NJTman

Hey Marko, this isn't for you......


While putting my truck back together after KDP being killed, I noticed a bunch of gunk in my radiator. It was all the white scale that is found at the ends of the cooling tubes, and I thought it was a good time to get rid of it, before the final parts come and I finish the job.

So, after reading a bunch of threads, and a couple other "google links", I decided that the $65 the local rad shop wanted to clean it out could be saved, if I did it myself.

Following the guides listed here on this site and others:

Make sure your radiator is brass and copper, otherwise don't do this, as you will destroy any radiator that has aluminum or plastic end caps on it...

I capped off the upper and lower rad hose connections with rubber caps I use for plumbing repairs and reno's, filled the radiator with a mixture of 50% water and 50% muriatic acid and let it sit for about 45 minutes (by accident as I forgot about it due to a phone call) before dumping. I then neutralized it with baking soda mixed with water and the inside of the rad came out sparkling clean..... Cost me all of $10....

Couple things to note:

Wear splash guards (goggles, gloves, chemical respirator, protective clothing) to protect your skin, as this stuff isn't to be messed around with lightly. YOU WILL GET HURT BADLY IF THIS STUFF TOUCHES YOUR SKIN OR GETS IN YOUR EYES or LUNGS. USE YOUR BRAIN WHILE DOING THIS...

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BOTTLE OF MA:

You must mix the MA with h2o in a big open bucket where the water is already in the bucket, and you slowly pour the MA into it. If you do the opposite, or rush this step, you will be unpleasantly surprised when you get covered with spewing bubbles of death....... The two react violently if mixed improperly, so do your research, read the MSDS on the bottle and USE EXTREME CAUTION doing this.

Use a "radiator funnel". I had one already, but it's a funnel that is specifically designed for radiators that clips into the filler neck and holds itself there. This will help with not getting it all over the place while pouring SLOWLY into the radiator. You will be sorry if you get this stuff on you, so I can't stress enough, to be careful and not rush this process.

Once the radiator has sat for a while, open the petcock and dump the fluid in accordance with your local regulations. Once drained, you can pour in your mixture of baking soda and water that you made (I used one 1/2 box of baking soda (small box) with 2 gallons of water, mixed well.) You have to do this SLOWLY, again, as Mount Vesuvius will come to mind, if you aren't prepared to step back. Remove the caps that covered the inlet and outlet hose connections on the radiator and....

Finish "neutralizing" it with fresh water from you garden hose, rotating the radiator up and down, as bits of calcite will flow out. Once the water remains clear, you're done....

Now if your radiator "leaks" afterwords, then you've effectively cleaned out the junk that was blocking an existing hole in your rad by doing this process. Take it to the local rad shop and have them fix it......

Stay safe and be careful .....