Need help getting lower charge pipe to seal to intercooler

Rollvo · Post by **Rollvo** » 22 Sep 2018, 21:06

Hello, I have a 2004 Volvo S80 2.5T. My lower plastic charge pipe leaks at both ends at the couplings. It seems the more I tighten the clamps, the more they leak. I am pressurizing the system with ~ 5 psi compressed air, and can hear and feel the leaks. Sometimes I can get the side which attaches to the intake to seal. I attached a rubber hose with a plug in it and was able to completely seal the opening at the intercooler, so I know the intercooler itself is not leaking.

The charge pipe is made of relatively stiff plastic, which also connects to the aluminum intake and the stiff plastic intercooler. The seal is created by tightening the hose clamp. I don't understand why there is not any soft seal material like an O-ring or other material to make the seal. The upper charge pipe has rubber hoses on each end to seal it. The lower charge pipe does not.

The clamps also have limited clamping ability before they strip out.

Does anyone have any tricks to get the lower charge pipe to seal? I though about putting gasket sealer on it but don't want to make a mess.

Also- should I expect the intake air system to seal and hold air completely, or is some leakage acceptable?

Post by **ndphotonl** » 23 Sep 2018, 11:05

You might try silicone rescue tape? Like the one below.

Post by **June** » 23 Sep 2018, 11:26

Within the last year my plastic portions of the intake and charge pipes had to be replaced due to leakage. The dealer simply put new parts on. It was the charge tubes that were leaking. I had no engine light or warnings that anything was wrong. After installing the new charge tubes the original clamps still being used as new ones don't come with the tubes would not hold the twin tubes in place under full boost. So the dealer put standard radiator type clamps and no more popping off charge tubes, and no more leaks. The soft rubber tubes are original. My 2004 S80 is a T6 so mine has two turbo chargers. My mechanic at the dealer said the original clamps with the metal backing have trouble with age. June

I added some photos of before tube and some clamps were replaced and now with new hard plastic tubes and which metal backed clamps were replaced with new regular clamps. Yours are somewhat different but likely have the same leak problem where the hard plastic tubes connect to another hard tube, not soft rubber tubes to hard plastic. I hope this makes sense. June

Post by **mrbrian200** » 23 Sep 2018, 11:46

June wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:26My mechanic at the dealer said the original clamps with the metal backing have trouble with age. June

Likely the rigid hose starts getting stiff/brittle with age and the clamps can't exert enough force to squeeze the tube adequately to get a good seal before stripping out. If the hoses are nylon-plastic based you can try soaking them in ethylene glycol to restore pliability. This trick is from a relative who used to work in R&D at a company which one of their primary products was plastic/nylon cable ties.

Oh, But if the hose has cracked (in June's case) your best bet would be to replace it.

Post by **June** » 23 Sep 2018, 12:02

mrbrian200 wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:46
June wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:26My mechanic at the dealer said the original clamps with the metal backing have trouble with age. June
Likely the rigid hose starts getting stiff/brittle with age and the clamps can't exert enough force to squeeze the tube adequately to get a good seal before stripping out. If the hoses are nylon-plastic based you can try soaking them in ethylene glycol to restore pliability. This trick is from a relative who used to work in R&D at a company which one of their primary products was plastic/nylon cable ties.

Oh, But if the hose has cracked (in June's case) your best bet would be to replace it.

Original metal backed clamps would not hold the new hard plastic tubes in place. Were fine with original tubes with cracks, but kept popping off with new plastic tubes. That is when mechanic put standard clamps in which stopped the problem. He told me standard clamps work better at the joints where the tube is connected to a hard pipe. IDK why that would be, but he is the top mechanic at my dealer. Otherwise I would have been highly suspicious of altering something from factory form. So far no more leaks or popping off tubes. June

Rollvo · Post by **Rollvo** » 23 Sep 2018, 21:29

ndphotonl wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:05 You might try silicone rescue tape? Like the one below.

This looks worth trying. Thank you.

