2.0L LNF Performance Tech 260hp and 260 lb-ft of torque Turbocharged tuner version.

Should I have my intercooler welded up?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 12:06 PM
  #1  
etnies's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 10-17-10
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Lee Co. VA
Should I have my intercooler welded up?

A weld busted on my synapse intercooler and I was wondering do you think just having someone reweld it would hold. I know a guy who's an awesome welder and has worked on aluminum many times before
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 12:24 PM
  #2  
09xfebalt's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: 09-15-09
Posts: 753
Likes: 0
From: Rochester, NY
Depends on the break location. Ifs in the end tank you should be ok to weld I would think.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 12:42 PM
  #3  
TommyP's Avatar
AWD > FWD
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: 04-18-09
Posts: 11,087
Likes: 3
From: Youngstown, Ohio
Well I wouldn't leave a big hole in it if that's what your asking...






I say weld it up and see if it holds. If it breaks again get a new one.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 12:45 PM
  #4  
Frogstofall's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 07-30-11
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 0
From: Midwest
You can weld it but if it has broken from a stress point it WILL break again.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 05:17 PM
  #5  
tomj77's Avatar
Super Moderator
Platinum Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: 07-14-08
Posts: 12,039
Likes: 156
From: canada
Originally Posted by etnies
A weld busted on my synapse intercooler and I was wondering do you think just having someone reweld it would hold. I know a guy who's an awesome welder and has worked on aluminum many times before
um if its just a weld that busted, which should have held, rewelding it, doing a better weld job will hold just like new. as long as its prepped and done right.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 06:25 PM
  #6  
Frogstofall's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 07-30-11
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 0
From: Midwest
Originally Posted by tomj77
um if its just a weld that busted, which should have held, rewelding it, doing a better weld job will hold just like new. as long as its prepped and done right.
You would think so....
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 08:16 PM
  #7  
tomj77's Avatar
Super Moderator
Platinum Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: 07-14-08
Posts: 12,039
Likes: 156
From: canada
Originally Posted by Frogstofall
You would think so....
i work at a welding shop, welds are ground out and redone alot, so i know so jackass
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 08:25 PM
  #8  
Frogstofall's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 07-30-11
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 0
From: Midwest
Originally Posted by tomj77
i work at a welding shop, welds are ground out and redone alot, so i know so jackass
Ummmm.... Got a fist stuck in your ass dood? I wasn't trying to be rude. I've experienced first hand re welds break in the same spot more than once. I'm not a kid dood. Watch your tone... Jackass...
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 08:29 PM
  #9  
tomj77's Avatar
Super Moderator
Platinum Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: 07-14-08
Posts: 12,039
Likes: 156
From: canada
Originally Posted by Frogstofall
Ummmm.... Got a fist stuck in your ass dood? I wasn't trying to be rude. I've experienced first hand re welds break in the same spot more than once. I'm not a kid dood. Watch your tone... Jackass...
"You would think so " was rude and a smartass remark so maybe u should check up on ur definition of rude.

and if u had em break in the same spot then whoever welded it did a crappy job, not enough *********** or had porosity. see those kinda welds all the time, and yes they break easy. but if its done right it will be stronger then the surrounding metal.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 08:50 PM
  #10  
Frogstofall's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 07-30-11
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 0
From: Midwest
Originally Posted by tomj77
"You would think so " was rude and a smartass remark so maybe u should check up on ur definition of rude.

and if u had em break in the same spot then whoever welded it did a crappy job, not enough *********** or had porosity. see those kinda welds all the time, and yes they break easy. but if its done right it will be stronger then the surrounding metal.
I'll chalk it up to the Internet and possible cultural differnces. I didn't mean "You" as in YOU personally, I meant it in general.

Do you actually weld or do you just sweep floors?
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 09:07 PM
  #11  
tomj77's Avatar
Super Moderator
Platinum Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: 07-14-08
Posts: 12,039
Likes: 156
From: canada
Originally Posted by Frogstofall
I'll chalk it up to the Internet and possible cultural differnces. I didn't mean "You" as in YOU personally, I meant it in general.

Do you actually weld or do you just sweep floors?
ah ok. i drive forklift, but i do watch and learn as much as i can, and i have seen tons of crappy welds and i know what makes a good weld. i also am the final qc before the part leaves the shop, if i see bad weld i take it back. and i get the tig guy to weld alot for me and i watch him and ask questions. so i know enough. u know how we check welds? with a 30 ton press. if it holds up its a good weld.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 09:45 PM
  #12  
guitarenvy's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: 08-23-10
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
From: the north
what do you weld, ships?
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 10:08 PM
  #13  
ItalianJoe1's Avatar
Senior Member
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: 11-01-05
Posts: 12,462
Likes: 61
From: Miami, FL
Guaranteed you aren't checking sheet aluminum welding with a press

So much dick swinging in this thread.

