Cub - to flush or not to flush

After I got the fire out from the inside of the radiator I decided that my nreves are too fragile for using a torch to solder the overflow tube to the radiator neck. Once it cooled I used JB Weld epoxy to fasten the tube in place.
Is it a good or bad idea to drain the radiator and use a chemical to flush the cooling system??

I have no idea what they're made of, so I couldn't sy how useful or effective some of the bottled flushes you can get at the auto parts would be.

Take a trip to the grocery store. Get a box (it's usually 3lb 7oz) of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOT Baking soda -- it's usually in the detergent aisle right next to the 20-Mule Team Borax) and a gallon of vinegar.

The old IH manuals recommended the washing soda for a flush, and a lot of guys on here recommend vinegar. Both have their benefits. Use both (NOT at the me time!!) and you'll get the best of both worlds.

Your cooling system holds about 2-1/2 gallons. For the first flush, mix about half or a little less of the washing soda into 2-1/2 gal of water. Mix it up well before putting it down the neck of the radiator. Let it sit overnight and then run the tractor until it's good and warm (you'll see the coolant circulating through the radiator neck) and let that solution circulate for a while. It's not necessary to let it cool down to stone cold afterwards, but let it cool down some after the run, and drain the soda and water.

Once its well drained, (flush a little water from a hose through at this point, if you want, can't hurt) close your drain and make up a solution of vinegar. Use the whole gallon and water enough to make enough to fill it up (stir/mix before filing and run it warm again for a while. The vinegar will react with any residual soda that will have soaked into any sludge to help loosen it, and what you'll have done is to have scrubbed the system some and neutralized any acidic or alkaline deposits.

Drain again.

If you use both, it would probably be a good idea to give it one last good flush with water, just to get any residual vinegar out. Use the hose or fill it and run once more and drain. (It's gettin' to be pain in the neck, all this fillin' and drainin', but I prefer doin' the latter with the last fill of water.)

At that point, mix up your antifreeze, fill it, check after running to make sure it's topped off and go.

You'll have done about all you can by flushing. It may leave you with some residual mud/sludge in the bottom of the radiator or the nooks and crannies inside the block, but should certainly clean up the tubes on the radiator core and most of what's inside the rest.

Mike,
I haven't had much good luck w/ JB weld on overflow pipes or similar applications... must be too much vibration If it were mine, I'd plug the bottom, fill it up w/ fresh water to just below where you need to solder, and solder away. There would be so little flammable gas, if any, that it would be safe to torch around, and you wouldn't accidently unsolder your header.
By the way, I got the ck. Have your relatives pick up the implements any time they like.
You don't happen to have an extra drawbar by any chance do you?