[Mgs] Cooling System Flush

[Councill, David]

I have used radiator cleaners twice, both on vehicles with rusty colored
coolant. I also use the water flush method which is just a kit where you
hook up a hose to the heater line and force water through and out the
top of the radiator until it comes out clear, then drain the water. This
is probably best just for routine cleaning.

On the rusty coolant, I recall on my 71BGT using what were oxalic acid
crystals poured into the radiator, running the engine for 10-15 minutes,
draining, adding water and a neutralizer, run engine, drain. That was
maybe 25 years ago and I think cleaners now are in liquid form. I used
what was probably the Prestone radiator cleaner on my son's Chevy S10 a
few years ago. They do clean fairly well but the key is making sure you
flush the cleaner out at the end of the process so its corrosive action
is short term.

As I recall on my 71BGT, my heater core was already clogged when I did
the cleaning so the cleaner did not help enough (heat was minimal). It
was back in the early to mid 80s and my 71BGT was a daily driver for a
104 mile round trip commute under cold weather conditions (as cold as
-20 F). That called for a creative fix, probably not recommended, but I
pulled the heater core out of the case which involved bending the case a
small bit to get it out. I then poured a solution of cleaner into the
heater core and warmed the core on a propane stove. Drained/repeated
until the solution was clear and then put it back in the car. That
brought me heat in the BGT for cold winter drives although when below
zero I also had to put cardboard over part of the radiator to keep
coolant temps up.

David Councill
64 B
67 BGT
72 B (powered by my 71BGT parts)


-----Original Message-----
From: mgs-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:mgs-bounces at autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Eugene Balinski
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 8:00 AM
To: mgs at Autox.Team.Net
Subject: [Mgs] Cooling System Flush

All,

I would like to do a cooling system flush on my 80B.  I
plan to use either the Prestone "Super" Radiator Cleaner,
or "Super" Radiator Flush.

Does anyone have experience with either of these products
before ?  Any issues, especially with clogging the heater
core ?   Any other cooling/radiator flush issues  that I
should be aware of with ?

Thanks,

   Gene
     80 B