Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

The intercooler from my car had oil and even some carbon in the circuit that the air from the turbo goes through, since it is difficult to cleam my idea was to send it to be cleaned in a ultrasonic machine. When I went to pick it up to my surprise the outside of the intercooler where the air passes through to refrigerate the air was clogged with calcification, now I am thinking in giving a caustic soda bath. Has anyone done this or had this bad experience? Thanks for any help.

Aluminum and Caustic Soda dont mix
reed

id be more inclined to make up a bath of citric acid to soak it in. should remove the minerals, and not damage the aluminum. may lightly etch it, but likely not.

It is kind of hard to get this citric acid. Will white vinigar do the job?
I really don't know what happened in ultrasonic to do this it never happened before.

Shouldn't be. It is used in baking/cooking and in some candies and other uses.
Here in south africa its usually found in the aisle with baking ingredients.

Chevyfreak.

I also have had a hard time cleaning aluminum as you describe. I think it is called CLR, they use in for removing hard water deposits in bathrooms. I have had some success using it.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CLR-28-oz-Rust ... lsrc=aw.ds

GT50 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:12 am It is kind of hard to get this citric acid. Will white vinigar do the job?
I really don't know what happened in ultrasonic to do this it never happened before.

they sell citric acid in grocery stores. either labeled for canning, or branded as lemi-shine for cleaning your dishwasher. its not hard to find. muratic acid (used in swimming pools) would also be an option. i dont know in what dose, but years ago i used to help my neighbors who did hvac work, and they used it for spraying on condenser coils to clean them. again i dont know how strong they used it.

Use HVAC condenser coil cleaner. Spray foam type. I wouldn't use acid on it, especially hydrochloric/muriatic acid, it'll eat the aluminum in no time.

dannobee wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:41 am Use HVAC condenser coil cleaner. Spray foam type. I wouldn't use acid on it, especially hydrochloric/muriatic acid, it'll eat the aluminum in no time.

im sure it will, what they used was likely very dilluted.

lefty o wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:48 am id be more inclined to make up a bath of citric acid to soak it in. should remove the minerals, and not damage the aluminum. may lightly etch it, but likely not.

Thank you very much for your help, it did work and save me from buying another intercooler, that would be a problem because there aren't many.
Because they didn't have the citric acid I taught of the white vinigar but no putting your advice aside, it was worth the wait.

Also thanks for all that contributed to solve my problem.

GT50 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 6:38 am

lefty o wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:48 am id be more inclined to make up a bath of citric acid to soak it in. should remove the minerals, and not damage the aluminum. may lightly etch it, but likely not.

Thank you very much for your help, it did work and save me from buying another intercooler, that would be a problem because there aren't many.
Because they didn't have the citric acid I taught of the white vinigar but no putting your advice aside, it was worth the wait.

glad it worked. every once in a while, i have a useful thought.

lefty o wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:22 pm

GT50 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 6:38 am

lefty o wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:48 am id be more inclined to make up a bath of citric acid to soak it in. should remove the minerals, and not damage the aluminum. may lightly etch it, but likely not.

Thank you very much for your help, it did work and save me from buying another intercooler, that would be a problem because there aren't many.
Because they didn't have the citric acid I taught of the white vinigar but no putting your advice aside, it was worth the wait.

glad it worked. every once in a while, i have a useful thought.

Thank God you had this useful thought , it saved me from a lot of trouble.
Thanks again to share.