Cleaning out the radiator

[Old Goat]

The hole in the block is larger that a Petcock.
When I removed the Brass Plug, it comes out pretty quick. But what ever floats ur boat.

I use a plastic pan I got from HD, think they are used to mix cement. They have them in that area of the store.
Maybe 3ft long X 2ft.

Goat

 

[riphip]

The plugs are 9/16"? What thread do they have? Is it NPT?

I'm seriously considering the petcocks, and want to be sure I'm chasing the right ones.

3/8" NPT. Plug has a 9/16" hex head.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Aren't they 1/4" NPT?

 

[gandalf]

You can begin to see why I'm asking about the size. Maybe we'll go with a consensus. "And the winner is...."

I'm trying to avoid pulling one out and taking it to the store with me.

 

[Cubey]

You can begin to see why I'm asking about the size. Maybe we'll go with a consensus. "And the winner is...."

I'm trying to avoid pulling one out and taking it to the store with me.

Buy every possible size and return what you don't use.

 

[CharlesG]

The plugs are 9/16"? What thread do they have? Is it NPT?

I'm seriously considering the petcocks, and want to be sure I'm chasing the right ones.

The plug takes a 9/16" socket, but is a 1/4 NPT thread.

 

[gandalf]

Buy every possible size and return what you don't use.

My track record of returning unused/unwanted items is not good. I have some unreturned items which I'll be mentioning in my will after I'm gone.

 

[G. Mann]

I've used plain vinegar [couple dollars a gallon at the supermarket] to dissolve the calcium deposits in the cooling system, with good success.
It is cheap, biodegradable, doesn't pollute anything, and works on calcium and rust both. Vinegar is a mild acid, like citric acid, only cheaper and I can always find it. If you want to see it work, find the most corroded penny you have, and drop it in a cup of vinegar, watch it work. Then you decide if you want to try it.

I've done it with running the engine till it gets to operation temp [idle for a while] and also just put it in and let it set overnight... Running for a bit to circulate the vinegar and warm it seems to work better for me. Your choice.

When you drain it out, flush the entire system with plain water a couple of times, then distilled water. Pull the block drains so you clear out everything as much as possible.

Recharge the system with 50/50 mix of distilled water and coolant of choice.

 

[Big Bart]

Old school way was to blast with air and water together. (Works good.) Help break up gunk and help float it out with air. It also helped push the water through more of the radiator.

FYI his seems to be a popular coolant system cleaner from Amazon. (I have never used it.)

https://www.amazon.com/Thermocure-C...words=radiator+cleaner&qid=1623200322&sr=8-19


Check out this video from Napa. Napa and Gates I beleive sell the same cooling system blaster.

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Not sure I would want to put to much stress on 30 year old headgaskets, but would not be afraid to do the heater core and radiator with a blaster. If either leaked after, I would see it as it kept me from being stuck on the side in the near future.

If you just change your radiator fluid every 5 years or 50,000 miles with good coolant and distilled water you will avoid much of the corrosion or clogging.

 

[ISPKI]

Interesting, yeah not sure I would trust that either with such an old system. The stuff I flushed thru didnt do a whole lot, burned up 5 bottles and 25 or so gallons of distilled water. The truck has over 200k on it and didnt have the right coolant in it when I got it so who knows how it was maintained. After flushing the whole system out numerous times, I refilled with distilled water and fleet precharged coolant. I will probably run that for a year and flush the system with vinegar next year sometime.

 

[Big Bart]

The bottom line is preventive maintenance is the way to make the cooling system reliable and last. Regular service and if motiviated a coolant filter inline with the heater core. Then you don' t have much if any corrosion issues with the engine or radiator.

Per the video above, the most junk came out of the heater core. Maybe that is why they fail from time to time.

Re-coring our giant radiators is not cheap, so some coolant and distilled water every few years is just cheap insurance the radiator will last longer.

 

[Selahdoor]

When it comes time for mine, I am considering CLR as the rinse. Drain the system. Fill with drinking water. Add the CLR. Run maybe ten minutes, then let sit overnight.

Next day, drain again, then fill with plain water. Hook up a garden hose, and run it for maybe ten to twenty minutes.

(At this point I am also considering adding phosphoric acid. "OSPHO". Run about 3 minutes. Let sit overnight again. Drain and rinse well again. Maybe leave it draind overnight after this one. To allow any residue from the OSPHO to cure and harden.)

Drain again. Now add your distilled water and coolant.




CLR will clean the calcium, lime and rust.

OSPHO will convert any rust left, and also leaves a coating on clean metal that prevents rust.

 

[gnathv]

I agree with trying CLR, but I don’t think ospho is something you want to try.

no, I would not use ospho in a radiator. I think ospho is as the name would indicate, phosphoric acid. It is a rust converter, not remover. In other words, it will react with rust to form something more solid and seal it off.Nov 21, 2018


urnal
https://www.jalopyjournal.com › threads › ospho.663417

Jan 20, 2012 — Has anyone used ospho in water passages in block to control corrosion? ... It will help clean out the rust and will leave behind an iron phosphate coating. ... ended up replacing the radiator and heater core a month later....don't ...


Has anyone used ospho in engine block water passages ...
https://www.fordbarn.com › forum › showthread

Jan 20, 2012 — Has anyone used ospho in engine block water passages Early V8 ... The stuff will deteriorate the water pumps and thin metal in the radiator.

 

[Selahdoor]

Thank you.

I wondered about that.

 

[gnathv]

You’re welcome.