yuck, i looked in my radiator!

[chester rides again]

So the top hose came off my radiator yesterday - actually where the hose hooks up to the thermostat. Anyway, looks like the clamp came loose, so it was an easy fix.

However, when I was refilling the radiator, I looked inside and was suprised to see alot of sediament/rust sitting on the top of the radiator and in the openings.

Should I do a radiator flush? If so, it seems that I won't be touching those particles on top, unless I somehow flush from the bottom up.

Any thoughts?

Jeff

[I Leak Oil]

Remove it and take it to a shop to have it tanked. Flush the engine out with a hose as best you can before reinstalling it.
Jason T.

[Jeff Aronson]

Even if you can't use a shop, try and remove it so you can flush it out with a hose. Flip it upside down so you don't wash the sediment down through the radiator.

Then flush out the engine block itself but removing the thermostat and letting a hose run for a while under pressure. You could remove the heater hoses so it won't run through the heater core if you prefer.

If the car doesn't run hot, you're probably ok for regular use right now. But it never hurts to keep it cleaned out.

Jeff

[gudjeon]

You can take a gamble and use CLR to clean out the rad only - not in the motor. I have seen this done with some success. If its going to hold together, its a cheap way to descale. If its going to leak, then you haven't got a whole lot invested to confirm its time to get a recore/replacement.

[Tim Smith]

You can take a gamble and use CLR to clean out the rad only - not in the motor. I have seen this done with some success. If its going to hold together, its a cheap way to descale. If its going to leak, then you haven't got a whole lot invested to confirm its time to get a recore/replacement.

CLR... I don't know why but I'm sensing a reference to Billy Mays coming soon. Orange Glo, Oxy Clean or Kaboom in radiators any one?

[Firemanshort]

I concure with the above advice.... it is not too hard to remove a Series radiator. Take it off and run water through it backwards / upside down. I used a fire hose at low pressure and it worked a treat for me. It is probably smarter to use a good running household garden hose, instead. I was cautioned that too much pressure can burst even a perfectly good radiator.

The CLR trick sounds neat - there are also many commercially available flush solutions that the average Advance or Pep Boys will carry.

[KingSlug]

How about muratic acid like used in a pool. I had a friend do it, he plugged the bottom hole of the radiator, poured in a gallon then filled with water then back flushed in the morning with a garden hose.

I really like a cirtic acid flush as suggested by M-B, it really works nice and is gentle to the parts. Plus its cheap if you look around.

Jared