Evaporator cleaning, scope vid. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

1980sd · #1 07-19-2011, 03:19 AM

I rigged this up to clean my evaporator:

It's just water from the washer pump running through a hole in a toothbrush.

On my 1980 300SD (Awesomemobile) I could reach the evaporator but I couldn't see it.

Until I got this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbwmHSu1wXM

I've been wanting a scope for a while and I figured this was a good excuse. Plus I really want to make sure my evaporator is clean. The vid is after cleaning with about 16 oz of water.

I got it at Harbour Freight so I hope it holds up... Should come in handy in other areas as well. I've had a couple of jobs where I had to use a mirror or shoot cell phone vids to see stuff that I could only feel.

leathermang · #2 07-19-2011, 03:23 AM

Ok... good job getting it into there..
now try it with the 45 degree mirror on it.... so you can see between the fins..
Are you saying you did not use ' scrubbing bubbles' in your cleaning yet ?

The condition of the metal near the support is worse than I would have imagined.. looks like corrosion..

1980sd · #3 07-19-2011, 03:34 AM

That is with the mirror on it. I haven't done a full-on scrub yet just ran a 16 oz bottle of soda water through the brush. I'm planning on getting a few 2 liter bottles of carbonated water for cleaning it and then following up with coil cleaner. The only coil cleaners I've used are aerosols so I'll have to look for some kind of liquid.

I was just fooling around with the camera in that vid. I need to work on manipulating it.

This is it:

http://www.harborfreight.com/high-resolution-digital-inspection-camera-with-recorder-67980.html

leathermang · #4 07-19-2011, 03:45 AM

I have the less expensive one...
http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-inspection-camera-67979.html

1980sd · #5 07-19-2011, 03:57 AM

That's the one I wanted but they were out

1980sd · #6 07-19-2011, 06:29 PM

This is actually quite a job. Seems that most of the crud is made up of the dusty remains of the foam that lines some of the flaps.

I've been running compressed air through the toothbrush alternating with soda water and tap water and checking with the camera in between.

It's already a LOT cleaner after 2 liters of soda water and 3 gallons of tap water.

This has got to help...

leathermang · #7 07-19-2011, 06:34 PM

Why are you avoiding professional hired bubbles ?

1980sd · #8 07-19-2011, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

Why are you avoiding professional hired bubbles ?

I'm not. It's best to get the coil pretty clean of debris and junk before hitting it with coil cleaner. I think I'm about at that point.

leathermang · #9 07-19-2011, 07:01 PM

Cool.... just wondering if you had some religious beliefs which precluded you using them...

You remind me of my aunt that used to wash paper plates after a picnic before throwing them into the trash...
Like, what's the idea behind paper plates except to avoid washing them ?

1980sd · #10 07-19-2011, 07:20 PM

I run Holy Water in my washer fluid so there is some residual mojo in the pump.

I think most coil cleaners are caustic to dissolve organic matter and they also slightly eat the aluminum parts. It's mostly foam remnants in my box. I think the best route would be to VACUUM it first and then use liquid. I'm basically pulverizing it and trying to flush it out...

leathermang · #11 07-19-2011, 07:24 PM

Why are you using soda water if not for ITS caustic effect ?

1980sd · #12 07-19-2011, 07:48 PM

Here's the rest of the cleaning rig:

12V power supply, washer pump and some hose and stuff...

The hose looking thing is a hose with a momentary switch on the end like on Jeopardy!... I've been hooking air to the brush line to blow the coil out in between flushings.

I'm using the carbonated water more for its effervescence than anything. The coil is about 3" thick so I figure it can't hurt having it bubble through there.

I'm getting BLACK water out of the drains. It's was like ink

leathermang · #13 07-19-2011, 08:05 PM

"effervescence"
Is that sorta like bubbles ?

1980sd · #14 07-19-2011, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

"effervescence"
Is that sorta like bubbles ?

Yep! It comes out of the pump mostly as fluid and I figure it bubbling it's way through the coil can't hurt. I'm running a liter of soda followed by the detergent bottle filled with warm water and then blowing it out. I'm going to do this until it's as clean as I can get it and then using some commercial stuff.

jubjub · #15 07-19-2011, 09:57 PM

I don't see how it's possible to clean the entire evap coil through the blower motor opening. I tried that today and there was a plastic diverter blocking me from getting to at least half of it. + it is so thick I don't see how could can get it all nice and shiny all the way through.

I'm planning to tear apart the dash tomorrow to get at it. Anyone know if I can leave the evap coil in place and access it all by taking off the top of the plastic 'box'? I'd rather not evac if if I didn't need to