So it's a 2007 turbo. At WOT this morning it popped off. This is the passenger side upper intercooler connection. Not the one with the screw clamp, but the the one a few inches to the right, held on with the clip. I put the rubber o-ring into the groove in the pipe, and with the clip in place, slid the connection together until the clip clicked in on the top and bottom. I put the bumper back on and drove it to work, and on the first boost application I could here it come apart again, and now I can see it's off. Since the nearby hose clamp connection could be disconnected during service, is there any reason that I shouldn't use a good sensor safe rtv or epoxy to permanently seal this troublesome connection?

 

No don't glue it. Did you happen to take a pic? Likely the metal tabs that secure the clip are not in proper position. Or the ingtercooler female end is damaged/obstructed. Give me a call Monday and I will be glad to go over what to check and repair. If we can't get it I have one I can send you. Easy enough to just send if you can wait for USPS Express out to you.

Best,
Sam

 

Thanks Sam. The clip was on wrong in the first place, so I flipped it around the right way. It seemed pretty obvious how it had to be placed because of the way the ends were bent. I didn't take any pictures. I'll take it apart again tomorrow and take closer look at the parts to see if anything is worn.

 

No worries. You have to make sure that those little tabs which the clip is secured by our pronounced. They bend. Call me when you are in there. I'll help you get it!

 

I'm having this exact same problem I believe. Mine happens to be on the driver side. That C-clamp keeps unseating itself under boost. Do you happen to have a picture of the C-clamp that is properly seated? I compared the passenger side and try to install the driver side the same way, but for some reason it doesn't look right.

 

Hit me tomorrow late morning. I will be at the shop for a few hours and share pics/help out

 

I didn't notice any tabs that help to hold the clip in. I'll check tomorrow.

 

Those connections are tricky. A very big tip is to make sure you lubricate the O ring on the end of the metal ring before inserting it into the intercoolers. If you don't, even pushing really hard it can bind up and not push far enough into the IC for the metal tangs of the C clip to engage the correct locations on the metal collar.

Basically, lube the o rings with motor oil and push them up in there firmly.

 

^ That's a great tip! Most of these cars drink some oil so its there but check for sure.

 

All of my IC hoses are literally dry as a bone. Not a drop of oil in any of mine Sambo I had to lube mine to get it to insert far enough. It was sneaky because the connector would seem seated and until I yanked on it hard and it would pop back out. But it seemed to be engaged correctly until I liked hard. It wasn't. A little oil and it went right in all the way.

 

Yeah great tips bud. Many people overfill with oil or have funky intakes and y-pipes that cause blow by. Unless it's services properly I see it all the time.

 

So I fixed it today. I did a little filing on the tabs to provide a sharper angle to help keep the clip from sliding over them. I put a tiny bit of lube on the o-ring so it wouldn't roll, then clipped it in and wrapped wire around the clip, making sure it was twisted down tight. I couldn't resist putting a dab of RTV silicone on each side of the clip where tabs are located to help prevent the clip from moving. The car is a silent rocketship once again. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

Sweet! Gotta love 6speed!

 

Safety wire not a bad idea