Picked up a PS intercooler for my 91. Right now I'm cleaning the mud out of the fins one at a time. I start with a piece of .040 safety wire, then a thin piece of aluminum sheet metal, and finish it off with a large tyewrap. It's working, but taking for ever. I've soaked it and sprayed it with a garden hose. Anyone know of a faster way?

 

Soak in a milky white solution of tide laundry soap (powder).

Need a tray to soak it in ? Two by fours Plywood line with plastic.

 

I took mine to a radiator shop

 

Steam clean or look for a A/C cooling radiator cleaner. At work, we have multiple units (Compressors, A/C, Vacuum pumps) that need the radiators cleaned at least every quarter. We have a spray we put on and use a low pressure water source to clean it off. Dirt just washes right off. Including the most stickiest of substances, Worcestershire sauce based seasonings. As soon as moisture of any source, including the 15% humidity blending areas, hit it, it sticks to anything and everything.

 

We have this glacial silt that packs in like sandstone. It's not oily or anything like take, just hard as a rock.

 

Take to a Radiator shop that has a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasonic_cleaning

 

what I have done in the past .I get a basket ball nozzle and attach to air line submerge inter cooler into soapy warm water and insert basket ball nozzle into spaces messy so ware eye goggles
works great on all fined objects , some build a longer one that is three inches and braze a 1/16 tube on the end
the clay like muds in the fins may break up faster with a slightly acidic compound in the water too

 

I would think since its off you could take it to the carwash and wash it out backwards.

 

Thanks for the ideas. I don't want to use a pressure washer. Made that mistake once before. Them fins is soft. I've tried a garden hose with a spray nozzle, but it won't get the really packed stuff out.

 

Can anyone suggest a good foaming cleaner that can be sprayed on the front and flushed out from the back. i want to clean the radiator too.

 

to clean the outside, get some aluminum acid cleaner (got some at napa) to clean it up and bring back the aluminum color, rinse it off and do again until clean enough for you. (just don't do this on your lawn) High pressure air can blow dirt out of the fins as well.

to clean the inside out (since powerchokes usually fill those intercoolers with oil) get some brake or carb cleaner and spray all over in the inlet/outlet as much as you can, then tip it up on its side and let it sit for a day to let the oil drain to one end, dump it out and spray it again then blow it out with air holding a rag around the end your blowing into to help keep the air go out the other end.