boost may result in some unusual stress that some components were never intended to deal with. I just replaced a turbocharger on a 350k mile BRM this week, and all its charge air tract was perfectly fine still. But the car is also stock.... all 100 horses of it.

 

[dtrvler]

I know about the updated hose from the turbo to the lower intercooler pipe. I'm using those too now. But the cracks I'm seeing are in the actual lower intercooler pipe at the end which is back by the turbo....the crack in the plastic is actually under the updated or original hose and clamp and then grows out to where it causes a boost leak. I'm going to post photos.The last two were untuned cars. I'm in the desert so it may be a plastic/heat/age thing.

 

[dtrvler]

Photos:

David Smith has shared 3 photos with you!

www.flickr.com

 

[dtrvler]

Oilhammer....why do you think the turbo outlet hose got redesigned if for any reason other than to make it easier to replace without removing the lower intercooler pipe? Sure, it's a failure point but they lasted a long long time already.

 

[oilhammer]

I think the orange material is more tolerable to higher temps. MB did something similar on some of their turbo diesels.

 

[dtrvler]

I noticed Vaico makes an orange one too. Not sure how they compare to VWAG ones.

 

[dtrvler]

https://flic.kr/p/2kr6zpX
And that is a boost leak!

 

[oilhammer]

Yeah, that sucks. I have never seen that, but I do not see any BRMs modded beyond maybe just an RC1 tune. Most are totally stock.

 

[dtrvler]

These last two I documented here were not modded cars. I drive two diff modded '06 brms. Stg 4 malone with pd140 turbo, and a stg 2 malone with stock turbo.
No issues with this cracking phenomenon.