Anyone ever replaced a condenser because you couldn't get it clean enough? 17 years of junk imbedded in this thing. Won't wash out, won't blow out. Tried everything short of chemicals, would rather not have to correct chemical stains everywhere on the car/paint, and if I have to pull the condenser out to clean it, I'd just replace it. Can't get it out of my mind that a dirty condenser restricts airflow to the radiator, and can cause increased compressor head temps. Ordering a Dewitts radiator, would rather do it all at the same time.

Update: I was going to go with the Dewitts radiator anyway for added cooling ability. While everything is apart, I decided to just go ahead and replace the condenser and freshen up my A/C system. Too easy to do while everything is apart and not much more money. After all, it's a 17 year old condenser anyway. Parts are ordered.

 

Sounds like you made a wise decision

 

Well this was a fun debate, even if it was just between the OP and himself.

 

I replaced mine for your exact reasons. Full of crap and stones.

 

I took my radiator out to clean it and the condenser about a year ago. both were very dirty, Next time I plan to replace the radiator and the condenser.

 

So, I've ordered a replacement radiator (Dewitts) and a replacement condenser due to inability to get it all as clean as I wanted it. Just wanted to share a few photos. Personally, I prefer very clean for maximum air flow, so maybe that's a little overkill, but without a doubt I will be looking for ways to keep this cleaner in the future. (Avoid driving over this kind of debris, for one thing.)



This is prior to cleaning.

This is after cleaning. Looks pretty good, huh?




But if you look really close, not so clean. This is after blowing out with compressed air. Debris won't come out in either direction, and I have better things to do with my time than clean each little path individually with a toothpick or something. I did actually attempt it briefly with a cut off zip-tie.

 

Now that the condenser is out of the car, maybe it is a perfect candidate to experiment with different cleaners/chemicals/techniques to see if anything will soften up that embedded gunk and let you wash or blow it out.

Some things to try:

-foaming coil cleaner
-Purple Power
-heat gun or mild flame torch
-oven cleaner
-diluted wheel cleaning acid
-liquid Draino or equivalent

I think the key to success is to find something that will shrink or soften the debris enough so it can be washed or blown out of the fin gaps. Once it is clean, then a basic cleaning regimen every month or two will help keep the debris from getting impacted.
Obviously a lot of these chemicals cannot be used with the condenser on the car, but it would be interesting as to what will possibly help remove that debris that is so impacted into the fin gaps. Once we figure out what really works, you can often work backwards to find a solution that can be used safely with the condenser on the car.

The C5 really has an issue being a bottom feeder. On my car, the edges (especially at the top) get filled with track grit and sand before the middle and bottom.

 

This would certainly help:

 

Good idea! All my parts arrived yesterday, might take me a few days to get it all installed. Then once I'm done I'll make some time to try various cleaning methods and report back. The tiny pebbles are probably going to be the hardest issue, and they seem to be what catches other trash and locks it in place. By the way, Dewitts radiator is pretty nice in person!

 

Any screen you use to cover the "mouth" of the bottom feeder will cause air flow reduction. The tighter the pattern, the less the air flow. Might be OK on the street, but if the pattern is too tight or you use a screen door-like material, you will probably overheat if you're tracking the car on a road course. On my track car I installed a wire grid screen that had 1/2" squares and then I cut every other horizontal wire section so I end up with squares that are 1" x 1/2" grid pattern. The squares are 1" long in the front to back orientation. My main concern was big chunks of track rubber that could dent the fins of the AC condenser. I still need to blow out the radiator/condenser stack after every track event or two. Grit and tiny pebbles are the biggest issue getting stuck in the condenser fins.

 

I agree that any screen will cause air flow reduction. My post was aimed at street driving FM which are in the majority here.

 

We had a friend bring his early C6 track car to my garage because it would overheat when running on the track. The engine was a Lingenelter stroker lots of HP so lots of heat to shed. The car had a history of overheating from the previous owners, so we kinda feared the worst. We checked the coolant side with water soluble flourescing dye and that side of the system was tight, no leaks. Then, since it is a bottom feeder like a C5, looking underneath a PO had put a big oil cooler right in the bottom feed path. We thought that was the problem; not so. To make a short story long the car had a Dewitt's so all things right, should and does have the capacity for this engine.

We took the Dewitts out so we could access the AC condenser from the back and there was this brown sticky goo all over the condenser. All the rubber *****, seeds dead bugs and squirrel hair were stuck to this brown goo. Turns our the culprit was that beautiful Lingenfelter CAI and an oil catch can that could not keep up with the blow-by and the top end oil. So, any time there wasn't a big engine vacuum on the system a little oil would burp into the air filter and eventually was deposited on the condenser.

We completely solved his cooling problems by removing the CAI, covering the hole cut in the radiator shroud, and replacing the OEM air filter system. Oh yea, we used FROST KING air conditioner coil cleaner and a garden hose on both the condenser and the rad. After that, he could run the pee out of the car and it stayed in an acceptable temp range. Since there is no path to get the goo back on the condenser, the catch can can wait a bit. That's another story. However, the takeaway is that the CAI's that everybody thinks so highly of can be a problem. When that radiator shroud is cut on a bottom feeder, then the CAI will compete with the radiator for the available air. This is the third car we pulled the CAI off and replaced with OEM. The the cars actually ran better.

 

Resurrecting this one as opposed to starting a new thread. this is a C6 by the way
I decided to replace the front air dam as the old one is pretty scraped up. In the process, I noted some junk falling out from the radiator/condenser area. No big deal I thought, just blow it out a little and get back to business.
An hour and a half later after blowing and tapping the condenser, radiator, and fan for awhile I managed to collect the dirt and crap in the photo. I'm sure there is plenty more. sheesh!