Vacuuming front grills - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

teleski · 10-13-2012, 10:01 AM

A dishwasher drain hose attached to a shop vac makes an excellent tool to clean the compartments in front of the front radiators. Fits perfectly between the grill slats.

blue2000s · 10-13-2012, 10:26 AM

If you had ever seen where the debris collects and to what degree, you'd understand that the method you are suggesting is more or less pointless. In fact it is more likely to damage the radiator fins and make things worse.

Homeboy981 · 10-13-2012, 12:09 PM

All I can picture is my plumber trying to do the grills. I am getting nothing but butt crack here….got some pics?

Ghostrider 310 · 10-13-2012, 12:12 PM

I know what Blue is referring to but I think Ward went a little hard on the Beav, after all ANY debris removed is better than none removed. I have carefully vacuumed my own self and unless one is careless it's fine to do.

stephe57 · 10-13-2012, 01:41 PM

Made a special tool out of steel brake line and an air gun. Blows all the debris out and unless you ram it on there, I don't contact the radiators. Found cigarette butts, large diameter rocks, feathers, gum...craziness!

Ghostrider 310 · 10-13-2012, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephe57

Made a special tool out of steel brake line and an air gun. Blows all the debris out and unless you ram it on there, I don't contact the radiators. Found cigarette butts, large diameter rocks, feathers, gum...craziness!

OK now I'm curious, where does said device blow the debris to? As far I remember there is no way to access the bumper cover from the rear to blow the gunk forward and out. Blue is spot on, without question, there is no substitute for removing the bumper cover and cleaning it.

BruceH · 10-13-2012, 02:12 PM

It's an ok idea for in between maintenance, but removing the bumper is the only way to get it completely clean IMO.

stephe57 · 10-13-2012, 03:42 PM

By sticking the tool all the way to the back it blows everything back out the front. I assure you its as clean as removing the bumper.

blue2000s · 10-13-2012, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephe57

By sticking the tool all the way to the back it blows everything back out the front. I assure you its as clean as removing the bumper.

LOL, It's definitely not.

j.fro · 10-13-2012, 03:52 PM

The amount of crud that collects between the radiator and A/C condenser is significant. I can't see getting that out without disassembly.

stephe57 · 10-13-2012, 03:55 PM

Okay okay haha maybe not as clean but it helps me sleep at night! loll these bumpers swallow everything!!

Topless · 10-13-2012, 04:19 PM

About 90% of the flotsam that clogs the radiators can be found crammed between the A/C condenser and the Rads. You can't see it and you can't clean it out until you drop the nose and separate the two. Then and only then will you understand the full effect of this magnificent crap collecting device called a Boxster.

san rensho · 10-13-2012, 04:33 PM

When I wash the car, I spray water into the air intakes, water with crud comes out of the radiators. I think this cleans out the radiators between taking off the front bumper cover and doing a real cleaning.

Allen K. Littlefield · 10-14-2012, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by san rensho

When I wash the car, I spray water into the air intakes, water with crud comes out of the radiators. I think this cleans out the radiators between taking off the front bumper cover and doing a real cleaning.

I have used a shop vac with a smaller hose that fits between the grill. Blow inward to loosen stuff, vacuum to get it out. Then blow in again and vacuum again. Gets a lot out. I am sure there is still some stuff between and only taking off the front bumper will give access but I wouldn't forgo the above process for in between maintenance. Water under pressure would probably help loosen dried in junk but I have yet to try that method.

AKL

Flavor 987S · 10-14-2012, 06:17 AM

At every car washing, I blow out the front air intakes with my leaf blower. Once while everything is dry (before wasking) and again after the car's been washed.

Prior to winter hibernation, I douse the front rads with a degreaser, and rinse thoroughly with water. Same leaf blower routine. And the final step is I duct tape a lenght of flexible tubing to my shop vac, and reach into the vents and do a little more clean-up. Lastly, I wipe down the black trim inside the vents with 303 Aerospace Proct.

teleski · 10-14-2012, 10:02 AM

Wow, some of you have pretty strong opinions. This was not a suggestion for some alternative to cleaning the radiators, in fact I didn't attempt to clean the radiators at all, scrubbing anything against the soft fins is always a bad idea. I just happened to have this hose of the right size lying around, which when attached to the shop vac provides a boat load of suction. Great for getting out the leaves, cigarette butts and loose dirt and gravel which collects in the radiator compartment, at the bottom and around the sides. Hard to imagine that this is pointless given the 5 minutes it took.

SolidWorks Mike · 10-14-2012, 02:30 PM

Trying to figure out which thread gets more arguments:

Cleaning debris from behind the bumper

Or

What brand of oil to use

Ghostrider 310 · 10-14-2012, 03:29 PM

Don't forget the K&N / paper battle of sucked in debris. I was looking at the unfiltered velocity stacks on the 912 in this months Excellence thinking, "what about them"?

ProjectM96 · 10-15-2012, 05:07 AM

I already do this with my car. Fins don't get damaged from vac.

Porsche Boxster 986-How to Clean Radiators - YouTube

Andrew McD · 10-17-2012, 05:05 AM

Have all you nice people talking about using a hoover, every actually taken the bumper off and separated the rads? I just did mine at the weekend.... there is little to no chance you could possibly hoover them clean. I've now done two different cars over the years and both times have found full leaves etc etc in-between them. Also the corners silt up, and it's that that causes the corrosion. But in saying all that a good hoovering cannot do any harm, but you'll still need to take the plunge....