What is this stuff??

[Oneor1]

hey guys whats up? Well I got home from work and what do I see but a nice big box from the post office sitting on my doorstep, so i rush to the door like a little boy on christmas to open my package. I look at the corners of the box and I see all of this black oil (or what looks to be oil) comming from inside the box.

I open the box and pull my intercooler out (its a used one i got off of Ebay) and the looks are very nice except for the fact that theres black oily stuff comming from both the inlet and the outlet on the endtanks... What is this stuff? Is it normal and should i be concerned??

thanks,-Rick

[Nathan]

It's probably oil I'd probably clean it out by pouring some gasoline into it and kinda sloshing it all around and then dumping it out...then repeat process until the oily stuff stops coming out. Then let it dry out thoroughly, or you could dry it quickly by tossing a match in it's general direction;)

[slw240sx]

gas, air compressor, power washer, straighten all the bent fins and what not !! just clean it all up and itll be almost new!! oil residue is common and alot of oil is a good sign the car it came off of that turbo went bOOM

[undertaker]

i wouldn't recommend an explosive solvent to clean it, intercoolers split if you pressurize them too much.

[Nathan]

I wasnt saying to pressurize it...just let it flow through there and get some of the oil out, it seemed like a pretty easy way of doing things.

[themadscientist]

I just fill it halfway up with a 50/50 simplegreen & water and give it the truffleshuffle. Every used intercooler I ever get has some oil in it, sometimes bits of air filter and compressor blades!

[undertaker]

Nathan I figured you didn't mean pressurize it but a core full of fuel vapour is an accident waiting to happen, that stuff can hang around for a while. Its just not worth the risk.

[Nathan]

you could always follow up with a rinsing out with water haha, gasoline is my multi purpose cleaner if you cant tell! I think the easiest thing would be to do what TMS said anyway, I just didnt know the name of any other good solvents to use so I substituted my favorite besides...gasoline smells so good...

[undertaker]

I see what you mean, gasoline is cool.