Intercooler hose - replacement
- Thread starter AndyS9
- Start date
I had loads of fun changing my intercooler last year...
I definitely unbolted the expansion tank to get that out of the way and also dropped the bumper for the initial swap.
My passenger side pipe also popped out after the first drive and it was a job to get back in. I ended up taking the pipe out and fitting the intercooler end first. I didn't need to take the bumper off for the pipe but did so as I took the intercooler out again to see why the pipes weren't going together properly.
The after market intercooler connections didn't seem to like the original pipes and the locking clips wouldn't properly engage. Eventually I wire locked the clips in to get them to stay put but the connections were a pig to get all the way in.
I definitely unbolted the expansion tank to get that out of the way and also dropped the bumper for the initial swap.
My passenger side pipe also popped out after the first drive and it was a job to get back in. I ended up taking the pipe out and fitting the intercooler end first. I didn't need to take the bumper off for the pipe but did so as I took the intercooler out again to see why the pipes weren't going together properly.
The after market intercooler connections didn't seem to like the original pipes and the locking clips wouldn't properly engage. Eventually I wire locked the clips in to get them to stay put but the connections were a pig to get all the way in.
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Same as mine.
The couplings just wouldn't fully engage. Even with the intercooler and pipe off the van it didn't seem to go in quite far enough. If I recall, I may have opened the slot slightly with a file to allow the clips to drop in and lock.
The supplied clips seemed to be a more rounded profile than the OEM clips which were flatter at the point where they engaged the slots on the male part of the coupling.
Quite a faff in the end but we'll worth the ~£300 saving!!
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Ok all done so just closing this out
Removed the 2 screws holding the header tank and the single screw holding the washer fluid filler . Removed the electrical connection from the header tank and was able to fold it back to gain access to the Intercooler hose . Ended up removing the air flow sensor housing and the entire assembly with the 2 hoses attached . Marked the joins and removed both hoses .
Then played about with the Intercooler clip which seems to need to be assembled with the 2 bent ends facing forward . Pushing the hose into the Intercooler does not need the clip to be pulled up as it will spring apart as the hose end is pushed into the opening . Was able to give the hose a firm couple of tugs and it didn’t come out .
Reassembled by attaching the sensor housing into the bottom hose and then the upper hose into place . Definitely as case of using a1/4 socket on the jubilee clips not a screwdriver .
In the pictures of the clips the new Intercooler comes with round profile whilst the oem is a flattened round .
The clip holding the airflow sensor is a push/ pull pin and a bit of a pig to extract . The housing has 2 additional lugs so needs a little wiggle to lift off its mount .
Removed the 2 screws holding the header tank and the single screw holding the washer fluid filler . Removed the electrical connection from the header tank and was able to fold it back to gain access to the Intercooler hose . Ended up removing the air flow sensor housing and the entire assembly with the 2 hoses attached . Marked the joins and removed both hoses .
Then played about with the Intercooler clip which seems to need to be assembled with the 2 bent ends facing forward . Pushing the hose into the Intercooler does not need the clip to be pulled up as it will spring apart as the hose end is pushed into the opening . Was able to give the hose a firm couple of tugs and it didn’t come out .
Reassembled by attaching the sensor housing into the bottom hose and then the upper hose into place . Definitely as case of using a1/4 socket on the jubilee clips not a screwdriver .
In the pictures of the clips the new Intercooler comes with round profile whilst the oem is a flattened round .
The clip holding the airflow sensor is a push/ pull pin and a bit of a pig to extract . The housing has 2 additional lugs so needs a little wiggle to lift off its mount .
I have just ordered my GSF intercooler, £130 with a discount code. I don't think it is the best part i've ever fitted. doesn't look like a good fit. Thank you for your comments though as it help me fit mine.
1 question though, how on earth did you get that rubber screw with the big cross on it out? I tried everything!
1 question though, how on earth did you get that rubber screw with the big cross on it out? I tried everything!
Do you have a picture? I don't remember that...
Do you know the price of an OEM VW part by any chance? I figured i got 100k out of the last one so if this one pops off then its going back and an OEM would be a worth while
VW Liverpool wanted £360 I think and about a week to get it in. The sticker on my one was a VW and Behr sticker on it which is part of Mahle. It's made a big difference to the drivabilty of the van.
Interesting. My local is Liverpool too. With the one from GFs I feel like I have a bit of turbo lag for some reason. I’m still thinking there might be a bit of boost leak. I have to drag a caravan 100 miles at the weekend, it will either make it or it won’t. I will be taking my tools with me though!
Yeah. Old Intercooler was a mess. Had a three inch gash in it. Hoses all good. What I found with the gfs one is when the hose is in fully and the clip is in place I gave the hose a good pull but I couldn’t get it to budge at all. Then after a drive making sure I was sitting about 3000 rpm or more, I got back and both sides had one edge popped out. I pushed one back in with my hand but the right hand side one wouldn’t go back in. It was half in half out. No clear sounds like boost leak but the response curve felt a bit laggy.
That looks one of the reinforcing bars is missing?
I also suffed from the pipe popping out after the initial fit. One problem I had was that the o-ring got pushed out which prevented the connector from being pushed back in. I had to completely remove the pipe, reseat the o-ring and try again. This wasn't visible when I initially tried to push the connector back in.
'Looks like this one here ?
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