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Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 10 Sep 2013, 23:44
by HarryMann
It's the resulting EGT that'd be the arbiter of that... on a turbo-diesel anyway. On a petrol it's of course detonation of one sort or another, rather than just reduction of charge density.
Oil and coolant temps eventually reflect high inlet charge temps as well of course.
Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 11 Sep 2013, 00:03
by ninja.turtle007
I ended up just topping up the charge cooler as the leak is pretty minor.
Got back early from a 3000 mile trip. Cruising at 65mph @ 2900 RPM inlet temps were generally 15c to 25c above ambient temperature. The roads could be quite hilly (France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy). The temperature would go higher on steep, long motorway climbs.
I noticed that even losing 250ml of coolant has quite a substaintial effect on temperature.
Now to get it repaired or replaced.
Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 11 Sep 2013, 00:10
by HarryMann
Bigger reservoir.. leaking it off and pulling cooler fluid down from reservoir would do little harm

Pick up air from as high as possible too. Puffing water mist over face of i/c rad also good.
What press are you boosting?
Big roads, big hills over there as you say Tom... oh and big temps too sometimes.
Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 11 Sep 2013, 09:37
by mazz
As above its EGTs that are more of a concern, but on a TDi running stock turbo and even uprated injectors you are unlikely to get anywhere near air intake temps that will cause engine issues, a JX does not run a intercooler at all, revs harder and works harder yet AIT are not a problem that concerned VW when they built them.
We just built a tuned T4 2.5TDi running 1.7bar boost which with hard driving can hit 120c AIT, I would say that is about as high as you want to go, and in genrall anything 40c above ambient is very acceptable.
Tom we are in the process of now having a bespoke chargecooler made espaicially for a T3, ill keep you posted but should be ready and tested for end of October
Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 11 Sep 2013, 23:18
by HarryMann
The JCB Diesel world record holder was boosting at approx. 80 psi and despite serious inter cooling needed massive water injection to keep IAT and final EGT down. I believe someone referred to it as a steam engine

..when they saw the exhaust wake spreading behind.
Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 11 Sep 2013, 23:24
by HarryMann
Tom we are in the process of now having a bespoke chargecooler made espaicially for a T3, ill keep you posted but should be ready and tested for end of October
Target price?
Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 11 Sep 2013, 23:29
by mazz
£350 Harry,
I'm off now to google this JCB

Re: Urgent! Charge cooler leak!
Posted: 11 Sep 2013, 23:37
by HarryMann
Ricardos built it for them, twin engined. Unless I'm mistaken, you'll have trouble finding the really detailed links about the build...