Removed/cleaned the intercooler today...

[jvencius]

I got a wild hair up my **** today to tinker on the truck a bit and so I decided to remove the intercooler and intercooler tubes so that I could clean them out. I relocated my CCV some time (~3 1/2 years) ago, but there was still a noticeable amount of oil residue in the tubes and puddles of oil (small ones) in the boots. Getting the intercooler out wasn't really that big of a deal, it's just that there is a lot of stuff in the way that has to be removed first. I didn't drain or remove the radiator, but I did support it with a floor jack and piece of 2/4 so that when I disconnected the supports it didn't fall (that would have been BAD). Once I got the intercooler out, I did what CHPMustang told me to do and made up a solution of degreasing dish soap and scalding hot water, filled the intercooler with it, then shook the intercooler back and forth for about a minute. I repeated that three times (the first 2 times, the water drained out visibly brown from 3 1/2 year-old oil residue ) and on the third go-round, the water drained out clear. Then, I rinsed it out really well and let it drain to dry for ~2 hours. After those two hours, I duct-taped a hose off of the big air compressor at the station (5 HP/80 gallon) and blew 6 full tanks of air through the IC to force out whatever water was left. After that, I figured that any water left was so minimal that I could ignore it. Reassembly went pretty well except for when I pinched the negative driver's side battery cable (preventing me from being able to reconnect it) and had to loosen the whole upper core support to get enough space to free the cable. That set me back about an hour (15 minutes of cussing, 30 minutes of trying to figure out how to get the cable out, then 15 minutes to actually do it) but other than that, reassembly was smooth and pretty much the reverse-order of disassembly.


Do I notice any difference at all in how the truck runs? Nope. It is a comfort, though, to know that the IC and IC tubes are now oil-free (as they should be).


Sorry I didn't take any pictures for this one. I did have the camera with me, but when I realized how involved getting the IC out was going to be, I didn't have time to take them and get the job done before midnight...

 

[kblackav8or]

Is there something you could mist into the intake that would end up cleaning and evaperating the **** out of the cooler without the major disassembly? I know water mist won't hurt anything, maybe water and alcohol? I still need to do something about the breather.

 

[geonc]

Is there something you could mist into the intake that would end up cleaning and evaperating the **** out of the cooler without the major disassembly? I know water mist won't hurt anything, maybe water and alcohol? I still need to do something about the breather.

Nuttin' that would'nt raise the pucker factor x10 or so

Any carb/brakekleen,seafoam etc....that will actually clean the oil will also give the eng an "alternate" fuel source.

This can cause YOUR heart to skip a beat or two......not to mention not being able to control eng speed .........not to mention possible internal damage...both the engine AND your wallett

The street word is RUNAWAY....but the diesel tech term is "engine overspeed"

Pretty much anthing that will burn due to the diesel engine's operating baseline...."COMPRESSION IGNITION"..

Spend some quality time with your truck you will prolly notice some other things that need attention

 

[kblackav8or]

I water and and a little alcohol will not do this any more then the residual oil left in the intercooler does. Or if you just stop the oil from getting into the intercooler in the first place, what is in there will eventually evaporate out.

 

[jvencius]

Or if you just stop the oil from getting into the intercooler in the first place, what is in there will eventually evaporate out.

Ummmm--maybe. I had my CCV disconected for 3 1/2 years and there were still puddles of oil in the boots and a fairly thick film in the tubes...

 

[SprintRacer26]

any updates since you cleaned the IC? Fuel mileage gain from a more efficient IC?

just curious

 

[jvencius]

any updates since you cleaned the IC? Fuel mileage gain from a more efficient IC?

just curious

I haven't bothered to monitor things that closely. Besides, having just installed a Wicked Wheel, my mileage is in the toilet since I'm constantly leaning on the go-pedal just to hear that wheel scream.

 

[RenoF250]

Is there something you could mist into the intake that would end up cleaning and evaperating the **** out of the cooler without the major disassembly? I know water mist won't hurt anything, maybe water and alcohol? I still need to do something about the breather.

Simple Green might work but I would not want to allow it to go through the engine since the oily intercooler has probably been collecting any dirt that has made it past the air filter and would not be nice to the engine going through.