T5-R intercooler required- Options?
 

Hello, after months of faffing with my T5-R it transpires I need to replace the intercooler. Are there any decent and sensible options out there? Is there any new / old stock parts available?

I don’t want to be cutting and hacking the car, I’m looking for something that will fit where it’s intended with no impact on the hose locations and mountings.

Can anyone help at all please? Are there other intercoolers that fit the T5-R which may be more readily available?

Many thanks
Mark

Intercooler T5
 

I've had the radiator and condenser replaced... a bit of a faff as you don't want to disconnect the air con condenser if just changing the intercooler or radiator. It's best done from underneath as the electric fan is very tight (or has be removed altogether) to lift out from the top. If there is rust, things may get more complicated. I had to saw off the jubilee clips to disconnect the hoses of the radiator, and replaced the radiator hoses but not the intercooler hoses which may have had high pressure air which is not as likely to bulge/weaken rubber as boiling water.

As the intercooler has no moving parts where is it leaking air? It should have after over 20 years some oil deposits but nothing much unless the turbo has been leaking oil. You can wash it out with detergent and warm water... which should reveal any leaks as well. Mending a tiny leak with some decent glue is a possibility.

The weak points are where the wide air rubber tubes are tightened with jubilee clips, which if too tight will crack the plastic.

Given the tight fit and the way all three radiators fit together, getting something from another make/model probably won't fit without a lot of messing around, and the brackets have to match.

The Parts for Volvos intercooler at over £400 is really expensive compared to radiator at around £100.

I cannot help with the intercooler, but just wanted to say: glad you appear to have found the culprit after all the pain you have gone through. It is not indicative of Volvo ownership generally. Hope it is sorted soon. :thumbs_up:

Seconded, I remember your travails with boost pressure, I'd love an update on that thread with the full story.

Regarding an intercooler, they are not particularly prone to failure, so one from a breakers is the way I'd go. There's a good likelihood of it being OK (and not too hard to test) and should be cheap-ish, just a bit of a faff unless they're happy to remove it from the car for you.

Hello all, there’s a bit of a story with the T5-R and it seemed that the turbo wastegate wasn’t shutting properly and so it was taken off. There was play on the wastegate mechanism but on closer inspection the casting was cracked from around the wastegate area too which was a pain in the arse! I was very lucky to find a T5-R turbo for sale on eBay so this was purchased. It seemed all ok the wastegate shut properly so happy days, then it was noted this too had a very small crack!

Anyway the car was put back together and now the wastegate was sealing a smoke test was done and hey presto we have a leaking intercooler!!

Was the intercooler the rogue item all along? Who knows. My dilemma now is if I buy a 2nd hand intercooler I could be back to square one especially which having to take the radiator out etc. I will add a local garage is doing the work and have been very tolerant so far. I don’t want to offload a lot of money on a new intercooler if that isn’t going to sort things….. but it should based on the smoke test.

I was going to replace the intercooler and radiator all at the same time but it seems sourcing an intercooler is like hens teeth if I want new. There is some on eBay but do I risk the labour costs and be no better off? Do I go 2nd hand intercooler but replace the radiator (there’s nothing wrong with the radiator I just thought it made sense to swap it all at the same time)

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks for the positive replies. The car has spent more time parked up with the battery off than being driven. I’d say it’s only done 200 miles at the most since I bought it 🙁

Looks lovely though and is pretty much all there, even has a black reclining load cover now too! Just need the mechanical stuff right. Oh and an MOT in February. That should be interesting!!

Do88 intercooler and radiator kit.

Job done

I bet there’s little change from a grand though with that lot. I’ll see I the car deserves it before splashing that sort of dollar first me thinks!