Sealing intercooler

So my intercooler has 2 corners where the factory sealant has either disappeared or where there wasn't any from the factory. Is this worth sealing off with some rtv before I reinstall or should i not worry about it? There would be a lot of pressure on the new rtv but I also imagine it would be pressure on both sides anyways... thoughts?

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I wouldn't worry about it. The amount of air that will go through a hole that small is negligible.

--Joe

That's a shortcoming of the OE intercooler, and that leak is right near your IAT2 sensor.

With the Whipple I just installed, a Griffin version went in that is welded all the way around. Working just fine so far.

http://www.terminator-cobra.com/cooling.htm#Intercooler

JB weld that bitch?

You mean they came like that from the factory....gee whiz.

That Griffin one looks very nice.

MG0h3 said:

You mean they came like that from the factory....gee whiz.

That Griffin one looks very nice.

Click to expand...

It's all in the link I posted. The factory version has a top plate set on that is tack welded on the sides and then just uses a sealant along the gap.

Another one where some of the sealant had broken away at the back:



The intercooler body without the plate:

Wildly cheesy. Thanks for posting.

So when the sealant "breaks away" while installed, where does it go? Clogging tight areas of inter cooler or passing into combustion chamber....


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Any one knows what happened with this guy

Check post #66

https://www.svtperformance.com/forums/threads/replacement-intercooler.981408/page-4

Dave.O said:

So when the sealant "breaks away" while installed, where does it go? Clogging tight areas of inter cooler or passing into combustion chamber....
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Click to expand...

Yes...

im-1 said:

Any one knows what happened with this guy

Check post #66

https://www.svtperformance.com/forums/threads/replacement-intercooler.981408/page-4

Click to expand...

I read that thread and a few others out there before acquiring this intercooler. The OP there mentioned that it seemed to flow both more air and water (which I'd agree with), then also added that his IAT's were lower and recovered quicker. After that, it just became a "POS" and was sent back with no more details.

Mine fit perfectly, and for comparison between this and the OE, there are details on my site (I was given a junk factory version to chop up). While I can't comment yet on driving temps since it's still winter, my IAT2 temps with the Griffin version are only about 20° or so above IAT1 (which will hit about 80-85° inside my garage). Of course much of that could be attributed to the switch to the Whipple from a ported Eaton, but I am completely confident that the new intercooler will perform just as well if not better than the Garrett version.

In any case, the OE intercooler supply is drying up, so the choice here is not a broad one when it comes to replacement. At least if the only issue is the rot of the sealant, that can be easily fixed. As guys pull bonehead moves and crack them while running straight water with freezing temps, the used market for them continues to get smaller and smaller.

Mine installed on the Whipple as an FYI...

No biggie air takes the path of least resistance I wouldn't worry.

I patched up a factory intercooler with some red high temp rtv. It held up fine on a ported eaton.