Cleaning radiator with baking soda?
quailbop
crap (the aluminum stuff) in my cooling system, and I would *really* like to
flush it out now. What do I use? I absolutely refuse to buy the prestone
crap at the auto store because something tells me they are selling a fancy
bottle of water with a drop of fragrance in it.
BTW, I am convinced the stop leak ruined my recovery tank, as the cap will
no longer seal tight and leaks coolant. I think maybe the aluminum retains
too much heat and reacts with the plastic causing it to soften. Anyone else
experience this?
Qb
hagbardc...@gmail.com
> Never heard that before.
> This man was visiting my neighbor and working on his motorhome. I saw
> him pouring some white stuff in the radiator. Curious I went to talk and
> ask him what he was pouring in there he said baking soda because he was
> cleaning the radiator in his old motorhome he just bought. He his not a
> talker, but I ask, how do you do that? His answer was; pour let sit for
> a while, then run engine fast idle, heather full blast, then rinse. That
> way it is cheap and happy with the cleaning.
> By the time i get back 5 days later he was gone. Never had a chance to
> ask more questions.
>
> Anybody ever heard that before?
>
> Cacique
This is how it was done back in the day. Add five teaspoons of baking soda per litre ( a bit more than a quart ) and put it in the radiator after draining the old coolant. Let it run with the cap off for about 10 - 15 minutes. Then drain. After the engine cools down flush water through it several times, then finally add 50:50 distilled water and ehtylene glycol. Works perfectly. Saves heaps of money. Baking soda and water act like a soap and cleans a lot of gunk out of the system.
sna...@gmail.com
> "Just Me" <s31924...@netscape.net> wrote in message
> news:uma5hon...@corp.supernews.com...
> > Tom Marik <tom....@oracle.com> wrote in
> > news:3D6504D5...@oracle.com:
> >
> > > Happy Hunter wrote:
> > >
> > >> "Snip
> > >
> > >> With the new unit, run 50:50 mix of a good quality antifreeze and
> > >> water. The only reason to run distilled water would be to be able to
> > >> use inadequate antifreeze. If you do that, you're not saving money
> > >> anymore.
> > >
> > >> Tap water and ethylene glycol is all you need in a good radiator.
> > >>
> > >> Nate
> > >
> > > Nate,
> > >
> > > Tap water shouldn't be recommended unless you know what's in it. For
> > > as little as twenty five cents a gallon, distilled water or it's
> > > equivalent eliminates a major variable. Use a couple of gallons to
> > > flush and one to fill and get a cooling system upgrade for less than a
> > > dollar.
> > >
> > > Tom
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Also, in our area, the water is *hard* with *lots* of Calcium. While
> > this may be good for teeth and bones, it's rough on cooling systems,
> > radiators, and hot water heaters.
> >
> > The periodic addition of high levels of Chlorine [to the point that it
> > smells like Clorox bleach] doesn't help either.
> >
> > The use of an acid-based "quick flush" is an ooooold (and perhaps the
> > *only*) way to insure that the "placque" (as the dentists call it) gets
> > removed from the engine and the radiator. This type of product
> > frequently calls for "neutralization" in its instructions.
> >
> > The obvious way to prevent the problem is to use distilled water for
> > engine cooling.
> >
> > It's a lot cheaper than replacing radiators and a whale of a lot cheaper
> > than having an engine replaced.
>
> Tom and JM...I stand by my original statement and am adamant enough to reply
> again (as I usually just ignore bad advice). I have installed, flushed,
> upgraded, rebuilt and otherwise worked on cooling systems for 13 years. My
> statements above were based on good quality education, 13 years of
> experience and a lot of trial and error. A radiator that has had nothing
> but TAP water (regardless of water districts, wells or other municipality
> disasters) and ethyl gly (50:50) mix will not require flushing with anything
> other than water. All those expensive flushing treatments are for those
> radiators that were not maintained properly.
>
> If ya want to argue, sobeit...but my advice is sound...period.
>
> Nate
well said Nate, i been diesel mechanic for around 35 years and seen some good old farmer patch ups, dam water in the radiator and wire holding radiators in etc. I use rainwater and coolant as our tap water actually kills the grass. True story
Limp Richard
<sna...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:88ba688f-ac8a-4da1...@googlegroups.com...
Purity of essence!
Sir Gregory Hall, Esq.
>I use rainwater with grain alcohol as anti freeze.
>
>Purity of essence!
years. Ain't never had a problem with it.
Your grain alcohol idea is stupid. Why? Because
anti-freeze has a double purpose. One is to depress
the freezing point and the other is to raise the
boiling point. Grain alcohol does the former but not
the latter.
HTH.
--
Sir Gregory
ezgoi...@gmail.com
> Never heard that before.
