bd0nalds0n

Recently, I noticed that my intercooler/windshield washer reservoir has been emptying down to the intercooler pump pickup quickly, suggesting that there is a leak somewhere in the loop.

The inner fender seems to stay dry, suggesting that it's not the reservoir itself that's leaking.

My worst fear, of course, is that the intercooler itself is leaking. That would suck, first because the intake has to come off, and second because I have no idea where to get any kind of replacement part.

I'm assuming that a water leak in the intercooler would not cause IC liquid to go into the intake--because the car would likely have shown some symptoms from all the water ingestion. Can anyone confirm?

There are about a zillion elbows and clamps in the loop, but I've checked these. Wherever the leak is, I've eliminated most of the obvious first places.

Anybody have any thoughts or experience?

Shane

It might be the hose conections to the intercooler itself. If those leaked it would go into the V underneath the intercooler. Can you snake a mechanics mirror down there to take a look?

Mike Simard

Do your plugs look especially clean? I would suspect a leak in the intake as being extremely likely. The ever changing conditions of an intake tract is a tough environment for a radiator.
This wouldn't be the first time, the early years of Ford Lightning had problems with leaky intake mounted intercoolers, the problem would show by a low resevoir level.

AO

How about the heat exchangers? They tend to take the most abuse.

pmotts

Hopefully your pump is set up to run without the motor running? If so fill it up and run it for awhile and look for water. Check out the water connection at the back of the SC and at the heat exchangers. I am not sure how water would get in the V unless the intercooler and cover has a leak in it but even then the water would be inhaled by the motor before it ever leaked out the cover.
Good Luck!
Jim

AO

I wouldn't do this because if the IC is leaking, the water could end up in the combustion chamber and hydrolock the engine or worse! I like the idea of inspecting the plugs instead.

SwayBar

Tony

Not sure how quick you are loosing water, but the system isnt pressurized and some will actually evaporate overtime.

pmotts

Yeah, not a very well thought out response. BTW, what would worse be?
Let's hope its a connection leak somewhere.

dr bob

Try a simple air pressure check of the system. Plug off the pump and the reservoir, and put 10 PSI of air in it and close it off. Hardware store fittings, and a schraeder valve to fill. Test with a tire gauge. Tomorrow is there 10 PSI of air in it? With the air, you can go leak hunting with a spray bottle of soapy water. If it leaks into the intake, it may be that you can hear it.

AO

I can't find a picture of it, but if the engine were able to turn over with liquid in the combustion chamber... since liquid doesn't compress, the wall of the combustion chamber would basically go.... BOOM!

blown 87

Just take the plugs out before you turn it over by hand.
We do this when checking for blown head gaskets.

Z

There are probably a number of places that could be likely leak points, but the intercooler is definitely the one that I'd be most concerned about for reasons already mentioned.

With your configuration the intercooler is located after the throttle. That means it's subject to both boost and vacuum. When you're foot to the floor there's "X" psi of boost above atmospheric pressure inside trying to blow the intercooler apart. Lift off the gas and then it goes to vacuum inside, and 10+ psi of atmospheric pressure outside is trying to crush it together. Your boost/vacuum gauge shows the direction and extent of the opposing back and forth forces on your intake manifold and also your intercooler. Depending on the shape and how it's constructed, flexing and stress may get concentrated at joints or corners. If it occurs for long enough and with enough force, the aluminum is going to give up and a crack will form. Under boost you'd have a small boost leak with air going through the crack into the water's area of the system. Under vacuum you'd be sucking water the opposite way through the crack and into the engine.

AO

Z's right. (Damn he's a smart guy! )

Probabaly the easit way to test for leak on the IC will be to disconnect the inlet and outlet hoses at some convenient location. Plug one side, then rig up a mighty vac to the other side and apply 20+ psi of vacuum. Wait 10 minutes and see if it still holds.

bd0nalds0n

All good advice. The car's actually in the shop today for some periodic maintenance and I'll ask them to (gently) pressure test the IC. With all the plastic elbows, it's pretty easy to isolate the IC from the rest of the system.