Radiator flush

Anybody have a recommendation? Aluminum radiator plastic tanks

Washing soda works ok on old tractors with tender copper radiators, it'd be worth a try.

What's it on?

About how many miles?

Typically about 200,000 miles they are done, the tank will crack across from the upper hose.

Lots of aftermarket choices online, cheap.

I use Cascade for dishwashers,, works great

Is the flush for maintenance, contamination or a heating problem?
New radiators are more cost effective than trying to save a clogged (on the inside) aluminum radiator, unless your's is an exception.
If the air is restricted by built up dirt grass etc in the fins, that can be cleaned to fix a heating problem.
Rinsing out can be done with just water.
A badly contaminated system needs a coolant filter when a new radiator is installed.

About ten years seems to be all you get from the plastic.

Trying to flush some stop leak out of the radiator .

I think I've tried about all the over the counter flushes. Then have to have it professionally flushed. I don't try the DIY anymore.

We ran 6-71 detroits. On our boats in the Navy. We used powdered vinegar. Three packs to an engine.Not sure what that would do to a modern engine. But it worked good for us.

If its off flush the ell out of it both ways with water... If its stopped up you may be chit out of luck replace it life will be good...

I'll have to go with 'Old's' idea of vinegar and water. Let it sit overnight, flush with clear water and see what happens. May have to do it twice. HTH

Just make sure you dissolve the Cascade first, otherwise it can cake up and plug.

I may call the local hold em n screw em and see what they
charge and if they have a flush machine

Permatex use to make some that actually worked but it will eat aluminum

Where do I get washing soda

I may try some vinegar and see what happens

I?ve never had one actually flushed with a machine before

I?ve got a couple squirts of Palmolive in it now sure makes bubbles hoping maybe it?ll Loosen up the stop leak . I?ve thought of using purple power

Ford says to use simple green at about half and half water dilution. They want it to be hot so they use it on the vehicle. May not work if all the way plugged. We also have an air operated diagram pump that we hook to the heater core to pulsate the coolant and knock it loose.

The temp sender seemed to have failed last summer on one of my vineyard tractors, would read off-scale hot in less than a minute of run time, all metal registered 180F after warmed up and used.

I bought a gallon of radiator flush at Deere, think it was a Hastings product, when I got the new sender. It suggested removing the thermostat for a better flush, so might as well get one of those, too.

Well, to drain it per directions, I had to remove the lower hose, and since they are 1989 vintage, get replacements for those, too.

Once the top hose is off, look inside and see just how crappy the top of the tubes are!! Tried the Hasdtings product at double strength, it cleaned the thermostat area and other metal fine, but the radiator was still white and crusty around the tubes.

Took the radiator off, but no local shops would do a true cleaning any more, EPA restrictions on chemicals used and aluminum radiators failing were reasons given. They all said buy new.

Deere wanted $600, so eBAY provided a new radiator at $300. The plastic tank attaches directly to the top of the radiator, and is pressurized, but I was able to save that. New o-ring required, along with minor modifications to the brand new almost-right radiator. And, since the hydraulic oil cooler needed to be removed to get the radiator out, new hoses and clamps for that, too.

To get the thermostat out, you have to remove the muffler, and why not look into the turbo? Why is it all oily? Better run that down to the Turbo shop...GOOD NEWS, turbo is fine, but must be leaking valve guide seals causing the oily exhaust, so off comes the valve cover for new guide seals and keepers (oh, wait, this model does not have seals, so back up and live with it!).

When we got to the talk of pulling the head off and replacing valve guides I remembered why all this started, and decided I could live with a gauge that didn't work.

Just replace it and back flush the engine with warm water while it's out. Modern radiators just end up failing later if flushed with chemicals.

That?s exactly how my projects usually go start at one end by
the time it?s over I?m at the other end after overhauling
everything in between

Stopped at the garage today they want 85$ to flush it so I?m going to have them do it I thought it would cost 185$ I can?t really buy cleaner and screw around for 85$

I buy the $ General house brand. It's liquid and works great at cleaning with no streaking of dishes and glasses. Will try next time I flush a radiator.