Water to Air Intercooler damages motor.

Drove past a Patrol ute this morning with steam gushing out, bloke looking under the hood. Pulled up and reversed back to see if I can help.
Oily steam crap coming out of filler cap, exhaust and steam gushing out through air filter box. My self and the owner clueless as to what happened but clearly motor was in a bit of bother.
Stayed theretill towie came to pick him up. Left my number with him as I was curious whats gone wrong. Just spoke to him before and turns out a split in the water to air cooler sent coolant into the motor and it was game over right there and then. Bugger!

Bugger, not something that you would think of when buying a W2A cooler.

My IC was pressure tested to 60psi why not a W2a one???
might of been a homemade job who knows???

What is the pressure in a W2A system?

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Originally Posted by macca

What is the pressure in a W2A system?

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The ones I checked on Ebay never gave a pressure rating.
Its was only water circulating via a pump

Have just asked about people's thoughts on these on another forum. Looks like i may have made my mind up! Poor bloke that's something I can not in any shape financially afford to have happen. Hope it's not to costly got him. I'll go the front mount me thinks.

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Originally Posted by macca

What is the pressure in a W2A system?

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Stuff all. Less or similar to your cooling system.

There has got to me more to this than the info given here. These are just like any other heat exchanger. You have one attached to the side of your engine that is used for oil temperature control. They are generally very reliable devices.

My first guess to the root cause of this issue would be stray current.

@macca. I just have a normal .9 bar radiator cap on mine

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Originally Posted by nissannewby

Stuff all. Less or similar to your cooling system.

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If it was an internal split from too much pressure wouldn't it more likely be the air pressure causing it rather than the water pressure? Just like when a regular air to air intercooler splits

>>>tappin from tassie

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Originally Posted by Ben-e-boy

My first guess to the root cause of this issue would be stray current.

@macca. I just have a normal .9 bar radiator cap on mine

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Just north of 13psi, about what my turbo is set at, some run much higher boost but not near 60psi John talks about.
As you indicate it has to be something else.

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Originally Posted by taslucas

If it was an internal split from too much pressure wouldn't it more likely be the air pressure causing it rather than the water pressure? Just like when a regular air to air intercooler splits

>>>tappin from tassie

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It would have to be a lot of pressure to split it. These things wil run at 30+ psi without a problem. Poor mounting or as ben-e has stated poor system maintenance resulting in electrolysis.