I got my Riffraff boots and metal CAC tube yesterday and I'm a little confused.
Riffraff Diesel: Driver Side Metal Intercooler CAC Tube Kit
The tube in the picture in the link above is up side down so hard to say which boot goes where. The online instructions are (I'm guessing) for a 7.3 as none of the pics or text matches what I'm looking at. Does the shorter boot with the ring around it go on the bottom of the tube or the top? I've put it together both ways and it doesn't seem to fit up like I would like it to.

 

Well, it seems the longer boot is for the lower connection, and the short one for the upper.

Of course I have the 04 so I can't run out and compare to your 06 with the plastic. My longer boot went on the lower connection.

 

Short boot on top.

 

That's what I was thinking, but it's (long one on bottom) long enough that clearance is tight between the metal tube and front of the engine (@coolant hose). Did you have to trim anything?

 

No trimming needed. The pipe is the stock one from Ford, the hump hose goes up top like shown by Steve and the long straight on the bottom. The picture is incorrect on our site, I am sorry.

 

Sorry for the . But I'm just curious.

I have a 2004 with the plastic CAC tube. I've had it off half dozen times or more, to work on this or that. It seems solid, it's held up for 75k miles, hasn't split, broke and doesn't leak. And it's on the cold side, so it doesn't that hot.

Yet there seems to be a move for people to replace them. Riff Raff sells the entire kit. Have people been having problems with the plastic tube that I haven't read about? If it did break, split or leak, why would I prefer the metal tube over the plastic one? The plastic one seems solid enough and I imagine it is a fair bit cheaper, being just one piece with two clamps, vs 2 boots, the metal tube and 4 clamps.

Just curious.

 

Thanks Clay. I guess part of what was throwing me off is the ring on the shorter boot looks like it was made to allow a little wiggle. On the factory plastic piece the corrugated part is on the bottom near the intercooler. I'll try it again.

 

I'd imagine the ring on the shorter boot is to allow a little stretch at high boost.

 

Well, finially got it in where I was happy with it. Apparently, when doing some recent work I must have "tweaked" the dipstick tube and mount a little bit. It was pushing the metal CAC tube forward in the middle and it would teeter-totter and push the boots out of shape. Thanks for the help.

David,
In my case the plastic boot had a couple of cracks in the corrugated part. I'm at 140k+ miles. No telling when it started leaking, I guess it snuck up on me (plastic is like that ).
Metal pipe with boots will pop someday.

 

+1 for me too....little one on top and longer on bottom....definitely do yourself a favor and use hairspray.

Good luck

 

Clay, thanks for showing up on here on the 4th of July! (That is customer service right there!)

Now, go enjoy the day!!!

As for the rest of us, back to our regularly scheduled maintenance day! ( j/k )

Happy Independence Day everyone!

 

Wow! That made a difference. Just got back from test ride. Truck pulls MUCH better.
Thanks again guys! Have a great 4th!

 

Dave its the Repeated Hot/Cold cycles in the engine bay that makes the tube Brittle and Crack

Heat and plastic dont go well together over time

You could always do the Duct Tape MOD LOL

 

I have not see one crack yet.. I have found a few with holes rubed in them though

 

To be honest Iv only read 1 Case on FTE where the Tube Had Cracked

I can also see where someone working on the truck may have caused the crack too but IDK what happened with the 1 thread there was a cracked tube if it was self inflicted or Not

The Plastics are getting better more Durable these days

not like some the plastic on the older cars that cracks if you even touch it