Filling the Intercooler

2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
I know someone can help me. I am trying to get better with my knowledge of the truck.I did a search, but nothing to this question. Can I fill the intercooler (where the 13 lbs of pressure cap is) directly by taking the cap off, or is there a precedure? Can I fill it with water or is there a formula for a mix? Just curious, I checked mine tonight, and it is down to the bottom, with a little bit of coolant at teh bottom. Any help would be appreciated!
 
Chest Rockwell

Chest Rockwell

Active member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

You can fill it from there, but there seems to be some opinions on what to fill with. Distilled water vs. straight water vs. coolant like the engine uses. I'm sure more people will chime in on this.
 
Chest Rockwell

Chest Rockwell

Active member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

No issues, just keep filling it to get any air bubbles out. I use water, at least until I get all the bubbles out, then I might add the water wetter. It's a product you can probably buy at the local parts store, helps keep temps down.
 
S

syty9933

New member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

2500avalanche said:
OK, what is the ratio? And what is water wetter? Have you had any issues from filling it there?
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i acutally buy the 50/50 predistilled coolant from any autoparts chain. You just pour it in the intercooler top and start it up and when its off again refill it , untill you can run the coolant through turn it off and see that the intercooler is full. and water wetter is just a coolant adder for better temperature, and corrsion potector and other stuff, its sold at autoparts stores also. Somone correct me if i left somthin out
 
2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Chest Rockwell said:
No issues, just keep filling it to get any air bubbles out. I use water, at least until I get all the bubbles out, then I might add the water wetter. It's a product you can probably buy at the local parts store, helps keep temps down.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the help. I will try this tomorrow
 
2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

syty9933 said:
i acutally buy the 50/50 predistilled coolant from any autoparts chain. You just pour it in the intercooler top and start it up and when its off again refill it , untill you can run the coolant through turn it off and see that the intercooler is full. and water wetter is just a coolant adder for better temperature, and corrsion potector and other stuff, its sold at autoparts stores also. Somone correct me if i left somthin out
Click to expand...

Very helpful thank you!
 
Don W.

Don W.

Stab it and steer it
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Yup, all the above. The issue has always been getting all the air out and water actually circulating. It will look full but the pump will be air-locked and there will no circulation. Have you done the mod that runs the pump all the time? If not you should do that anyway. That way the pump runs with the key and is easy to see flow with the cap off.
 
2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Don W. said:
Yup, all the above. The issue has always been getting all the air out and water actually circulating. It will look full but the pump will be air-locked and there will no circulation. Have you done the mod that runs the pump all the time? If not you should do that anyway. That way the pump runs with the key and is easy to see flow with the cap off.
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I can hear it turn on when I turn the truck on. I am not sure if the mod has been done to it. Any ways to find out?
 
J

Josh Young

kirk
Re: Filling the Intercooler

If you hear the pump running when you turn the switch on, providing the truck has not come up to temperature it has most likely been hotwired. Just to be sure, do you hear the pump running when you turn the key on, and the truck is cold? Did you replace the pump, or is it the factory one? If you get a new one the Johnson is a good one to have. Good luck.:tup:
 
2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Josh Young said:
If you hear the pump running when you turn the switch on, providing the truck has not come up to temperature it has most likely been hotwired. Just to be sure, do you hear the pump running when you turn the key on, and the truck is cold? Did you replace the pump, or is it the factory one? If you get a new one the Johnson is a good one to have. Good luck.:tup:
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Thanks! I will update tomorrow when i check it!:tup:
 
turbodig

turbodig

Active member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Personally, I always put 50/50 in anything that has the metal lines, or lives anywhere there might be frost at some time of the year.

The slight difference in cooling from water/water wetter isn't worth the additional corrosion you get from pure water. And it's certainly not worth a frozen-up system on a cold night that they weren't forecasting or didn't expect.
 
2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Everything went great. Took the Ty out today for the 1st time. Drove about 50 miles with out a problem.
The intercooler was empty, and the pump turns on when I turn the truck on (but not running, just key in "power". I filled it 1x (distilled water), let the pump run, turned key off. I checked it, it was empty so I filled it again. Did the same thing, now the 3rd time I filled it, I saw it mix with whatever antifreeze was in it. Drove it for about 30 miles checked it, and it is all still there, no leaks!
By the way, in an earlier post, I talked about a growling sound when I was just doing a little launch in my driveway. I think it was the pump, Once I filled it, it never came back!
I am now hooked on boost! Holy S*&T!
I was at a light and a guy in a sc2000 revved his engine, and the light turned. I am still getting used to boost launch, so I launched it poor. Then the boost kicked in , and I about crapped myself!
Got to love it!:tup:
 
S

SCWolverine

New member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Check it again after you've gone through a few heat cycles, seems like the little bubbles are better at hiding.
 
T

turboj91

New member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

The intercooler system is just like the engine coolant system. It has fluid, a radiator and a pump. You want a proper amount of coolant in the system for corrosion protecton, anti-freeze protection and anti-boil protection. Check your ratio of coolant. Can use the same method that you would check the engines radiator. Auto parts stores have gauges (the ones with the little check balls) for cheap money. Check both systems to make sure you are prepared for winter temps. The gauge will tell you and if you did a complete refill from empty, the jug of antifreeze will tell you what physical ratios will provide specific protection temps.

Your out driving it! Great. Does that mean you finished assembly and painted it? Last photo I saw was with the qtr glass cut out and body work in progress. Do you need to post some updated pics for us?
 
2500avalanche

2500avalanche

Well-known member
Re: Filling the Intercooler

Back from the dead!
Well,
It had to take a little back seat for about the last 6 months. I have been accumulating parts, and figuring out how I want to paint it (color).
In the process, My son was born, and we are right not in the middle of adding 3 more bays worth of garages (I will have 5 bays!), so time has been taken up by other things. Good thing is that I have saved enough $ over the last year to get it to paint! Just want to do it right...

turboj91 said:
The intercooler system is just like the engine coolant system. It has fluid, a radiator and a pump. You want a proper amount of coolant in the system for corrosion protecton, anti-freeze protection and anti-boil protection. Check your ratio of coolant. Can use the same method that you would check the engines radiator. Auto parts stores have gauges (the ones with the little check balls) for cheap money. Check both systems to make sure you are prepared for winter temps. The gauge will tell you and if you did a complete refill from empty, the jug of antifreeze will tell you what physical ratios will provide specific protection temps.

Your out driving it! Great. Does that mean you finished assembly and painted it? Last photo I saw was with the qtr glass cut out and body work in progress. Do you need to post some updated pics for us?
Click to expand...
 
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