LB7: Intercooler flush ideas?

motoking_1990

Active member
May 9, 2011
1,957
5
38
Terre Haute, IN
My turbo went out about two years ago now. It completely obliterated the comp. wheel. I replaced the turbo with another stock unit. I flushed the intercooler with dawn dish soap and water to get all the oil and bits of metal out. So I got it all back together and since then it's been running as though it's rich, smokes black when it shouldn't and a lot more than before the turbo went out, like it's not getting enough air. Now it has blown a hole in my drivers side 90 degree rubber intercooler pipe. My guess is there must be metal inside the intercooler its self. So does anyone have any ideas on how I can clean out the intercooler better before I end up having to replace it. :(
 

boominator

Member
Jan 31, 2012
168
5
18
MI
Ive seen people use bead cheetahs or bead blasters in one end and blow it out the other but not when there was matel in there
 

motoking_1990

Active member
May 9, 2011
1,957
5
38
Terre Haute, IN
Like glass bead? I wouldn't chance that in my engine. I have heard some say kerosene if cleaned out well enough and some say not to do that with a runaway motor. But I'm really stumped on this. I could boil it like a radiator but I don't think it would get much metal out.
 

Burn Down

Hotrodder
Sep 14, 2008
7,092
28
48
Boise Idaho
Best way is to cut the end tanks off & use solvent, compressed air. Besides, you will probably find the corners have been leaking because they were never fully welded from Behr.

If it was me, I would take this opportunity to up-grade the cooler:thumb:
 
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cburchel

New member
Aug 21, 2012
29
0
0
southern Indiana
Kind of a different deal but I bought my truck with 181000 miles and one of the first things I did was the pcv reroute. Would the inter cooler have a lot of the black soot/what not in it like the boost tube going from the turbo to the IC?
 

boominator

Member
Jan 31, 2012
168
5
18
MI
Like glass bead? I wouldn't chance that in my engine. I have heard some say kerosene if cleaned out well enough and some say not to do that with a runaway motor. But I'm really stumped on this. I could boil it like a radiator but I don't think it would get much metal out.

No for seating beads on tires a quick blast of a lot of air
 

motoking_1990

Active member
May 9, 2011
1,957
5
38
Terre Haute, IN
Hmm I know what you mean now :p I will have to find a bead cheetah or something I tried my boost leak tool I made to shoot air in it but it wasn't even close to enough air pressure. If I can't get it flowing properly I will upgrade. O btw anyone know if afe makes their Blade runner intercooler pipes for Both sides on an 02?
 

messejme

Jazzy, Me and Max
Mar 7, 2008
741
0
16
Branchburg NJ
remove it from the vehicle. spray a lot of Brake cleaner in it and keep turning it in different positions. Then let it sit for a day or two to evap all of the chemicals out. or buy an aftermarket one.
 

moss

<--good vibrations
Dec 15, 2008
296
0
16
43
sandwich, il
i put some gunk spray and simple green in my spearco. then filled up with hot water and sloshed it around. then hooked up to a fire hydrant backwards. cleaned all the crude i could see.