ESS Plenum broke leaking water into engine

[Lambro]

I wasnt hitting full boost on a ess 625 kit as the car would bog down at WOT, I thought it was the belt so I pulled it into my shop and seen water sprayed underneath hood from bypass valve. I pulled the intake tube off to discover a large puddle of water in the intake. The cooler in the Plenum cracked somewhere leaking water into the plenum. I guess I'm lucky didnt hydro lock the engine.

Has this happened to anyone else? I tried searching didnt find anything.

Image uploader keeps flipping my image upside down...

[bvrider1]

Is that the same color coolant that is in your ESS tank? If so that tank is small and from the amount of fluid sitting there should render that tank pretty low.
Did you suck up some water?

[pbonsalb]

I’d say you are lucky.

[Lambro]

Originally Posted by bvrider1

Is that the same color coolant that is in your ESS tank? If so that tank is small and from the amount of fluid sitting there should render that tank pretty low.
Did you suck up some water?

100% from the plenum. My 5 gallon ice tank is low and the fluid is clear, I use 100% water in ice tank.. I have a filter sock on and it's been a long time since I drove in the rain so definitely not aucking up water. it's a huge amount of water its unbelievable how much came out when I took the plenum off. I'm going to use a borescope once I get the velocity stacks off to see where the failure happened.

[bvrider1]

It would be interesting to see where that fail happened. Keep us posted

[b4hand]

Yikes

[IMG]

you always ran water in the ess cooling system ? do you think the water froze at some point while the car was parked and cracked the manifold?

[Lambro]

Originally Posted by IMG

you always ran water in the ess cooling system ? do you think the water froze at some point while the car was parked and cracked the manifold?

I thought about this but we havnt been having freezing weather in Oklahoma city until yesterday and today. This happened a few days before this storm came. It's hard to say how or why, the kit has about 60k miles on it by itself. I'll end up cutting it open after I use the borescope to see what happened.

[IMG]

Originally Posted by iTsEpic

I thought about this but we havnt been having freezing weather in Oklahoma city until yesterday and today. This happened a few days before this storm came. It's hard to say how or why, the kit has about 60k miles on it by itself. I'll end up cutting it open after I use the borescope to see what happened.

Interesting.
Please share some pictures of what you find.
I've been running same plenum for 10 years, from vt2 to VT3 and never had such an issue or never seen a plenum failing.

[StripclubDJ]

Holy Cheese and rice

[Lambro]

Cut open the underside of the plenum and I was able to put a air hose on one end of the cooler and capping off the other. The leak is somewhere near the middle of the cooler, air hisses out pretty good but due to the thickness of the cooler it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where.

[E92_Toronto]

Very strange colour

[Lambro]

Originally Posted by BramptonE90

Very strange colour

Its water mixed with the oil that gets in the intake from the PCV. I do know that after sometime my ice tank gets cloudy, then I just change the water at that point.

[SAMM3Y]

I wonder if excess pressure from your auxiliary pump had anything to do with it failing assuming you were running a bilge pump for the ice tank.

[Lambro]

Originally Posted by SAMM3Y

I wonder if excess pressure from your auxiliary pump had anything to do with it failing assuming you were running a bilge pump for the ice tank.

Yeah I was using the Rule 2000. Could be a possibility.

[pbonsalb]

Should be as capable as a radiator at handling pressure, meaning 15+ psi. If it’s built as well as an oil cooler or small intercooler, then even more.

[IMG]

Water sitting in there and not antifreeze will cause corrosion and rust.
That's the issue right there.

You can run an ice tank for the track and all but you should store the car with antifreeze in the blower cooling system and never water.

I've seen blocks cracking with water in the cooling system instead of antifreeze and temps never got to freezing temps.

[jvictormp]

Originally Posted by IMG

Water sitting in there and not antifreeze will cause corrosion and rust.
That's the issue right there.

You can run an ice tank for the track and all but you should store the car with antifreeze in the blower cooling system and never water.

I've seen blocks cracking with water in the cooling system instead of antifreeze and temps never got to freezing temps.

That's a good point. Anti-freeze fluids have got anti-corrosion characteristics too.

[IMG]

Originally Posted by jvictormp

That's a good point. Anti-freeze fluids have got anti-corrosion characteristics too.

I hope he didn't run straight water for 60k miles.

[Lambro]

Originally Posted by IMG

I hope he didn't run straight water for 60k miles.

Yeah I used distilled water and a bottle of water wetter. I use to run nearly the same mixture in a 69 Camaro for many years never had any issues like this.

[jvictormp]

Originally Posted by iTsEpic

Yeah I used distilled water and a bottle of water wetter. I use to run nearly the same mixture in a 69 Camaro for many years never had any issues like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Line-8020.../dp/B000CPI5ZK

It says it's got corrosion protection:

"PERFORM & PROTECT - Waterwetter protects from rust & corrosion, allowing the use of straight water in racing or reduced antifreeze levels in warm climates"

So, don't know what may have caused that.

[amrazM]

Originally Posted by IMG

Water sitting in there and not antifreeze will cause corrosion and rust.
That's the issue right there.

You can run an ice tank for the track and all but you should store the car with antifreeze in the blower cooling system and never water.

I've seen blocks cracking with water in the cooling system instead of antifreeze and temps never got to freezing temps.

RV coolant is good in the supercharger circuit for storage.