How do i know if my intercooler is leaking?

On my way to work, I noticed my low coolant light came on for a minute or two and went away. This has happened in the past, bought some coolant, added some and never happened again until today. So its pretty clear that I'm losing coolant somewhere.

Do I have to take off my intake Mani's?? If so is it just the bolts on the tops and a clamp at the Y pipe?

I have a speedriven intercooler laying around that I could throw in if needed. I know the speedriven intercooler is not prone to leaking, but does it perform any better than the stock intercooler?

Thanks guys!!

 

you can pull the intakes and it will let you know for sure. Speedriven will be a whole lot better than the factory...but no performance gains although cooler won't be leaking...lol. I would just change it rather than worry about it. I will be purchasing a pair for mine in the near future. Over the winter I will change them out and do some other small improvement while I'm at it.

 

I have the same problem.
Make sure you dont have any leaks elsewhere first.
I think I have the same problem as you = having to add about 1/2 Gal every 1000miles.
But...found a weeping leak where at the resevoir where the top hose connects to it. I recently glued this all up and am waiting to see if that makes a difference.

If DIY
You have to remove the Supercharger...= 2 person heavy
see here for an example. The cooler sits underneath. You don't usually remove it like its shown in the photo - people normally take the air intakes and manis off and then remove the SC+IC as a unit.

I did read once of someone setting up a yoke of some sorts which sits on the strut towers and you can lift the SC out single handedly - otherwise an engine hoist would also do the job.

You will need new mani gaskets (upper and lower) at hand + the one for the SC>IC. Needswings sells a kit here. But you dont need the top one in the photo unless you are removing the SC inlet snout. The 12 o-rings also - I'm not sure what they are for.

You will need your Torx and Torque wrench with all the right numbers. Careful with the mani bolts - they are screwed into aluminimum - and many reports of people stripping these = disaster.

I suggest you consider executing the "baked potatoe wrap" at the same time if so inclined. Search this BBS to find out more.

I have a spare "pressure tested" 2nd hnd IC but am holding on it for obvious reasons.
Rudi also makes a flash replacement to order - search again - not sure if he is still offering the service.
If you talk to him - tell him Billy22Bob told you to order a copper one....;>)

 

lift off on of the mani's, zap a picture inside and post it up.

 

Billy, the o rings are for the injectors, to seal the air and fuel passages. Enjoy Woody

 

All good info. given above. If or when you decide to install the Speedriven IC, I just wanted to throw in my $0.02. What worked great for me was lag bolting a small 12v ATV winch(cheap) to the garage/shop ceiling rafters(strengthened/gusseted w/plywood). Then created an adjustable 4-point sling, up to the winch hook, out of thin Stainless Steel leader line. The front 2 points were actually a loop that I placed around the SC pulley. This sling arrangement allowed me to adjust fore to aft; and by rotating the SC pulley, I could adjust the elevation from side to side as I lowered and placed the heavy beast, and mated with perfect precision. One man operation!

 

I used an old engine lift for a one person install, photos here. Enjoy Woody

Replacing intercooler w Needswings coated IC Taa daa by waldig | CrossfireForum

 

harbor freight have inexpensive engine lifts...

 

$152.45 on fleabay with free shipping : ( $30 cheaper than HF, if you add in the tax, about $40 cheaper )
1 Ton Engine Motor Hoist Cherry Picker Shop Crane Lift Foldable Free Shipping | eBay

 

Look at that! Looks like a good deal! Hey, a small tidbit of advice, whatever one you buy (and wherever), buy some of those foam 'noodles', and wire-tie them onto all the legs/uprights. Bumping that metal might cause quite a few 'nicks/rubs' onto painted car parts. If you don't want to tie-wrap them, get some pipe insulation (with a slit down the section), and open it around the legs/uprights. Its all about keeping the car paint/body pristine, right? Just a helpful hint.


.

 

I'm a short and slim built 135 lb guy and have pulled my supercharger 3x by myself with no lift or rig. It's a little awkward, but not that hard... When I installed my Speeddriven one, I also wrapped it in Thermal material. Not sure if it really helps, but it can't hurt to keep some of that heat off of it.

 

Thanks for all the posts guys. I'll go ahead and pull my mani's next weekend. Had to fix my daily this weekend so I could park the srt.

To remove the mani, I just remove 6 bolts from the top right?
Could I reuse the gasket?
And what do I torque the bolts down to? Don't need a bigger a headache!

Thanks!!!

 

What are we looking for here - green residue?

 

I removed mine by myself too. But reaching in, positioning and lowering it with precision so you don't smear the MB sealant is another story all together. I already had my little ATV winch, but a cheap one can be had for as little as $50-$60.; and is really all you need. Works great for lifting the ride mower for cleaning and changing blades. And no cherry picker in the way, or need to store it for the other 364 days that you're not using it.

 

That's the nice option with these hoods, being able to go completely vertical, where I can utilize my ceiling hoist in my garage.

Just curious, anyone have an idea approximately what the SC unit weighs in at roughly?

 

I removed my supercharger/intercooler assembly myself more than once. The second person would've come in handy. If you take your time and know how it comes off and is reinstalled one person can do it without drama or back damage.

Les

 

 

As suggested, I removed the intake manifolds and posted up some pics. It looked fairly clean to me, but I would still appreciate a second opinion.

 

that is not a leaking intercooler

 

Thanks!!

Now I have to figure out where I'm losing coolant.

Removing Intake Mani's is a lot easier than I thought.