Radiator flush

[jovibuilt]

I have used the Prestone Super Radiator flush and its not working.I need to flush the system because I am still getting rusty(brown) looking water from it.The radiator is new but the heater core was stopped up.I think the po had but stop leak in the radiator when the truck had a 2.9 in it.The truck now has a 4.0 with a new radiator but I want to clean up the system before I add new antifreeze before winter.Anyone have any diy tricks?Thanks

 

[adsm08]

2 quarts of VC-9 iron cleaner diluted in 5 gallons of water into the cooling system. Drive for 15 minutes and then drain radiator and pull the drain plug out of the block. Reinstall block plug and remove t-stat. Reinstall housing and run a garden hose into the water neck until clean water starts coming out the rad drain.

 

[Brownie Mobile]

You might have to do it more than once as well, i've used several bottles of the stuff accompanied by several flushes still getting brown but its getting a lot less every time in fact last time it was pretty much damn clear(with green of course), and it started out as about pure rust coming out of there give it time or try adsm's idea but ive never heard of iron cleaner so just trying to help out.

 

[shane96ranger]

If you think the heater core is suspect, take the hoses off the core (at the firewall) and let the garden hose run through it. I did that on my 1 year old heater core in my Explorer and it helped a lot.

 

[adsm08]

ive never heard of iron cleaner so just trying to help out.

Iron cleaner is basically the same stuff as "coolant flush". It's a bit harsher, I wouldn't use it on anything with aluminum heads, but it won't kill the rad or heater core.

It's the stuff we dump in diesels after headgasket or EGR cooler failures. Then we run them about 15 minutes up the street and back and run the hose into the coolant bottle with the rad drain open and the engine running until it comes clear.

That will usually get all the crud out.

 

[mk42gunner]

Here are a couple of options:

1. If you are sure it is only the heater core; replace it. They are fairly easy and cheap to replace on the newer vehicles.

2. I have used many different radiator flushes in the past 35 years, and the only one that worked well enough for me to be satisfied was washing soda. The Arm & Hammer brand is found in a yellow box in the laundry aisle in a well stocked supermarket. I used it in my Kubota L175 with a thermos syphon system and could not believe how much dirt and crap came out of the cooling system.

Robert

 

[RonD]

As shane96ranger suggested

Have you back flushed the heater core?

Run hose water backwards through the core, make sure "heat regulator" is open.
You can tell the in/out by hose temp, normal in flow will be the warmer of the two hoses.

You can blow it out first, compressed air or just blow into the hose until most of the fluid is out, then fill it back up with a chemical flush and let it sit for a bit then back flush, repeat as needed until flow is good and clean.

But be prepared, some of the gunk that comes out might have been sealing a hole in the core, so check the carpet under the core for dampness.

 

[shane96ranger]

Here are a couple of options:

1. If you are sure it is only the heater core; replace it. They are fairly easy and cheap to replace on the newer vehicles.

I would contest the "easy" part on newer vehicles. Most new vehicles require the dash to be pulled out. Luckily, it's very easy on the OP's truck (1993). It MIGHT take 30 minutes to replace.

2. I have used many different radiator flushes in the past 35 years, and the only one that worked well enough for me to be satisfied was washing soda. The Arm & Hammer brand is found in a yellow box in the laundry aisle in a well stocked supermarket. I used it in my Kubota L175 with a thermos syphon system and could not believe how much dirt and crap came out of the cooling system.

Robert

That is good to know. Thanks for the tip. Is the washing soda liquid, or a powder?

 

[jovibuilt]

Its the truck in this post.http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110796
1989 ranger with a swapped 4.0.And I all ready flushed the heater core.Just trying to get the rust out of the motor.

 

[mk42gunner]

I would contest the "easy" part on newer vehicles. Most new vehicles require the dash to be pulled out. Luckily, it's very easy on the OP's truck (1993). It MIGHT take 30 minutes to replace.

The OP stated in a later post that it is an 89. While I haven't replaced the heater core in a second generation Ranger; I did in the second 88 that I had. I will agree that it took about 30 minutes, and didn't require disassembly of the dash (unlike my 77 F250).

That is good to know. Thanks for the tip. Is the washing soda liquid, or a powder?

The washing soda is a powder. I disolved a cup or so in a bucket of warm water prior to filling the radiator, ran the tractor for about 20 minutes to get it warm and circulating, then pulled the lower radiator hose off to drain it.

It worked pretty good, the tractor hasn't overheated for the last two years of mowing my yard, it has a Woods belly mower on it.

Robert