Time for a new intercooler?

[spacemanspif]

Hi everyone,

 

Under the hood over the past few months I’ve noticed grime collecting on my intercooler. Am I safe to assume that the tank is separating from the core and oil vapors are escaping collecting residue on the end tank? Pic attached for reference. I read the recent post about all metal copies of factory setup vs the grimmspeed setup. I’m not really interested in spending grimmspeed money and the factory replacement is around $400. Does anyone make a plastic/aluminum repayment? I haven’t found one. Exploring options, I might look for a good used one with the “bullet proofing” on it already or get the kit and do it myself. Car is stock with no plans of upgrading, I’m only interested in reliability at this stage of my life.

 

https://imgur.com/a/S3yfwtt

[Notorious]

I used JB weld around all the crimps on mine. Held up to 18psi no problem for me, but I never had any serious separation prior because I did it as preventative maintenance. It’s a cheap alternative that is worth a try. Clean the grime off first, apply it around the intercooler, and watch if the grime comes back.