Deliberate Hole In The Intercooler Hose? 1.8 Tdci

[RicCornwall]

Hi,

New to the forum - have just picked up an 02 TDCi 1.8 Ghia Estate.

Whilst checking under the bonnet, I noticed that the right hand side rubber hose section of the intercooler pipe has a short circular plastic tube coming upwards out of the middle. It looks like it is intended to connect to a narrower gague vent tube or something?

There is no obvious tube that has come loose. I have googled similar engine pics and none have this hole?

When I looked closer it actually looks like this has been added by cutting through the rubber and pushing a plastic insert from inside.

I'm new to this engine and would appreciate advice. Does anyone else have one of these? Presubably it is venting engine compartment air through it into the engine which cannot be good?

thanks in advance.

Rich

[FOCA]

Could you post some pics up?

is it something that was part of the original design or did someone add it later, like a modification

if it is the latter it may be a tap off for a boost gauge/ dump valve etc

is it leaking air/ does the car run right?

[RicCornwall]

Hi,

It definitely looks like it has been added by someone, and it looks like it should have a pipe connected?

there is a fair amount of air blowing through it.

It changes the idle slightly if I block it.

below is a pic. It is the small pipe hole sticking out from the top of the rubber hose:

thanks

[TDCiST]

thats 100% an aftermarket job...

Ford hoses dont have that, someones clearly tried to add a boost gauge or something else that would require turbo pressure..

has it been blocked off? or is it an open hole? if so get yourself a new set of hoses from ford, they arent too expensive!!

Engine needs a good clean too!! looks like oil has been misting from that hole and covered most of the place in it!!

[RicCornwall]

Thanks,

Yep - seems to have been venting oil.

I'm new to diesels, am I right in thinking air goes from filter - intercooler - turbo - engine?

should there be oil in this pipe anyway?

despite how it looks, the engine only has 49,000 on it!

could this leak have caused any other problems?

cheers

[TDCiST]

yeah a little oil is normal, but the venting oil wont be doing much good!!

wow my old 1.8 had 110,000 and was almost spotless! lol

It will definitely be causing a boost leak, meaning once its replaced youll see better performance, mpg, and general running.

as for the air flow, it goes, If I Remember Correctly... Filter - Turbo - Intercooler - Intake - Cylinder - Exhaust Manifold - Turbo - Exhaust Pipe

[FOCA]

You definately need to get rid of it - as explained someone has added this tap for some reason

You will be loosing boost through it, this will reduce your performance, economy and put your turbo under more stress

you can fit a bit of rubber hose and put a bolt in the end to block it untill you replace the hose permanently (you could probably pick a hose up S/H online fairly cheaply)

It may be that someone has fitted a boost gauge or dump valve to the car, then removed it leaving the "nipple/ tap" - it would bo ok to block the tap/hole or replace the hose

The other, more serious reason that someone has "bled" your boost hose is to reduce boost, if your wastegate/actuator/control rod had siezed shut (fixed vane turbo) or your actuator/variable vane mech had failed (variable vane turbo) putting a hole in the boost gauge is a lot cheaper way to reduce (bodge) exessive boost pressure than replacing/ fixing the turbo/wastegate/actuator

if you block the hole and it throws off any pipes it could be due to exessive boost pressure

ive just read posts 5 and 6 - the oil vapor is from the engine breather (normal/ ok- you just don't normally see it because its inside the hoses) or from the turbo oil seal - (keep an eye on your oil level/ dipstick- if it does not drink oil exessively you are ok)

hopefully it will just be whats left of a boost gauge install and everything is ok - fingers crossed!

[RicCornwall]

Thanks guys,

It looks like the insert is a purpose made part to take another tube so hopefully the removed boost gague theory is the correct one.

I'll block it with the tube and bolt idea and take it for a spin now.

I picked it up cheap from a van dealer who got it px. Makes me wonder about the history? Why would you want a boost gague on a diesel estate??

cheers

[TDCiST]

i think the real question is "Why WOULDN'T you want a boost gauge" ;)

[RicCornwall]

i think the real question is "Why WOULDN'T you want a boost gauge" ;)

Ha i've just upgraded from a 1.3 Mitsubishi spacestar, this is a different world of performance and mods! may take me some time to adjust...

Just taken it for a spin with the hole blocked and is definitely running better - more responsive and smoother acceleration.

Thanks for your help.

[TDCiST]

Anytime!

Whats the BHP?? is it a 100 or 115 bhp??

the 115 can be remapped to just under 150bhp and becomes a little rocket once done!!

[RicCornwall]

Its a 115. A remap could get that much extra power? Probably not so good MPG or dual mass flywheels?

[TDCiST]

mpg wouldnt change much in normal driving, it may even improve... It will only go down when you use the extra power...

And my Dual Mass Flywheel was ok for the however many miles mine was mapped for...

[FOCA]

Ha i've just upgraded from a 1.3 Mitsubishi spacestar, this is a different world of performance and mods! may take me some time to adjust...

Just taken it for a spin with the hole blocked and is definitely running better - more responsive and smoother acceleration.

Thanks for your help.

No problem - glad to hear it

More power - 1st thing is fit a blanking plate to the EGR valve (solid, stainless steel, about a fiver online) a service is a good idea, a pattern air filter is about a fiver too, fuel filter / oil and filter change

probably best to clean out all the carbon/ muck that the EGR valve has deposited into the inlet manifold

then the next step is a remap -

http://www.mybluefin...18TDCi115ps.pdf

As you can see the Superchips Bluefin boosts the power to almost 140hp and the torque to almost 300Nm (these are figures actually measured on the Superchips dyno(rolling road))

Superchips is the most established electonic tuners/ remappers - the map can be removed with the Bluefin handset,(eg - for servicing/ lending the car to someone/ snowy conditions ) and can be transferred to a similar car free of charge in the 1st year the handset also acts as a code reader (and it works specifically for Fords, even early ones)

Coincidentally - i have a Superchips Bluefin for sale on FOC -

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/38645-for-sale-bluefin-superchip-4-ford-mondeo-focus-fiesta-transit-turbo-tdci-tddi-bf05-ford-t/

[Stoney871]

Definitely for a boost gauge.

Lenny will confirm as he's added one.

Bluefin on my 115 1.8 took it to an average of 148bhp and cleaned up the lag and acceleration no end.

Definitely worth doing.