I decided to pull my radiator today, been having a problem lately sitting in traffic and the temp gauge moving to the hot side of the gauge. I didn't want to have any problems down the road so I cleaned the radiator today.

I took the advice of a few others from here a couple yrs ago and relocated the breather bottle to the frame rail cause that is one culprate to a plugged up radiator. Also if you live where alot of cottonwood trees are, the cottons get stuck in the fins/oil/crud and help plug it up more.

I pulled the radiator, soaked it down with lots of simple green and the purple stuff when I ran out of simple green. I have a high pressure nozzle for my garden hose, would have used a presure washer but didn't have access to one today. Sprayed the radiator from the back side to push the crud out of the core. Did this several times and i also washed it from the front one time. Used a stiff bristle brush to remove any left over bugs that didn't come off easy. I also clean under the hood too to get rid of any crud built up from the oil and grease. I am very happy with the end result of my work. Ran the truck in the drive for a little while to warm it up. I'll see how it acts in standing traffic now and see if it gets hot again, should with all the crud washed out of it.
I suggest if you haven't relocated the breather bottle, do so and also clean the rad out too.

Few pics of the radiator before/after:

Dirty


Clean

 

Hey, what are you doing with my radiator??? Mine looked pretty close to the same before the wash. Just an FYI, it will still gather the little fuzzies and needs to be washed one in awhile, but at least there is no oil to wash out.

 

after the relocation, you will not have the radiator look like that again...... i lost mine the first oil change in 2000

 

I'm gonna get some metal screen and put it over the front of the condenser,cooler,and rad to keep the big stuff out. I have an idea on how to do it and make it look good. I'll post pics of that project when I get to it.


I wish I could have relocated mine soon but I bought the truck with 38k on it already and didn't get to relocating it till about 45k. Currently has 154k on it. When I first got the truck the breather bottle had slobbered all over the front of the engine. Was pretty nasty under the hood when I bought it.


I took it out for a short drive, just cruising on the highway the engine is running cooler than before. The fan also sounds like its not under as much stress either. When I took everything apart the fan blades and clutch had that crud caked on them too. Now they are clean.

 

If you install the bug screen up against the condenser it will cause higher head pressures in the AC system. The screen should be installed away from the condenser. My winter front came with a summer one, they both just snap on the outside of the grille.

 

that looks nasty

 

Good job Matt, bet it's cooler now!

 

I got to thinkin' that I'll install the screen to the back of the grill shell. That would keep it away and off the AC condenser and it wouldn't be in the way of anything else.


Rick, it is operating alot cooler now. Just drivin around this evening the gauge was sittin half way to 190*, normally in this temp (80*) it was hovering around 190ish. It's suppose to get warmer over the weekend so I'll see how it works out, should stay pretty cool still.

 

I've had a piece of door screen on the front of my condensor for nearly three years now. I am/was til about a year ago, ASE auto/diesel blah,blah mechanic air conditioning ASE/ gm master blah,blah garbage.

Have run my truck with gauges, charging it up because of leak at the high pressure switch and pressures look good with the screen on the front. That little door screen is not going to impede airflow enough to cause problems. Three years and I've got the air in that truck where you could hang meat on the hottest days.....usually only use it when I'm yappin' on the phone though.

 

My rad. looked like that too. Shame dodge a cummins had this and other bad ideas when they got together.

 

Update, I recently took a trip to and from Florida in my truck. On the way down it stayed way below 190, on the way back (truck bed had 2 dressers, a recliner,end table and some other stuff in it, maybe 1000lbs) was just under 190. It hit it hottest temp when pulling up one of the mountians in Tennesse. That was the hottest it got. Glad I cleaned my radiator out.