How to clean your intercooler

Crockett59 · 10-27-2003, 05:40 PM

Found this over at F150 online. Good stuff.

http://www.f150online.com/forums/sho...hreadid=132316

CDN 02 HD · 10-27-2003, 06:56 PM

thanks just what i needed!

DSG HD · 10-27-2003, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CDN 02 HD
thanks just what i needed!

Really!!!
Thanks Crockett, I need to do that now that I have the oil separator on.

shdwcrew HD · 01-10-2010, 06:02 PM

does anyone know if you have to replace the bolts on the S/C and I/C after they have been removed to clean them?

oki916 · 01-10-2010, 09:59 PM

Cleaned my intercooler twice and have helped many others and we have never had to replace the bolts.

Harley#356 · 01-11-2010, 05:23 PM

you should replace the IC to midplate bolts since they're TTY and could be ingested into the engine if they come loose since they're on the bottom of the midplate, but you really don't need to separate the IC from the midplate to clean it. The rest of the bolts you're perfectly fine reusing.

crashoverride · 05-28-2010, 03:45 PM

Those bolts would be the 11 that hold the inter-cooler to the intake right?

Harley#356 · 05-28-2010, 07:03 PM

11? I thought it was an even number, but yeah its those tiny bolts in that pic.

2manytrucks · 05-28-2010, 07:26 PM

11 Ford guy must have been hung over that day....11....12 close enough...LOL

crashoverride · 05-28-2010, 10:49 PM

Right on! Thanks guys.

Delmustator · 06-03-2010, 07:55 PM

Interestingly enough, I was chatting with a Mercedes-Benz mechanic the other day that just happens to own a Lightning. He told me that there was no reason to remove the S/C to clean the inter-cooler.

How I ask? He said that they have a aerosol version of Sea-Foam that you can spray directly into the crank case air recycle port that everyone typically puts a air/oil separator in-line. He stated that the S/C circulates the Sea-Foam in such a manner that is cleans the entire core and the intake valves.

I'm curious to see if this method really works. I use Sea-Foam in all my vehicles, love the stuff. I'll have to crack the S/C and take some pics before and after treatments to see if it's true.

Harley#356 · 06-03-2010, 09:01 PM

have you ever cleaned an intercooler the traditional method? There's a LOT of oil that can get caked up in them. Why push all that sludge and crap through your entire motor when you can clean it out BEFORE it even sees your valves and cylinders.

clean it out traditionally, and tell me if you'd want that sloppy crap sucked through your engine just to save a little time on cleaning lol

Delmustator · 06-04-2010, 06:46 AM

Yeah, I've done it before and have tried very hard to keep oil out (mainly because I didn't want to do the traditional method anytime soon). Mine should be fairly clean. I doubt I have more than 15k miles since the previous cleaning 2 years ago.

But you are correct, I would not try this if it's never been cleaned before. Even with the oil/air separator in-line from close to day one. It still had a good coating of varnish. I didn't have any caked on deposits though. It only took about 30 minutes and a couple cans of cleaner and it looked new-ish again. Hopefully this Sea-Foam method will be the easy way to maintain that clean.

I'm getting about due for a plug change so no better time to check it.

10-27-2003, 05:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
Crockett59 Indestructible! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Dela-Where? Posts: 1,729 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	How to clean your intercooler Found this over at F150 online. Good stuff. http://www.f150online.com/forums/sho...hreadid=132316 __________________ Proud owner of a 2002 Harley Davidson F150 Mods: Kenne Bell 2.3L, Chickenears Ram Air Intake, JLP intake plenum, Weapon X Coils, Bassani High Flow cats, Magnaflow muffler, Troyer Performance E-fan, 4lb lower, FTVB, SCT chip, HID's, Accufab TB, REM Carbon Fiber intake tube, High Flow Water Pump, LFP Heat exchanger, .....theres a bunch more but I honestly can't remember it all!

01-10-2010, 09:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
oki916 Sport90's #1 Paid Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 2,768 NHTOC member #: 527 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	Cleaned my intercooler twice and have helped many others and we have never had to replace the bolts. __________________

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10-27-2003, 06:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
CDN 02 HD HEMI SLAYER Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 469 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	thanks just what i needed!

01-10-2010, 06:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
shdwcrew HD Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 17 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	does anyone know if you have to replace the bolts on the S/C and I/C after they have been removed to clean them?

01-11-2010, 05:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
Harley#356 Worlds Fastest HD F150!!! Paid Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Week-Philly; Weekend-Souf Jerz Posts: 29,616 NHTOC member #: 3 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	you should replace the IC to midplate bolts since they're TTY and could be ingested into the engine if they come loose since they're on the bottom of the midplate, but you really don't need to separate the IC from the midplate to clean it. The rest of the bolts you're perfectly fine reusing.

05-28-2010, 03:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
crashoverride Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	Those bolts would be the 11 that hold the inter-cooler to the intake right?

05-28-2010, 07:03 PM	#8 (permalink)
Harley#356 Worlds Fastest HD F150!!! Paid Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Week-Philly; Weekend-Souf Jerz Posts: 29,616 NHTOC member #: 3 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	11? I thought it was an even number, but yeah its those tiny bolts in that pic.

05-28-2010, 07:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
2manytrucks Man this is expensive!!! Paid Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 3,781 NHTOC member #: 315 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	11 Ford guy must have been hung over that day....11....12 close enough...LOL

05-28-2010, 10:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
crashoverride Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	Right on! Thanks guys.

06-03-2010, 07:55 PM	#11 (permalink)
Delmustator T888 Recall Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Raleigh, NC Area Posts: 3,003 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	Interestingly enough, I was chatting with a Mercedes-Benz mechanic the other day that just happens to own a Lightning. He told me that there was no reason to remove the S/C to clean the inter-cooler. How I ask? He said that they have a aerosol version of Sea-Foam that you can spray directly into the crank case air recycle port that everyone typically puts a air/oil separator in-line. He stated that the S/C circulates the Sea-Foam in such a manner that is cleans the entire core and the intake valves. I'm curious to see if this method really works. I use Sea-Foam in all my vehicles, love the stuff. I'll have to crack the S/C and take some pics before and after treatments to see if it's true.

06-03-2010, 09:01 PM	#12 (permalink)
Harley#356 Worlds Fastest HD F150!!! Paid Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Week-Philly; Weekend-Souf Jerz Posts: 29,616 NHTOC member #: 3 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	have you ever cleaned an intercooler the traditional method? There's a LOT of oil that can get caked up in them. Why push all that sludge and crap through your entire motor when you can clean it out BEFORE it even sees your valves and cylinders. clean it out traditionally, and tell me if you'd want that sloppy crap sucked through your engine just to save a little time on cleaning lol

06-04-2010, 06:46 AM	#13 (permalink)
Delmustator T888 Recall Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Raleigh, NC Area Posts: 3,003 View this user's gallery iTrader: 0 / 0%	Yeah, I've done it before and have tried very hard to keep oil out (mainly because I didn't want to do the traditional method anytime soon). Mine should be fairly clean. I doubt I have more than 15k miles since the previous cleaning 2 years ago. But you are correct, I would not try this if it's never been cleaned before. Even with the oil/air separator in-line from close to day one. It still had a good coating of varnish. I didn't have any caked on deposits though. It only took about 30 minutes and a couple cans of cleaner and it looked new-ish again. Hopefully this Sea-Foam method will be the easy way to maintain that clean. I'm getting about due for a plug change so no better time to check it.