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Old 04-29-2016, 10:54 AM   #1
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Cracked Charge Air Cooler

I found the reason I'm only getting 9psi max boost on my C-10 in my Magna. The CAC has about an 8" vertical crack. Easily accessible from the outside of the coach behind the grill. I'm wondering if I could either weld it or JB Weld it while it is in place. Obviously the right answer is to remove it and replace it or have it repaired.

But I'm tempted as long as the crack is so accessible, and a C-10 only builds 20 psi or so to maybe do a temporary fix using epoxy like JB Weld. Might get by for awhile. I've done some crazy repairs with JB Weld. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.
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Old 04-29-2016, 07:10 PM   #2
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Is it aluminum where the crack is? If so, I would try to get a weld shop to see about fixing it. If you put epoxy on it there is a problem with contamination when you try to get it welded. I just did some searching and some say that it will hold fine once it fully cures, so I guess try it and see what happens.
If it don't work I know a guy in Sturgeon Lake that can weld it.
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Old 04-29-2016, 08:02 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fredward View Post
I found the reason I'm only getting 9psi max boost on my C-10 in my Magna. The CAC has about an 8" vertical crack. Easily accessible from the outside of the coach behind the grill. I'm wondering if I could either weld it or JB Weld it while it is in place. Obviously the right answer is to remove it and replace it or have it repaired.

But I'm tempted as long as the crack is so accessible, and a C-10 only builds 20 psi or so to maybe do a temporary fix using epoxy like JB Weld. Might get by for awhile. I've done some crazy repairs with JB Weld. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.
Fredward,
Well Sir, I look at it this way. You paid for a nice coach. You want it to take you many places, PROBLEM free, correct? So, if you're ASKING for it to be dependable, then do it the right way, WELD IT, do not "patch" it with any epoxy, or JB or anything else. If you've ever welded any aluminum and, have good experience at it, then you know that Aluminum MUST be contaminate free in order for a quality weld to take place.

So, if you epoxy or J/B weld it, and for some reason (could be many) it breaks free and, you're in the middle of a trip some place, and you go back to 9 PSI of boost, you'll sure as heck wish you would have welded it in the first place. Because, re-cleaning that contaminated area so that a proper TIG weld can take place, is going to be twice as hard as it would normally be.

In situations like this, it just pays to go the extra mile and, do it the right way. When you're done, and it's working as new, you'll thank yourself for taking the time to do it right, knowing that the potential for re-cracking is all but gone.
Scott
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Old 04-30-2016, 10:30 AM   #4
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I agree with fire Up on this one. You can almost be certain that if the repair fails it'll be in the middle of nowhere at a very inconvenient time.
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Old 04-30-2016, 01:28 PM   #5
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X2 to contamination. It will be next to impossible to ever weld after using any epoxy.
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Old 05-02-2016, 02:12 PM   #6
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OK thanks guys. I have a couple of guys with welding shops who weld aluminum. So I'll talke it to one of them and see what he says. I also have a guy who does radiator repair, so he might be able to tackle it as well.

It's in a very convenient place; take off the grill on the side of the coach and it's right there where the fins attach to the tank. You can feel air puffing out of it when the engine's running.

The reason I was thinking about an epoxy repair is it might stay more flexible than a welded repair. I expect the crack may just continue on up or down after we weld it; but hopefully not. Also, there could be other cracks elsewhere not as easy to find. Sooner or later I'll end up pulling the whole thing out I'm sure.
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Old 05-02-2016, 05:30 PM   #7
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I faced exactly the same situation about several years ago. A local welder who is very gifted in aluminum welding managed to repair it. He did it exactly the way you're suggesting. We removed the grill and he repaired the CAC. He pressure tested it @ 40psi. His worked held permanently. Several years later, the CAC core rotted out and I had to have a new core installed. The weld repair still exists on the CAC tank.

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