Intercooler testing

[pwack]

Hello All

After following SKYEGTBs excellent guide on testing intercoolers and finding a few bits that made it pretty straight forward I thought id put a bit of info on some parts that can be easily bought to make the testing easy.

I must preface this with saying that I had the intercoolers removed with the hoses as well.

In B&Q they sell plastic cups that you put under the feet of tables etc but they are a perfect fit in the large ends of the intercooler hoses , I used these to seal the hoses to do a pressure test

I then bought some threaded schrader valves from amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emma-Motocycle ... 09&sr=8-17

With these 2 parts you have this

It fits perfectly in the large end of the intercoller hose

Both hoses have a big and small end , so one hose has a large diameter free and one has the small diameter free , on the small diameter hose side the blank has to be fitted inside the hose by the intercooler output flange

the basic diagram below shows what I am trying to get across

int4.jpg (24.88 KiB) Viewed 2713 times

You can use a stand up bike pump with a gauge as this should provide enough pressure.

int5.jpg (12.55 KiB) Viewed 2713 times

Dunk the intercooleres in a bucket of water and pump away!!

What I found when I tested mine was that the car must of been running normally aspirated as both the intercoolers wouldnt hold any pressure at all , literally nothing!!

I then followed SKYEGTBs instructions and sealed the entire core ends with JB Weld , both intercoolers now hold pressure without an issue , I cant tell you what the performance difference is yet as I am just in final throws of putting the engine back in and conecting it up to here it run (Hopefully !!!!!!!!) for the first time as my 6 was a non running project.

Hope this helps someone looking to do a intercooler test

[Mɐʇʇ]

I use these : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330563816336
I like your schrader valves - might have to get some.

[Shoppinit]

Nice!

There's a faster way of knowing if your intercoolers are leaking though. Here's the method:

1. Are your intercoolers OE?
2. Yes: they are leaking.

[skyegtb]

LOL, good to hear that my guide is still proving useful!

[audi_driver79]

Hi,
Sorry to resurrect this old thread but my intercoolers have been leaking for awhile and need to get them done when I get my belt changed. They are throwing up a running rich code as well. I've bought a second hand pair to get them re-cored and the seller states they were working fine so should I just put them under pressure as above to test? As they are OEM are they living on borrowed time if they do hold pressure now? Am I better just sending them away to get professionally done by Airtec then they will have some warranty?

[Shoppinit]

There's a faster way of knowing if your intercoolers are leaking though. Here's the method:

1. Are your intercoolers OE?
2. Yes: they are leaking.

I stand by this. Send them off to get done and then you can fit and forget them.

[Shoppinit]

You can see when they leak. They will have a corner that is stained with oil. Although your vendor may well have cleaned them up.

[steve2003rs6]

Hope you get a similar result to mine after replacing /repairing the leaking inter coolers.
Had my coolers fully refurbished by Airtec, They did a fantastic job.
Replaced all (8) oe hoses for silicon from Roose Motorsport.

Let me just say that I have always considered my car to be very quick, as they all are.
But with the “new” inter coolers
Wow what a gain in performance.

Shoppinit had previously informed me of the power gain. When you fit new inter coolers.
But I didn’t expect such a huge difference.

I just wish I had measured the before and after figures.

[audi_driver79]

OK I'll be getting them re-cored then I don't have to worry. After 13 years ownership I sometimes wonder if I've got used to the speed so if it does improve performance I'll be a happy chappy. I daily my A2 75bhp so the RS6 always feels faster than that no surprise there but it's still a lovely little car to drive.

[steve2003rs6]

Ditto after 12 year’s ownership I reckon I also just got used to the speed.
As Shop says if the coolers are leaking oil in the corners then they need attention.
Mine had oil staining in both bottom corners on both coolers.

[Shoppinit]

I do like the A2.

[steve2003rs6]

Ps. If you send your coolers to Airtec the new cores are slightly thicker than the original. Not a problem though as they are easy to reinstall.
Cost was approximately half the cost of Wagner’s

Pps That’s a great test rig for pressure testing the coolers.