Intercooler cleaning possible?

[Datsrboi]

I doubt searching for this will yield results so here it goes.

Over time I know oil gets into the intercooler core and builds up.. How in the world do we clean all that stuff out? Would spraying engine degrease into the intercooler then packing it with pressure water do the job?

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

I'm not sure it would be easy to do on the car, but here's what I did:

Removed IC from car and cleaned it out with gasoline by filling it up, letting it sit overnight, drain, repeat, then flush with plenty of water allow to completely dry. A butt-ton of crap came out on the first flush, and it was nearly clean on the second.

While it's out, you can straighten the fins and give it a bit of black paint to clean it up. Removal reinstallation's a minor PITA, but not too bad overall.

 

[tlo86]

i had no oil in my stocker when i removed it... just the normal amount.

 

[drjonez]

i wouldn't anything but gas.

 

[starscream5000]

Gas would be the cheapest way to go as it takes quite a bit of cleaner to get the job done. 1 gallon should serve well. Half a gallon, cap off both ends, shake that bitch up bunches, empty. Repeat, let sit if you want on the second run for a good deep soaking.

 

[drjonez]

it's not so much the cost that's the concern....it's the explosion of the residual fumes from things other than gas.

 

[theKnifeArtist]

hmm, maybe i'll give this a shot

 

[MDCmotorsports]

Ive used ZEP industrial brake cleaner on mine. Wasn't the best choice as the brake cleaner likes to etch aluminum. :-(

Gas FTW.

 

[KMinAF]

One of lifes embarassing moments,
The car had been sitting for a while with the engine out and critters had shown some interest in habitating the engine compartment so when I was ready to re-install the engine I thought it would be a good idea to make sure there were no nests in the IC. I hooked the shop vac up then inadvertantly proceded to suck the rag that I had used to block off the other end as far into the IC as it could possibly go. It took almost 2 hours to fish the stupid thing back out.

 

[Fletch124]

You can bring it to a radiator shop.

 

[DL.]

Any idea on how fast that builds back up in there? Anyone tried cleaning one out after having it on for some miles like 10,000 20,000 or ???

 

[silvergsx623]

I use gas to clean my intercoolers out and straighten the fins, at least once a year. It just makes me feel better keeping everything clean.

 

[IJ.]

Gas x 3
works well.
(used it after holeing a piston on the dyno and pumping 2 qts of oil into the IC on the trip home)

 

[Poodles]

I used simple green, but that's just me...

I would have used gas if it wasn't really hot at the time (evaporates fast)

 

[GrimJack]

How bad this is will depend on how much blowby your engine has. An engine in good shape will have virtually no oil in the IC. And a catch can will help. An engine in poor shape will fill the IC with oil quickly.

 

[tekdeus]

It looks like I would have to remove my Bomex bumper to remove and clean my IC. Instead, I was thinking of rigging up a bucket of hot water and Castrol super clean(degreaser) and flushing/cycling it through with a sump pump I have; then rinse, & blow dry overnight. Should work, right?

 

[Wayne G.]

I used simple green, but that's just me...

I would have used gas if it wasn't really hot at the time (evaporates fast)

Ditto on the Simple Green. Then flushed with water and dried with shop vac.
worked great----

 

[jetjock]

Not that I'd worry too much about it but use a bit of caution with run-of-the-mill Simple Green on aluminum, especially bare aluminum:

http://www.simplegreen.com/solutions_faqs.php?search_query=aluminum&search=Search

http://tinyurl.com/4x1x

We quit using in it aviation because of this. Iirc so did the military. It's why the company developed different formulations for those applications.

 

[Doward]

Million ways to skin a cat.

Personally, I'm gas x 4 at this point, then rinse thoroughly with water + blow it dry with the shop vac.

 

[Poodles]

Castrol super clean WILL eat aluminum as well...