Intercooler pipe blew off my Duramax engine

Hi everyone,

This summer while towing through the mountains (Stevens Pass, WA) we blew a pipe off of our engine. We went up the long steep incline, then down the long steep decline, then were on our way up a shorter-but-steeper incline again and I stepped on the accelerator and "*BANG*" it sounded as though a cannon went off under the hood. The dashboard lit up, check engine light on, computer displayed "reduced engine power" and...we had almost no power. Unfortunately, we were on a one-lane-each-direction road with zero shoulder so we continued driving for a bit. Our speed was greatly reduced, down to about half of highway speed on the flats, and about a third on the inclines. I knew that the engine computer would stop altogether if there was imminent damage. Our toddler learned a new word that day, and used it with regularity for the next several days...I guess that's what happens when Daddy shouts out a new word.

I towed another 20-30 mins until I was able to safely get off the highway, and coincidentally got us to our campground. Popped the hood and let things cool off, and then started poking around. The big steel pipe that comes off the top of the engine on the driver's side blew off and was just hanging there. With some Gorilla tape (like duct tape, only stronger) and zap straps, I was able to get the pipe back on get to the nearest city where I purchased some hose clamps to help the duct tape stay put. It took the dealership there 4 days to order in the replacement pipe assembly shipped to them and about 90 minutes to do the repair.

Talking with others in the campground, I learned that this is a fairly common failure, across brands of trucks. The guy across from me has a Ford F350 and he had experiences the same failure a couple of times. Coincidentally, a friend of mine was towing with his 2010 Silverado (Duramax) his travel trailer in Montana during the same time and blew his pipe off as well.

At the end of our vacation, we towed home over Stevens Pass without any issues.

I took the truck to my usual dealership here, and they have seen this part fail countless times. The shop foreman told me that apparently it helps if they run a bead of silicone along the seam between the rubber and steel pipes to prevent atomized droplets of oil from lubricating the connection. I asked nicely, and they took the new pipe assembly off and performed the "silicone job" (at no charge, I might add).

I'm neither a mechanic nor an engineer. It just seems to me that if this part is failing similarly across brands and regularly that there ought to be some way of helping prevent this from happening. Couldn't some well-placed aircraft cable offer additional support to this pipe to keep it in place when the turbo puts out hurricane force wind? Maybe someone here could chime in and say, "Yeah, that's a good idea" or "Forget about it"?

Chris

This is why a lot of us have put the PCV bypass kit on our trucks. It takes the oil out of the system and keeps it from gumming everything up and settling in the intercooler. Not saying it won't still happen anyway, but it certainly helps keep it from blowing.

I concur. PCV bypass will prevent the oil from entering the air system; stupid design for emissions.

I don't think I could do a PCV bypass due to emissions testing here in BC. Anyone know?

wyleyrabbit said:

I don't think I could do a PCV bypass due to emissions testing here in BC. Anyone know?

Click to expand...

Do the inspectors look at all the emissions equipment or is it just a probe in your tailpipe? If it is just a probe they'll never know because you are venting to the atmosphere and not into the exhaust.

Hmmm, good question. Although the testing facility has dynamos and tailpipe sensors, generally they just plug a computer into the OBDII port and query the vehicle's on-board computer.

California has the strictest emissions requirements and test around. The Diesel test is a joke. They look for fault codes, check that all of the required emission components are in place, and no extra ones (tuner chips), and step hard on the accelerator and see that it doesn't blow smoke. They don't measure anything.
All for $49.

Well, testing up here isn't any better. When the government first brought the testing in, most vehicles had to have the test done every year, including newer vehicles. The company that contracted to do the testing and the government insisted that the testing was not a cash grab. Later, they announced that newer vehicles wouldn't require testing every year but instead could be tested every second year...wait for it...for double the price. Not a cash grab. Riiiight.

So what is the purpose of the PCV, and what is the benefit of bypassing it?

Chris

The PCV keeps the pressure off of the oil gallery on the heads and allows the oil mist to pass to the intake to the intercooler. There isn't much oil, but over time it collects in the bottom of the intercooler. The bypass kit essentially puts the vapor down to the ground. There are hoses that come in the kit that run across and are attached to the frame under the motor. I have not noticed any oil on the ground or driveway from this. I think what little comes out of the valve covers drains back to the motor. It keeps the oil from going on through the intercooler and accumulating on the turbo vanes. Like the shop that repaired the intercooler pipe told you caused the blow off, by keeping the inside dry and the oil out of it, the boot won't blow off.