Cleaning out the IC - Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras

NevadaSTi · 2007-02-19, 12:03 PM

Has anyone ever clean out the gravel / pebbles that get stuck in the intercooler? If so, how did you go about doing it?

I hate the fact that so much crap gets stuck in the damn things. I even had a driver of a car in front of me throw a cigerette butt out his window. Guess where it went? I ended up pulling over at the next gas station for gas and had to remove the damn butt from my IC. Some dude on the opposite side pump saw me take it out and laughed. I had to explain how it got there.

sperry · 2007-02-19, 12:09 PM

Take the IC off the car. Start with an air compressor and blow what you can out from the back. Then get some long toothpicks/skewers... and make sure you've got about 4 hours to spare. It's a lot of slow careful work.

MPREZIV · 2007-02-19, 12:23 PM

Good news is, if you bend up the fins, I've got a neat little tool that combs them back straight.

somewhere...

cody · 2007-02-19, 12:57 PM

I've always heard that you should take it off and spray water through it backwards. Mine's really not that bad though.

100_Percent_Juice · 2007-02-20, 01:48 PM

^ Yeah thats what my friend did and it worked wonders.

tysonK · 2007-02-20, 02:27 PM

I clean my IC everytime I go through a car wash.

AtomicLabMonkey · 2007-02-20, 07:04 PM

I just did my radiator while it was out of the car. Blew compressed air from the back like Scott said, straightened bent fins with a sharp set of small pliers, scrubbed over it with a small brass wire brush & old toothbrush, used more compressed air... that got it looking decent.

chrscott_01 · 2007-03-01, 05:46 PM

I had decent results on my 02 with compressed air and turning it upside down and GENTLY tapping it on my work bench. I always jammed a rag in the inlet and outlet especially when using the air compressor.

2007-02-19, 12:03 PM	#1
NevadaSTi EJ251 Real Name: Brian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Minden, Nv. Posts: 989 Car: 1994 Toyota 4Runner Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once	Cleaning out the IC Has anyone ever clean out the gravel / pebbles that get stuck in the intercooler? If so, how did you go about doing it? I hate the fact that so much crap gets stuck in the damn things. I even had a driver of a car in front of me throw a cigerette butt out his window. Guess where it went? I ended up pulling over at the next gas station for gas and had to remove the damn butt from my IC. Some dude on the opposite side pump saw me take it out and laughed. I had to explain how it got there. __________________ The last living thing on earth will be me. I'll step on the last cockroach.

2007-02-19, 12:09 PM	#2
sperry The Doink Real Name: Scott Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 20,335 Car: '09 OBXT, '02 WRX, '96 Miata Class: PDX/TT-6 The way out is through	Take the IC off the car. Start with an air compressor and blow what you can out from the back. Then get some long toothpicks/skewers... and make sure you've got about 4 hours to spare. It's a lot of slow careful work. __________________ Is you is, or is you ain't, my con-stit-u-ints?

2007-02-19, 12:23 PM	#3
MPREZIV Token Real Name: Le Stig Afrique? Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: sitting next to a big yellow box Posts: 3,589 Car: 2001 Impreza 2.5 RS Class: 05 TDSP No, I won't work on your car. F your car*	Good news is, if you bend up the fins, I've got a neat little tool that combs them back straight. somewhere... __________________ "...these condoms have a topical anesthetic to reduce sensitivity, so you can last longer. What a paradox. You can't feel a thing, but you can f*ck for HOURS..."

2007-02-20, 01:48 PM	#5
100_Percent_Juice (40 percent vodka) Real Name: Joel Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 4,446 Car: 2004WRX Class: Baby-Hauler/GroceryGetter	^ Yeah thats what my friend did and it worked wonders. __________________ "A power nap is when you sleep on someone who is weaker than you." - Dimitri Martin

2007-02-20, 02:27 PM	#6
tysonK warehouse SECCS Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SoCal... Posts: 6,253 Car: 04 Evo 99 Cadillac Class: street de le mod	I clean my IC everytime I go through a car wash. __________________ Anjali? Anjali?

2007-02-19, 12:57 PM	#4
cody Candy Mountain Real Name: Cody Join Date: May 2005 Location: Californication Posts: 7,751 Car: 03 Pussy Wagon, now with more pink! Class: TESP OMG Internet!	I've always heard that you should take it off and spray water through it backwards. Mine's really not that bad though.

2007-02-20, 07:04 PM	#7
AtomicLabMonkey Nightwalker Real Name: Austin Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Oshkosh, WI Posts: 4,063 Car: '13 WRX YGBSM	I just did my radiator while it was out of the car. Blew compressed air from the back like Scott said, straightened bent fins with a sharp set of small pliers, scrubbed over it with a small brass wire brush & old toothbrush, used more compressed air... that got it looking decent. __________________ "None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you.. you're locked in here with me."

2007-03-01, 05:46 PM	#8
chrscott_01 EJ18 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 35 Car: 2007 Sub WRX TR Class: None....yet. So I walk into a bar....	I had decent results on my 02 with compressed air and turning it upside down and GENTLY tapping it on my work bench. I always jammed a rag in the inlet and outlet especially when using the air compressor.