How to secure intercooler hose on CDT?
 

A while back as I was driving along I noticed a sudden slight drop in power and I thought to myself, "Ah, the intercooler hose has popped off". Didn't check then, and have hardly used the car since, but recent observation of black smoke under acceleration made me have a look today and, sure enough, it's come loose at the connection with the intercooler. For the life of me, though, I can't remember how to reconnect it, and the guides I've found on here seem to have the photos missing.

I've been down this process before a few years ago so it should be just a case of jogging my memory. I got an SFS (?) replacement hose then, and Viton O-rings. Both O-rings are still on the hose, although the one nearer the end is seated in a slight groove which isn't continuous, meaning it protrudes slightly in one or two places. I can't remember whether this is how it should be.

The problem I have is access (as ever). As far as I recall, I unscrew the bolt holding the small tank allowing me to pull it out of the way and get a better view. But how do I actually push the bottom of the hose home into the intercooler? It seems to require a combination of precision and force which is difficult at that point. Also, the bottom elbow attaches to a plate with a bolt hole, designed, I assume, to secure the hose to some point on the intercooler. At the moment this is just floating free, though.

I personally would remove the front bumper, it is not difficult and this will give you best access, this way you can see how everything fits into the intercooler, replace the original o-rings with genuine viton ones and ensure they seat in the correct positions when so fitted they should not protrude anywhere, then it is a matter of pushing the end onto the intercooler elbow, no need to use brute force when engaged correctly you will know it.

Hi John.
Yes remove the remove the header tank 8mm bolt so you can lower it down and to the left, letting lie on the coolant hoses.

Now undo the jubilee clip around intercooler hose /EGR and pull the hose off the EGR.

With a torch look at the plastic bend and find the 8mm bolt which is attached the radiator cowling remove this carefully do not let it drop onto the undertray.

Once removed you can the pull up on the hose and plastic bend this will allow the hose and bend to come free from the intercooler & car.

With the intercooler hose and bend off the car remove the hose from the bend, clean it up add the new Viton O-rings to the bend, grease them with rubber grease/ Vaseline.

Reach down into the intercooler and remove any O-ring left behind, use a rag to clean the insertion hole, then re-instate the bend into the intercooler by push and twisting downwards, making sure you keep the fixpoint on the bend behind the point on the radiator fit the 8mm bolt, do not over tighten it as if you do you may crack the fixing point.

Now you have the bend in place you can refit the hose to the bend & the EGR hopefully that will help ;)

https://i.imgur.com/JFnsNr7l.jpg1

https://i.imgur.com/P5ncyxdl.jpg2

https://i.imgur.com/cSOOa92l.jpg3

https://i.imgur.com/jWALsP6l.jpg4

https://i.imgur.com/mcy65Rul.jpg5

https://i.imgur.com/AIfJHQgl.jpg6

https://i.imgur.com/Dd6ud8Jl.jpg7

Thanks, Arctic. My recollection from the last time I did this was that for some reason, the fixing point on the bracket did not line up with the mount point on the radiator (with the 8mm bolt) when the hose was pushed into place, which obviously makes it vulnerable to popping off. I don't know whether it is the result of some work done when a new fan was installed a few years ago. I'll see if I can find some other way to hold it in place.

Intercooler hose with bumper off.---;)

I have to say it does look easier with the bumper off. I can't easily get under the car where it is, though (no stable surface to use a jack on, it's a gravel drive) and I imagine I might be required to do so.

The photo you have put up is of the bottom intercooler hose which never needs any service, well I have never changed one in the last 12 years.

It is only easier to access the intercooler O-ring area with the bumper off and the crash bar as in the photo's below.

With crash bar in place.
https://i.imgur.com/IjB614jl.jpg1

Without crash bar
https://i.imgur.com/JaUtA46l.jpg2

https://i.imgur.com/vCtGAx8l.jpg3

The bracket on the radiator where the bend is attached with 8mm bolt
https://i.imgur.com/EZCB9PBl.jpg4

https://i.imgur.com/BzDHdA3l.jpg5

looking into the intercooler once the bend as been removed, 99.9% an old O-ring will be left behind.
https://i.imgur.com/M9Eraqbl.jpg6

At the Nano meets, I always change the bend with Viton O-rings from above 10 minutes job. ;)

Helpful stuff there, Arctic. I managed to get it sorted this afternoon OK, but the only thing I didn't manage to do is to secure the bend with the 8mm bolt. Is there supposed to be some captive nut on the radiator fixing? At the moment I just have it secured with a cable tie, but I don't know how long that will hold (although it seemed to hold pretty well for a couple of years last time, apparently with nothing securing it).

Nobody has mentioned “the grub screw mod”. This was done to one of mine by Jules, who did send me a photo of it at the time but I must have since deleted it. I believe it is a 3mm self tapper in to the elbow to stop it from coming out under full pressure.

I am sure there must have been photos of the mod in the past but seems like most old threads on the subject have lost them.