Forum Discussion

tinkerer's avatar
tinkerer
Explorer
Dec 08, 2016

Another thing to check

Once a year I do a under chassis audit from a pit on my MH with a Freightliner chassis. This year I noticed the tube going from the outlet of the turbo to the air to air intercooler on the radiator had a quarter size hole rusted in it. It still would build 27 psi lbs of boost with the hole. But I was afraid it would totally blow out making me lose my boost. Just posting this to pass this information along in case you lose your turbo boost.:)
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Treat the rust with phosphoric acid to stop it and put a piece of inner-tube over the hole with a spiral clamp holding it on.
  • tinkerer wrote:
    crasster wrote:
    I am AMAZED. 27 psi with a QUARTER sized hole???? You mean a quarter inch or a quarter as in $.25 ? If you mean the latter, that is an amazing turbo.


    I might have stretched by saying it was quarter sized but it was at least as big as a nickel.


    Well,
    That's still phenomenal that its building 27psi boost with even nickle sized hole. Turbos are pretty good air pumps but, to be able to put out that must boost, with that sized hole, wow, that's pretty good. Now, the first thing I'd do is, remove that entire tube for a complete, full length, 360 degree inspection which, includes areas under where the hoses clamp on. If that hole is the only one and the rest of the tube is in great shape, that's no big deal at all.

    Depending just how thick the metal is, it might be possible to TIG weld a patch on it. If it's too thin for that, you can still BRAZE a patch on it which, uses was less heat and the thinner metal should withstand that kind of repair. Then, your tube is as good as new. Your brazing patch job would cost next to nothing.

    Now, some might not be comfortable "patching" that tube. But, in all reality, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you patch a hole, you save the tube, the engine still runs at peak performance, no big deal. You just save a bunch of bucks by not buying a new one. Your choice.

    And, when that's all done, I'd definitely inspect any other areas of air-transport in that CAC system. Good luck.
    Scott

    On edit: I might have assumed it was a "steel" tube which, you could "Braze" on. But, if that tube is aluminum, and its really thin, a TIG weld is most likely the only way to apply the patch on. It's been a while since I messed with mine so I've forgotten the material it's made of.
    Scott
  • crasster wrote:
    I am AMAZED. 27 psi with a QUARTER sized hole???? You mean a quarter inch or a quarter as in $.25 ? If you mean the latter, that is an amazing turbo.


    I might have stretched by saying it was quarter sized but it was at least as big as a nickel.
  • gfs1943 wrote:
    tinkerer wrote:
    Once a year I do a under chassis audit from a pit on my MH with a Freightliner chassis.

    Did you make your own pit? I sure wish I had one, but I'm afraid it would get full of rattlesnakes.
    When I worked at the bus company, we had pits as well as lifts. I did a lot of work from the pits, and they sure made it easier than crawling under the coaches!

    We have a farm shop with a pit. It sure makes it easy to do a lube job, changing the air brakes filter, and doing a visual inspection. I found a radiator hose that was rubbing on the frame, no damage but I insert a piece of rubber between the two.Without the pit I probably would not have noticed the hole in the inner cooler tube. By the way Freightliner has that tube as special order. They should have used better material as it's subject to corrosion. I had a diesel shop make me one.
  • tinkerer wrote:
    Once a year I do a under chassis audit from a pit on my MH with a Freightliner chassis.

    Did you make your own pit? I sure wish I had one, but I'm afraid it would get full of rattlesnakes.
    When I worked at the bus company, we had pits as well as lifts. I did a lot of work from the pits, and they sure made it easier than crawling under the coaches!
  • My Mercedes had intercooler hose cut, that was almost invisible to bare eye, yet when I floored it, the CEL come on and computer put engine in safe mode with limited power.
    Things might work differently on different engines, but any hole on intake past air filter is going to create problem rather sooner then later.
  • crasster wrote:
    I am AMAZED. 27 psi with a QUARTER sized hole???? You mean a quarter inch or a quarter as in $.25 ? If you mean the latter, that is an amazing turbo.


    X2!!!
  • I am AMAZED. 27 psi with a QUARTER sized hole???? You mean a quarter inch or a quarter as in $.25 ? If you mean the latter, that is an amazing turbo.