Have it welded, it should be fine. If it continues to break in the same spot, there is another sort of structural problem that is causing the cracking. A little boost isn't enough to break a weld unless there is a serious stress on it already.

Problem with a lot of these intercoolers that crack is stuff not being properly pre-heated, so that when it cools it is actually in a stressed state all the time. Add in a little thermal cycling from use and vibration/impacts from driving, it cracks. It's a buildup of factors, there is no magic fix.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 10:10 PM
  #14  
SSlobalt's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: 06-22-09
Posts: 5,989
Likes: 7
From: Kathmandu
I would reinforce it with a piece of Al and a good TIG weld with filler. If the cost of the welding is too high, buy the ZZP IC and call it a day.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 10:14 PM
  #15  
DebadgedBALT77's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: 09-22-06
Posts: 3,814
Likes: 0
From: nowheresville
the cost of having it re-welded is going to be substantially less then the cost of a buying a new one.

welds crack. it happens. have someone who does aluminum welding, and does it often and well, do it and it should be good as new.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2012 | 11:27 PM
  #16  
tomj77's Avatar
Super Moderator
Platinum Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: 07-14-08
Posts: 12,039
Likes: 156
From: canada
Originally Posted by guitarenvy
what do you weld, ships?
combine parts. lol well if not a press a hammer works to
Reply
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 06:03 PM
  #17  
etnies's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 10-17-10
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Lee Co. VA
its the bottom of the left end tank. its in the weld and runs about 4 or 5 inches...but its a clean break so im thinking it wouldn't be hard for this guy i know to do it. his main focus is aluminum welding and thats his career......I just hate to take it out, have it welded and him even do a great job but it just be under stress like you guys said and two months down the road break again....And i have 300 store credits with zzp at the moment but if he welds it and it holds imma be cruisin a inch or two lower and have hid's lol
Reply
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 07:05 PM
  #18  
Sox-Fan's Avatar
Got Brakes?
Platinum Member
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: 12-23-09
Posts: 12,643
Likes: 7
From: Mt. Pleasant S.C.
A competent welder will take one look at it and let you know if it is worth the money rewelding for not. Not one of these guys in this thread can actually see the of the failure, including me, so take the answers and the bicep pumping for what it's worth.......... not a ******* thing. Get a competent professional to look at it ands tell you.

Either way, you have to take it off the car to get it rewelded or replaced, so you lose nothning.
Reply
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 07:25 PM
  #19  
etnies's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 10-17-10
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Lee Co. VA
Well put sox-fan lol
Reply
Old Jan 15, 2012 | 09:28 PM
  #20  
SSlobalt's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: 06-22-09
Posts: 5,989
Likes: 7
From: Kathmandu
Blueberry had to exact same thing happen to his Synapse IC...........or was that Term2? It was one of those guys. There was a couple on here back in '09 that had that issue. That's why they came out with version 2 that had the reinforced welds on the endtanks.
Reply
Old Jan 19, 2012 | 09:09 PM
  #21  
etnies's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 10-17-10
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Lee Co. VA
Yea so I went ahead and got Zzp's ic for a number of reasons. They've been good to me, I had 300 bucks in store credit and when crap hits the fan they have always been there with good advice. Anyway I got the ic and installed today. The install went really good and took only an hour or two. Drove it before reinstalling the bumper and lights n it did great for about five mins then I turned off traction controll for a hard pull and when I hit 20 psi it studderd a lil and came back to 15 psi with no codes. I gotta Zzp canned tune that holds 24psi and now it sounds as if the b
Reply
Old Jan 19, 2012 | 09:12 PM
  #22  
etnies's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 10-17-10
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Lee Co. VA
ByPass valve is opening after 10 psi and stays open to hold 15 or 16ish. I'm just hoping it's a small issue
Reply
Old Jan 19, 2012 | 09:14 PM
  #23  
etnies's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: 10-17-10
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Lee Co. VA
Originally Posted by etnies
ByPass valve is opening after 10 psi and stays open to hold 15 or 16ish. I'm just hoping it's a small issue
Also took a video that I'll put on YouTube and post up and when this happened I came home and unplugged the PCM for a lil while hoping to clear whatever was going on but no luck
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
taintedred07
2.0L LNF Performance Tech
32
May 28, 2022 03:47 AM
KMO43
Front Page News
33
Jan 12, 2016 12:01 AM
Tupp
2.2L LAP Performance Tech
5
Jan 2, 2016 12:04 PM
hacadacalopolis
Parts
8
Oct 28, 2015 06:09 PM
KMO43
Featured Car Showcase
37
Sep 27, 2015 08:53 PM




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:03 PM.