Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tigers_gonads]

There's a very effective method for blowing that shit out once it's proper mayonnaise, also involves a box of Aerial Liquitabs, asbestos arms, about 200 litres of water and drive cleaner for afters...

But as said, new oil cooler then worry about cleaning it out. Avoid driving it if at all possible.

Just don't use the power washer to flush the radiator either or you will end up with a cracked core 

[05omegav6]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

To add, when the hose is connected to the drain plug, the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator is removed from the radiator and diverted to a bucket.

When the hose is connected to this pipe, the drain plug is closed

Edited for clarity

[Webby the Bear]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

 

You aint got a vid of this per chance have you?  Frothing Omega

[05omegav6]

It would make a good Youtube 'How not to flush a cooling system' video, but it is very effective. Definitely not one for the Health and Safety brigade and therefore not exactly recommendable But it does work

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

It cost me £220 plus a bottle of Glenlivet to replace. 

[Anthony in Madrid]

OOOps.. Is that what I think it is?

Have you just replaced the oil cooler?

No...ive just flushed out the cooling system.

[Anthony in Madrid]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

To add, when the hose is connected to the drain plug, the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator is removed from the radiator and diverted to a bucket.

When the hose is connected to this pipe, the drain plug is closed

Edited for clarity

A video or pics of this would be great. However repeating it 20 times...Does that mean adding the tabs 20 times too?

[Anthony in Madrid]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

To add, when the hose is connected to the drain plug, the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator is removed from the radiator and diverted to a bucket.

When the hose is connected to this pipe, the drain plug is closed

Edited for clarity

Was the water running all the time while the engine was on?

[05omegav6]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

To add, when the hose is connected to the drain plug, the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator is removed from the radiator and diverted to a bucket.

When the hose is connected to this pipe, the drain plug is closed

Edited for clarity

Was the water running all the time while the engine was on?

Yes.

[05omegav6]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

To add, when the hose is connected to the drain plug, the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator is removed from the radiator and diverted to a bucket.

When the hose is connected to this pipe, the drain plug is closed

Edited for clarity

A video or pics of this would be great. However repeating it 20 times...Does that mean adding the tabs 20 times too?

Sorry, no vid or pics, and to answer your question... yes, so buy a big box (diswasher liquid tabs)

No point flushing until the oil cooler has been replaced... has this been done yet? I can't remember if this was the issue you were having recently

[chrisgixer]

Change the oil cooler and flush immediately.

Continual use will bugger the rubber compenents and block the heater matrix, making flushing a much more prolonged process with detergents that eat aluminium.

The matrix is prone to leaks on cars this age as it is, without this extra agro.

[Anthony in Madrid]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

To add, when the hose is connected to the drain plug, the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator is removed from the radiator and diverted to a bucket.

When the hose is connected to this pipe, the drain plug is closed

Edited for clarity

A video or pics of this would be great. However repeating it 20 times...Does that mean adding the tabs 20 times too?

Sorry, no vid or pics, and to answer your question... yes, so buy a big box (diswasher liquid tabs)

No point flushing until the oil cooler has been replaced... has this been done yet? I can't remember if this was the issue you were having recently :-[

No havent changed the oil cooler yet. Looking on the net to buy one. If anyone has one or a good place to buy that ships please recommend. Cheers
Ant

[Anthony in Madrid]

Last car I cleaned out, we attached the hose alternately to either the radiator drain plug or the expansion tank overflow pipe into the rad, dropped three tabs down the top hose, ran the engine until the temp gauge hit 100, then simply popped the cap off. Once the resulting volcano has calmed down, skim the gunge from the header tank and repeat... twenty times

The rapid expansion of the water in the sytstem helps blow the muck out, and by alternating opposite corners of the rad, that ensures it gets flushed too

To add, when the hose is connected to the drain plug, the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator is removed from the radiator and diverted to a bucket.

When the hose is connected to this pipe, the drain plug is closed

Edited for clarity

Was the water running all the time while the engine was on?

Yes.

So the water was just building up inside the system without an outlet? Is this dangerous?

[Anthony in Madrid]

There's a very effective method for blowing that shit out once it's proper mayonnaise, also involves a box of Aerial Liquitabs, asbestos arms, about 200 litres of water and drive cleaner for afters...

But as said, new oil cooler then worry about cleaning it out. Avoid driving it if at all possible.

Asbestos arm?
Drive cleaners as in Clean the front drive of the house? 

[05omegav6]

When you release the expansion cap on a hot engine the pressure releases suddenly... This principle effectively blows the gunge out from the header tank. Only catch is that it goes everywhere and is clearly quite hot. The overflow when the hose is filling via the radiator drain goes into a bucket, which helps to wash some of the muck through... You need heat and the tabs to  shift the muck, and by adding water you're adding fluid which flushes the crud out of the system via the header tank.

Best done on waste ground, ie a scrubby bit of garden rather than a block paved drive, hence the drive cleaner... Even traditional flushing will make a mess