The Intercooler and its Enemies
By
Dan Filice – July 06, 2012
As
we all know, diesel engines have very unique qualities and desirable
features that continue to make them popular amongst consumers.
Someone who is familiar with the parts and pieces of a gasoline
powered engine might be slightly confused with the makeup of a diesel
power plant. The Intercooler, its uses and downfalls will be
discussed here.
The
Intercooler is an integral part of a modern diesel engine. You will
find few diesel vehicles built in the 21st
Century that do not include an Intercooler. The basic function of it
is to cool the air entering the engine, once it has passed through
the turbocharger. Diesel engines require a turbocharger to get a
sufficient amount of air inside, and mix with the fuel. The
turbocharger is driven by hot expanding exhaust gases, and heat is
the main rival to making power. The way today’s engines remove the
heat from the charged intake, is by using an air to air Intercooler
or CAC (charge air cooler).
As
you can see in photo A, (above photo) the Intercooler appears to
look similar to a radiator found in all vehicles. It is located in
the front end, behind the bumper to catch cool air and still be
protected from road hazards. An Intercooler can come in all shapes
and sizes, and some diesel sedans have two of them for more
efficiency. Hot air moves through the inside of the unit, while cool
air passes by the fins, cooling the hot intake air. This process
occurs the entire time you are driving, with no moving parts needed.
The
downfalls of the Intercooler are excessive heat, vibration and turbo
boost pressure. The Intercooler in trucks today is designed to last
for more than 100,000 miles. Very rarely does the part actually fail,
but a failure can be seen in photo B, (below photo). In this case
high mileage and heavy towing caused the right tank to separate and
leave the vehicle with no power. A very loud “bang” noise was
observed, and the driver was forced to pull the vehicle over.
Although alarming, the loud noise was created from pressurized air
escaping the failed Intercooler and no further damage occurred.
There
is not an obvious method of prevention, but periodic inspections
could detect a complete failure at an earlier time. Using a
flashlight one can inspect the seals of the side tanks, and the boots
that attach to the Intercooler. Each side tank is sealed with one
large O-ring, seen in photo B of the damaged tank. Any traces of oil
or debris accumulating along these seals can be a sign of a future
issue. Vehicles that have performance modifications leading to higher
boost pressures should keep a closer eye on the turbo boots and
Intercooler, due to increased stress on these parts.
Of
all the intricate parts on a diesel engine, the Intercooler might be
the least exciting and the most important. It serves a definite
purpose and it will remain in use for trucks, equipment and
generators for a long time to come. For more information on this part
or any other on your vehicle, feel free to call or email Deer Valley
Diesel Repair.
Copyright
©
2012
Deer Valley Diesel Repair
