Is it good to clean the intercoolers (at 67Kmiles) while they are off or best to leave them alone? If they should be cleaned what is the best method and name of the cleaner(s) to use.

Reference:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...e8/#post530393

I apologize. I can't seem to edit my title error...
Intercoolers: clean or leave them alone?

 

Don't really know as it has not been brought up before?

I know they get coated with oil/slime which has to affect heat transfer so I would want to clean them up if I had them off the car.
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On a small section I tried brake cleaner and engine cleaner and it did not even touch the residue.

 

One trick I have used for years.

After using a degreaser what's left is mainly baked on carbon. Get some oven cleaner (Not the fume free kind!). This will eat up the carbon. Wear gloves because the caustic will burn the skin and eye protection. It will dull polished Aluminum too but this is not a problem because the intercoolers are not polished.

Just remember if you don't remove the grease first you won't have much luck removing what's under it. If you apply it several times then the first couple of cycles gets the loose oil/grease off. Much faster to cut the grease first and get hard dry black deposits to let the oven cleaner work on.

I find the Wal-Mart in house brand to be the strongest and cheapest oven cleaner.
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