Need suggestions for how to clean heat exchangers

[Sacto S]

Project car has been sitting for years with oil dripping down on heat exchangers. Car now smokes like a drunken barfly after just a few minutes of warm up. Any chemicals or techniques anyone has found to be successful would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Tom F.]

Fix the oil leaks, yet? If it's baked on oil, oven cleaner works pretty well, but you'll have to repaint them if they're factory hx's. (One more reason why SSI's are better.) An old fashioned hot tank is best, but I don' t know of any shops that have them anymore.

[mike curnow]

sand blast them

[t6dpilot]

sand blast them

Yep, I did that and painted them with a very high temp paint. Look great now!

[Mr9146]

sand blast them

We do this for really bad ones, but sometimes that creates more problems than it solves (pinholes and thin metal where they're rusty).

Most of the time we stick 'em in our Jet Washer to remove the heavy stuff, then we paint them with VHT Ceramic paint in a can. Cured correctly it's highly durable and lasts quite a while.

[kentf14]

+1 on the VHT ceramic rattlecan job. I've done this on my muffler and it's worked out very well.

[Sacto S]

Thanks for the replies. I will go at it slowly to see what happens. I have also had good luck with the VHT products. I won't miss the smell of the refinery fire that is currently filling my garage each time I get the car up to temp.