Aluminum Cleaner

[Nova Jed]

Paul, that stuff is very caustic. It can be picked up at any local HVAC supply house. It does work very well. I have seen it take some nasty stuff off of coils already. Thanks for giving me the idea. I never even considered it.

My father used to work at a plant in Pottstown that used an industrial strength Citrus Orange cleaner. I used it on my Z intake and worked awsome. Soaked it, hosed it and it didn't even get the aluminum oxide on it.

[njsteve]

That purple stuff full strengh degreaser works well, too. Just leave the intake in a big bucket of it and watch the progress over a day or so.

[wheelhop]

how about just bead blasting it? I bead blasted a day 2 intake and it came out looking like new!

[firez]

I use Eagle One Aluminum Etch. It works good

[MosportGreen66]

You need to degrease that intake and media blast it. Eagle 1 Self etching is a waste of time unless the paint is stripped off.

[FANTASY FACTORY]

Stroll on down to ya local HVAC shop, get a gal of coil cleaner, 1/2 a cup in a slop sink of warm water.
this was as snotty as they get, 2 hrs later and a cool rinse..

[VintageMusclecar]

A quick note about coil cleaners, and cleaners in general;

There are 2 common types of coil cleaners, alkaline and acid based. The alkaline based products will remove dirt & grease, but it will also remove a fine layer of aluminum, leaving behind a thin layer of whatever other metals are part of that particular alloy (copper for example). This results in the grey or black film left behind when aluminum is cleaned with an alkaline based product.

Here's the important part! The acid based coil cleaners usually contain phosphoric, sulphuric, and most importantly, hydrofluoric acid. ANY type of acid is dangerous, but hydrofluoric acid is nasty, nasty, evil stuff!!! You are taking a serious risk with your health and your life messing with hydrofluoric acid.

Here is a copy/paste from a MSDS sheet from a product which contains hydrofluoric acid:

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY!

[ QUOTE ]
ROUTE OF ENTRY:
INHALATION: YES
SKIN: YES
EYES: YES
INGESTION: YES

HEALTH HAZARDS (ACUTE AND CHRONIC):
THIS MATERIAL IS CORROSIVE TO SKIN, EYES, AND INTERNAL ORGANS.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE:

EYE CONTACT: SEVERE IRRITATION AND POSSIBLE BURNS.

SKIN CONTACT:
SEVERE IRRITATION AND POSSIBLE CHEMICAL BURNS. SYMPTOMS MAY BE DELAYED FOR
UP TO 24 HOURS.

INHALATION:
MISTS MAY IRRITATE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND CAUSE DIFFICULTY BREATHING.

INGESTION:
SOLUTIONS AND MISTS ARE EXTREMELY CORROSIVE AND TOXIC. MAY CAUSE GASTRIC
DISTRESS, DIARRHEA, AND VOMITING. MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS GENERALLY AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE:
CONTACT MAY AGGRAVATE PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS DERMATITIS OR
ASTHMA.

CARCINOGENICITY:
NTP?: NO.
IARC?: NO.
OSHA?: NO.

EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID MEASURES:

EYE CONTACT:
CONTACT A PHYSICIAN AND START TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY!

1.IMMEDIATELY FLUSH THE EYES WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF GENTLY FLOWING WATER FOR
15 MINUTES. HOLD THE EYELIDS OPEN AND AWAY FROM THE EYES DURING IRRIGATION.
DO NOT PUT ANY TREATMENT INTO EYES UNLESS DIRECTED BY A PHYSICIAN.

2. TAKE THE VICTIM TO A DOCTOR, PREFERABLY AN EYE SPECIALIST, AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE AFTER THE 15-MINUTE RINSE. ICE WATER COMPRESSES SHOULD BE APPLIED
TO THE EYES WHILE TRANSPORTING THE VICTIM.

3. IF A PHYSICIAN IS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE, IRRIGATE THE EYES WITH
500-1000 ML IRRIGATION OF 1% CALCIUM GLUCONATE AQUEOUS OPHTHALMIC SOLUTION
FOLLOWED BY AN N ADDITIONAL 15-MINUTE IRRIGATION. DO NOT APPLY ANY OTHER
MEDICATION UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY A PHYSICIAN. AVOID RUBBING EYES.

SKIN CONTACT:
CONTACT A PHYSICIAN AND START TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY!

NOTE:
FOR SKIN CONTACT OR SUSPECTED CONTACT

MOVE VICTIM IMMEDIATELY UNDER A SAFETY SHOWER OR OTHER WATER SOURCE AND
FLUSH THE AFFECTED AREA WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF TEMPERED RUNNING WATER. SPEED
OF WASHING OFF THE ACID IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE. REMOVE ALL CLOTHING AND
FOOTWEAR WHILE CONTINUING TO FLUSH WITH FLOWING WATER. CONTINUE WASHING
FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES.

