Siliconeintakes.com tubing failures

So I was on my way home from an autocross this past Sunday, I floor it, and immediately feel my clutch slip like crazy (despite the fact that I was on a neutered tune). I let off the gas and noted this (on a tune that commands ~2.20 load, ~19 psi):



I immediately knew what the problem was. I drove the car the rest of the way to my destination, and I found this:



That's the wastegate to EBCS line. (I bent the line like that to show the cracks)

If I had been running my E85 map, there's a good chance I would have bent a rod (although on that map, I run really conservative load and boost-based fuel cut values, so I think it might have survived). Luckily I was running a 93 map with ridiculously neutered timing.

On the following day (yesterday), I drove into work and suddenly my car leans out, starts bucking, and my fuel trims max out positive. In total using a boost leak tester I found two more failures in my siliconeintakes.com tubing that I used to plumb the EBCS. I use both 6 mm and 4mm tubing, and in total there were two failures for the 4 mm tubing and one failure for the 6 mm tubing. I'm guessing at the autocross, the under hood temps got high and killed the tubing. Now that I fixed the leaks of course the car runs great again and the intake system is tight as a drum.

I'm creating this thread for two reasons: To deliver a warning about this tubing, and to hopefully get some input from you all on where I can buy better tubing.

 

Do email them regarding this. I've ordered TONS of couplers from them and have always been impressed with their quality. This is very unfortunate!

 

I run their coupler off the turbo. Really it can fail, and they all can. I think their stuff is some of the best out there. How old was it? Guessing you have it pulled like that to show the blast area, as that is quite the angle. I could see it popping of left like that, would not want a 90 degree turn like that.

 

Yes, I clearly stated above that I bent it at that angle to show the cracks. In addition to keeping the tubing at as little of an angle as possible, I was also diligent about leaving lots of slack in it for when the engine moves.

The tubing is approximately 10 months old.

 

Sorry, but I still have not fully learned reading.

Only one other name comes to mine. Samco. Not sure if they have misc piping tho.

 

"I apologize for the inconvenience that your engine almost exploded. We are clueless"

That's bullshit. I won't be purchasing anything else from this company. Especially now that they openly admit that their products aren't designed with racing in mind.

There's no way I'm going to use PTFE tubing like they suggested. That will be way too rigid for my purposes. I'll continue looking elsewhere and post back with what I find.

 

Lame.

https://www.rallysportdirect.com/pa...-turbosmart-silicone-vacuum-hose-4mm-x-3m-red

They also offer 6mm hose.

John just be breakin' hos in half.

 

I would seriously contact Samco, Mishimoto, or someone who can make something reinforced.

 

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. Silicone is a good material for this kind of thing because it SHOULD be able to withstand lots of heat without becoming brittle or oxidizing (exception being the siliconeintakes.com stuff) but some kind of internal or external weave (teflon, stainless, nylon, etc) might be required for our situation being in an engine bay and under boost. The failures could be mechanical in nature, exaggerated by the temperatures. If I can get my hands on some decent 4 mm reinforced tubing, maybe we could do a group buy.

 

It's rather bulky but in a pinch on pressure lines use fuel injection hose. Most is rated to 100 psi and expected to be in hot under hood environments. Not the sexy look. but less failure prone.

 

I bought from e-bay, been over 2 years and no issues.

 

COBB put on my 3-port when they were doing some other stuff on the car. They used their generic black silicone hose that has the "COBB" logo running down its length. Never had an issue. I'm not sure whose hose COBB badges/uses as their own, but zero issues for over 25k miles.

Had silicone intakes couplers of various configurations when I fine-tuned my CX piping kit for my FMIC. Zero issues.

 

Interesting read. I plan on using this websites metal piping for my cold side on my front mount when that goes in. As soon as I figure out the proper pipes I need to make a cold side. Get on it HTP!

 

I have alot of 6/8/10 on mine, felt pretty good on install. Silicone should be good to appx 600deg, mebbe, mebbe you could get close to that being very near the hot side.

I dunno man, does it feel hardened in the area of the cracks ??