Rollvo · Post by **Rollvo** » 23 Sep 2018, 21:36

June wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:26 Within the last year my plastic portions of the intake and charge pipes had to be replaced due to leakage. The dealer simply put new parts on. It was the charge tubes that were leaking. I had no engine light or warnings that anything was wrong. After installing the new charge tubes the original clamps still being used as new ones don't come with the tubes would not hold the twin tubes in place under full boost. So the dealer put standard radiator type clamps and no more popping off charge tubes, and no more leaks. The soft rubber tubes are original. My 2004 S80 is a T6 so mine has two turbo chargers. My mechanic at the dealer said the original clamps with the metal backing have trouble with age. June

I added some photos of before tube and some clamps were replaced and now with new hard plastic tubes and which metal backed clamps were replaced with new regular clamps. Yours are somewhat different but likely have the same leak problem where the hard plastic tubes connect to another hard tube, not soft rubber tubes to hard plastic. I hope this makes sense. June

Thank you for your reply and photos. Since my original clamp got stripped out, I bought some regular hose clamps similar to the ones in your pictures. I thought they would be able to clamp with more force but they did not seal my leak. I pressurized the system and tried tightening/loosening it and couldn't get it to seal. I used the original metal backing/sleeve as it fit perfectly with the new clamp. I used the original sleeve thinking it would more evenly distribute the force of the clamp. I have not tried using just the clamp alone. It seems to me that there would be a gap under the screw mechanism of the clamp. I didn't mention in my original post that I did buy a new intercooler charge pipe and it didn't seal either. It behaved the same as my old one.

Rollvo · Post by **Rollvo** » 23 Sep 2018, 21:37

mrbrian200 wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:46
June wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:26My mechanic at the dealer said the original clamps with the metal backing have trouble with age. June
Likely the rigid hose starts getting stiff/brittle with age and the clamps can't exert enough force to squeeze the tube adequately to get a good seal before stripping out. If the hoses are nylon-plastic based you can try soaking them in ethylene glycol to restore pliability. This trick is from a relative who used to work in R&D at a company which one of their primary products was plastic/nylon cable ties.

Oh, But if the hose has cracked (in June's case) your best bet would be to replace it.

Thank you, this is definitely worth a try.

Rollvo · Post by **Rollvo** » 23 Sep 2018, 21:40

I took my tube off and put a thin layer of RTV on the inner openings of the charge pipe in hopes of giving something to seal on, much like the suggestion of the silicone rescue tape. I like the idea of the silicone rescue tape better, but I have already put the RTV on and am waiting for it to cure before trying it out.

Post by **June** » 23 Sep 2018, 21:49

Rollvo wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 21:36
June wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 11:26 Within the last year my plastic portions of the intake and charge pipes had to be replaced due to leakage. The dealer simply put new parts on. It was the charge tubes that were leaking. I had no engine light or warnings that anything was wrong. After installing the new charge tubes the original clamps still being used as new ones don't come with the tubes would not hold the twin tubes in place under full boost. So the dealer put standard radiator type clamps and no more popping off charge tubes, and no more leaks. The soft rubber tubes are original. My 2004 S80 is a T6 so mine has two turbo chargers. My mechanic at the dealer said the original clamps with the metal backing have trouble with age. June

I added some photos of before tube and some clamps were replaced and now with new hard plastic tubes and which metal backed clamps were replaced with new regular clamps. Yours are somewhat different but likely have the same leak problem where the hard plastic tubes connect to another hard tube, not soft rubber tubes to hard plastic. I hope this makes sense. June
Thank you for your reply and photos. Since my original clamp got stripped out, I bought some regular hose clamps similar to the ones in your pictures. I thought they would be able to clamp with more force but they did not seal my leak. I pressurized the system and tried tightening/loosening it and couldn't get it to seal. I used the original metal backing/sleeve as it fit perfectly with the new clamp. I used the original sleeve thinking it would more evenly distribute the force of the clamp. I have not tried using just the clamp alone. It seems to me that there would be a gap under the screw mechanism of the clamp. I didn't mention in my original post that I did buy a new intercooler charge pipe and it didn't seal either. It behaved the same as my old one.

Could the leaky connection be out of round? Not the charge pipe, but the other pipe where the charge pipe is connected to? Just a thought. June