[Kazi]

I am bored because of the weather, so I decided to poke around the intercooler. I took off the small pipe and noticed there is layer of oil building up in the bottom. Should I be concerned? Anything else I should check? :shrug:

The car has catch cans, although I haven't looked inside them yet. I'm also pretty stupid when it comes to how all of the stuff in there is working. I don't even know if they help this situation. Couldn't find any threads addressing this, so forgive me if this is common knowledge.

 

[oldmansan]

I am bored because of the weather, so I decided to poke around the intercooler. I took off the small pipe and noticed there is layer of oil building up in the bottom. Should I be concerned? Anything else I should check? :shrug:

The car has catch cans, although I haven't looked inside them yet. I'm also pretty stupid when it comes to how all of the stuff in there is working. I don't even know if they help this situation. Couldn't find any threads addressing this, so forgive me if this is common knowledge.

No big deal. You can clean up the excess and empty your catch cans while you're at it.

San

 

[Kazi]

Great, thanks for the reply. Now I can sleep tonight.

 

[Motard]

yuck !

I suppose it does not "hurt" anything, but if your OCD like me...

You would think taking the entire intake track off cleaning all that out and re-install as semi- annual maintenance.

I have catch cans as well and yeah you should clean them out every couple of months. I just think of inefficiencies removal with my vehicles and gunk of most kinds fit in that category.

One thing to think of is your intercooler probably has a layer of that gunk in it too... Real easy to clean out with your choice of solvent and if your using the OEM intercooler anything you can do to help efficiency...

 

[Ryephile]

It doesn't hurt anything. It's just the evaporative emissions and/or positive crankcase ventilation doing their jobs and putting the vapors/residue into the intake instead of directly into the atmosphere.

A good catch can that's plumbed so both systems are filtered prior to going to the intake would eliminate most of the build-up. That said, IIRC all of the current catch cans for our cars do only inertial filtering on PCV only, leaving the Evap to dump into the intake as it pleases.

 

[Motard]

All true,

I just think if your entire intake track is covered in that, doesn't it have some negative attributes other than just further disturbing the OCD geeks ?

I have read many threads where someone has cleaned out their throttle body and have issues, but really you also spray the MAF and clean air filters too. I have never had a problem and I have been removing carbon grime from engines for a long time.

So I would love to hear from others too. I am fairly militant about removing deposits as much as I can from where I can when I can. It helps me notice problems very quickly too externally.

My catch cans vent the PCV into my throttle body as well and all I had was a little soot along my entire intake track. No greazy deposits so I wonder if my regime helps ?

Like all other maintenance right ? Would the removal of this grime on the intake track be considered a positive usage of maintenance time ?

 

[KenRK]

You’re losing cooling efficiency if the inside of your intercooler is covered in oil. I remove it each winter, set it with one open end resting in a pan and the other facing up then spray brake cleaner through it and let it drip into the pan, repeat a few times. Also clean the pipes leading to and from the intercooler while you’re at it. Catch cans get emptied mid season and each winter to keep on top of things. YMMV.

 

[ZAMMY1]

A layer of oil in the intercooler would lower the heat transfer.
Also, when I installed the blower on my '06 elise, there was a lot of crud in the intake tract. It had, I think, 28 k on it, and really needed it.
Sam

 

[Motard]

I have taken my intercooler off twice to clean it's internal surfaces. I just cover one end with a nitrile glove add gas and cover the other outlet and IAT port.

I just shake it like a mixed drink jigger. Gold colored gas goes in, green colored gas comes out...

 

[AustinP]

Mineral spirits also work well, and are less dangerous and toxic than gas. Just give it a little time to drain and dry before you re-install, doesn't take long.

 

[Vulcan Grey]

Too much oil in the system is a sign of blow by from the supercharged pressure getting by worn rings. Some oil is normal, but if the oil gets to be too much, then it is time for a leak down test. Too restrictive of an oil catch system can over pressurize the crank case, especially in a turbo system, and will blow out the dip stick. If you have a lot of oil in the intake and you have a catch can, then you really want to do a leak down or compression test!

 

[Kazi]

I'm swapping my intercooler for the RLS setup when all the parts arrive. I'll check to see if it is just a thin film. I imagine this is too much (not my car):