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DC101



Member Since: 01 Jul 2012
Location: Pudsey, West Yorkshire
Posts: 260

United Kingdom 2003 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
Is it worth cleaning the intercooler?
Hi,

Opinions please.
It’s been a while since posting but find myself with a few maintenance issues to get on top off. One was to clean the intercooler (its probably never been done on my 03 plate Td5), but I have been advised it’s not worth doing and makes no difference.

Any thoughts; is it worth doing? Has anyone done it to find a difference? I would have thought it wouldn’t hurt to do it either way!

Thanks

Robin
Post #700552 13th Apr 2018 12:52pm
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MK



Member Since: 28 Aug 2008
Location: Santiago
Posts: 2403

Chile 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Chawton White
You mean the inside. I cleaned mine with 80kkm and nearly nothing came out. Puma 110" SW

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Earth first. Other planets later
Post #700556 13th Apr 2018 1:23pm
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DC101



Member Since: 01 Jul 2012
Location: Pudsey, West Yorkshire
Posts: 260

United Kingdom 2003 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
Yes, sorry, the inside. Thanks
Post #700563 13th Apr 2018 2:05pm
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LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

United Kingdom 
Definitely worth doing. Whether it makes a difference will depend on how dirty it is but you won't really know until you've cleaned it.

When I did it some years ago on a 300tdi, I used paraffin, which worked really well. Just make sure it's dry inside afterwards - a hairdryer is useful for this. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #700573 13th Apr 2018 3:10pm
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DC101



Member Since: 01 Jul 2012
Location: Pudsey, West Yorkshire
Posts: 260

United Kingdom 2003 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
Thanks Darren.

I guess the point is it can’t do any harm and may well help. I didn’t want to spend time doing something unnecessary.
Post #700587 13th Apr 2018 4:14pm
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Tommo



Member Since: 19 Dec 2013
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 830

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 90 Td5 Black LE Java Black
Isn't it recommended as part of a service schedule?
Definitely worth doing.
Post #700607 13th Apr 2018 5:49pm
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zsd-puma



Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
the only thing that should get in there is a bit of oil mist from the crank case vent. It won't hurt to rinse it out with some engine cleaner, but chances are there won't be anything in there.

Back flushing the rad and intercooler fins with a garden hose from the fan side probably has more benefit, you'll be amazed at all the bits of fluff and muck that will come out of it.
Post #700610 13th Apr 2018 6:14pm
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LandRoverAnorak



Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11324

United Kingdom 
Sorry, but that's not my experience at all. When an engine is beyond the first flush of youth, there's a big difference between what should be there and reality. That oil mist accumulates over the miles and as the OP's vehicle is a 2003, it's quite likely that it'd benefit from a good clean out. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia
Post #700657 13th Apr 2018 7:54pm
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DC101



Member Since: 01 Jul 2012
Location: Pudsey, West Yorkshire
Posts: 260

United Kingdom 2003 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Epsom Green
Thanks for the replies. So remove, flush out the inside with paraffin and clean through the fins with a hose. Would a jet wash be too powerful for this operation? I’ll have to do it next weekend and report what comes out of a 15 year old intercooler!
Post #700665 13th Apr 2018 8:12pm
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williamthedog



Member Since: 29 Dec 2012
Location: south wales
Posts: 3441

2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 PU Tamar Blue
Turn the pressure down and you'll be ok Thumbs Up
Post #700667 13th Apr 2018 8:17pm
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zsd-puma



Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
LandRoverAnorak wrote:
Sorry, but that's not my experience at all. When an engine is beyond the first flush of youth, there's a big difference between what should be there and reality. That oil mist accumulates over the miles and as the OP's vehicle is a 2003, it's quite likely that it'd benefit from a good clean out.


fair enough, sorry my experience has been different to yours. Confused
Post #700672 13th Apr 2018 8:29pm
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zsd-puma



Member Since: 09 Aug 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 2720

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
williamthedog wrote:
Turn the pressure down and you'll be ok Thumbs Up


Agreed, if you use it at full pelt with a fine jet you'll damage the fins. Usually just a garden hose with your thumb over the end is enough - that sort of pressure.
Post #700673 13th Apr 2018 8:31pm
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MartnH



Member Since: 30 Oct 2017
Location: Nsw
Posts: 28

Australia 
Let us know how much oil is there

Piston ring will wear and more blowby produced, there will be more oil in the intercooler
Post #700692 13th Apr 2018 10:12pm
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ericvv



Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

Switzerland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
Question about this possible oil mist in an intercooler.
Since the air passing through the intercooler is warm and pressurized, wouldn't any serious oil mist not be pushed through the intercooler and make it into the cylinders, rather than accumulate and staying put in the intercooler? I can accept that a bit of a oily film would stay in the intercooler fins, but anything substantial would blow through it with the pressurized airflow, no?
It also must be a very gradual process, not as if somebody puts half a liter of oil in it in one go, but a slow process of mimimal oil particles being dispersed together with a lot of pressurized air.
There surely will be some oil as my experience is that when a year ago my turbo to intercooler pipe blew loose at the turbo end, there indeed was some oil which leaked out.
Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation.
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Post #700701 14th Apr 2018 4:31am
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bpman



Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
Did you get your hands oily Eric ??
Post #700711 14th Apr 2018 6:03am
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