GET THE VICTIM TO A PHYSICIAN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE 15-MINUTE
FLUSHING.

INHALATION:
CONTACT A PHYSICIAN AND START TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY!

1. REMOVE VICTIM TO FRESH AIR. MAKE SURE MOUTH AND THROAT ARE CLEAR OF
OBSTRUCTIONS. IF NECESSARY, SUPPORT BREATHING WITH ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION.

2. KEEP VICTIM WARM, QUIET, AND LYING DOWN.

3. DO NOT GIVE STIMULANTS UNLESS DIRECTED BY PHYSICIAN.

4. DO NOT ALLOW THE VICTIM TO BECOME ACTIVE FOR 24 HOURS. DURING THIS TIME,
THE VICTIM SHOULD BE EXAMINED BY A PHYSICIAN AND HELD UNDER OBSERVATION.

INGESTION:
CONTACT A PHYSICIAN AND START TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY!

1. HAVE THE VICTIM DRINK 3-4 GLASSES OF WATER AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO
DILUTE THE PRODUCT. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. DO NOT GIVE EMETICS OR BAKING
SODA. NEVER GIVE ANYTHING BY MOUTH TO AN UNCONSCIOUS PERSON.

2. GIVE SEVERAL GLASSES OF MILK OR SEVERAL OUNCES OF MILK OF MAGNESIA FOR
THEIR SOOTHING EFFECT. THE CALCIUM OR MAGNESIUM IN THESE COMPOUNDS ALSO
ACTS AS AN ANTIDOTE.

3. GET MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.

NOTES TO PHYSICIAN:
TREAT AS HYDROFLUORIC ACID BURN. BURNS AROUND FINGERNAILS OR TOENAIL ARE
DIFFICULT TO TREAT AS THE ACID MAY PENETRATE THE NAILS. TREATMENT MAY
REQUIRE REMOVAL OF THE NAIL.

FOR MINOR BURNS TO THE FACE AND MUCOUS MEMBRANES, AN OINTMENT CONTAINING
2.5% CALCIUM GLUCONATE MAY BE USED IN LIEU OF HYAMINE OR ZEPHIRAN
SOLUTIONS. THE JELLY MAY BE MASSAGED INTO THE BURN. A POSSIBLE TREATMENT IS
SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION OF STERILE 2.5% CALCIUM GLUCONATE SOLUTION AROUND
AND BENEATH THE SKIN AND IN THE BURNED AREAS. INITIALLY USE NO MORE THAN
0.5CC PER SQUARE CENTIMETER OF AFFECTED SKIN SURFACE, AND DO NOT DISTORT
THE APPEARANCE OF THE SKIN. IF PAIN IS NOT RELIEVED, ADDITIONAL TREATMENT
MAY BE INDICATED. OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TREATING HYDROFLUORIC
ACID BURNS FROM A POISON CONTROL CENTER.

SPECIAL NOTES TO TREATING PHYSICIAN:

MEDICAL PERSONNEL TREATING ANY VICTIM OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID EXPOSURE SHOULD
BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS:

1. SHOCK

2. INHALATION OF VAPORS CAN CAUSE PULMONARY EDEMA FOR WHICH EFFECTS MAY BE
DELAYED. IN ADDITION, VAPORS MAY BURN ORAL TISSUE CAUSING SWELLING WHICH
MAY RESTRICT BREATHING.

3. EXPOSURE TO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF HYDROFLUORIC ACID BY ANY ROUTE MAY
ALSO RESULT IN HYPOCALCEMIA. HYPOCALCEMIA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RISK IN
ALL INSTANCES OF INHALATION AND INGESTION, AND WHENEVER BURNS EXCEED 25
SQUARE INCHES (160 SQUARE CENTIMETERS OF BODY SURFACE.

[/ QUOTE ]

Get the idea that this stuff isn't to be screwed around with???

I as much as anyone else wish to use the best, most effective means to clean & restore parts, but you've got to know when to say "when".

[njsteve]

Thanks for the info! That is some serious stuff.

(I can only imagine what the MSDS for beer would read like! )

[Nova Jed]

Eric, you are very right about that. Very nasty stuff. I have seen many a chemical burn from the service techs that are in a "HURRY" that do not use the stuff properly.

Just goes to show, what may be the quickest, is not always the safest method of doing something. The burns last for atleast a month.

[RALLY]

The best cleaner i found for Aluminum, Aluminum Naval Jelly, by Permatex. Liquid substance is put on with a brush, let sit for 5-10 minutes, hose off with hot water. I soak my parts first in real hot water, apply this cleaner, sit 5-10 minutes, hose off with hot water, just unreal it cleans.