> This man was visiting my neighbor and working on his motorhome. I saw
> him pouring some white stuff in the radiator. Curious I went to talk and
> ask him what he was pouring in there he said baking soda because he was
> cleaning the radiator in his old motorhome he just bought. He his not a
> talker, but I ask, how do you do that? His answer was; pour let sit for
> a while, then run engine fast idle, heather full blast, then rinse. That
> way it is cheap and happy with the cleaning.
> By the time i get back 5 days later he was gone. Never had a chance to
> ask more questions.
>
> Anybody ever heard that before?
>
> Cacique
Powdered Cleaner) found in any hardware store.I dissolve in hot water pour it in to radiator and then flush.
Works like a charm....
cacique
Just Me
@telusplanet.net:
It sounds like he was trying to neutralize an acid-based radiator
flushing product.
There have been a few of them on the market which have specified a need
for this step.
Acid-based radiator flushing products were popular for use with copper
radiators because they removed the Copper Oxide "patina" inside the
radiator and returned them to a "bare metal" state which provided better
heat transfer.
HTH
Cass
spraying/brushing or pouring on the fins of radiators will clean the bugs
from it.
In diesel engines, I have used a product called Nalcool and it is used by
many industrial/marine engines and it DOES keep the engine/heat exchanger
very clean. It is a base and not an acid.
I think Stewart and Stevenson carries it.
Cass
"Just Me" <s31924...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:uljj8eh...@corp.supernews.com...
Clark, D.
even put in anti corrosive/water pump lube, as far as I'm concerned its a
scam. I am always amazed at the miss treatments that the motoring public
puts into, on, their vehicles. Walk through wal-mart and see all the
automotive additives available and figure that 70, 80, 90 % or are totally
worthless and potentially damaging.
"cacique" <aar...@telusplanet.net> wrote in message
news:3D59C121...@telusplanet.net...
Tom
Distilled water is the cheapest upgrade you can do for your engine. Even
consider flushing once with distilled water. Works out to less than a buck a
year.
Tom
IF YOU CAN'T SWIM DON'T JUMP IN
LOW PH WILL EAT THEM UP
got a few old pool heaters 4 sale!
kc
Happy Hunter
If there is anything in the radiator that needs to be flushed it's because
someone ran something other than 50:50 antifreeze/water in the system.
baking soda alone will not get it out. Baking soda will neutralize acidic
treatments, but I have to ask why someone would run an acidic treatment
through the radiator. If it gets plugged up replace the thing. They can be
had new for around a hundred to two hundred bucks. Why waste your time
flushing it? With the new unit, run 50:50 mix of a good quality antifreeze
Tom Marik
> "Snip
> With the new unit, run 50:50 mix of a good quality antifreeze and water. The
> only reason to run distilled water would be to be able to use inadequate
> antifreeze. If you do that, you're not saving money anymore.
> Tap water and ethylene glycol is all you need in a good radiator.
>
> Nate
Nate,
Just Me
> Happy Hunter wrote:
Also, in our area, the water is *hard* with *lots* of Calcium. While
Happy Hunter
Tom and JM...I stand by my original statement and am adamant enough to reply
bill horne
You could be right, but I've been using distilled water for decades, and
since my GM service manual says "distilled water preferred", and since
I've never had need of radiator service, I think I'll continue to do so.
--
bill
Theory don't mean squat if it don't work.
Just Me
Most wise of you, Bill.
I have had enough cooling system problems with multiple vehicles to
believe in *your* method, especially since the last gentleman to replace
a radiator for me told me the same thing.
He also told me that if I didn't, he wouldn't work on it again.
He retired 5 years ago.
The car was retired 4 months ago but *not* for cooling problems. [A '77
Buick with ~350,000 miles on it.]
After going with distilled, instead of tap, water, no more problems.
George E. Cawthon
Right, if you have a cooling system that is absolutely tight
and has no leakage, there is no need to clean the system, or
for that matter, change the antifreeze. For the other 99
percent of us who have systems that occassionaly leak water,
leak oil, or leak exhaust gases, a little maintenance is a
help. By the time we get around to fixing the leaks, or
even realize we have a leak, deposits have started
developing and reducing cooling efficiency, so we clean out
the deposits with an acid flush and replace the old
antifreeze with fresh chemicals to maintain the system.
If you catch all of those inevitable leaks early, flushes
with more than water are probably not needed. And if you
are the typical motorist that keeps a vehicle for only 5-6
years, you certainly never need to flush.
Happy Hunter
"George E. Cawthon" <George...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:3D6559CF...@worldnet.att.net...
I never said don't flush your system or change antifreeze. I said a system
in good shape would not need a CHEMICAL flush. If you need a chemical flush
you have other problems that need to be fixed. Fix them. If your head
leaks, fix the head gasket...if your exhaust leaks, fix the exhaust leak.
If you need a chemical flush in your radiator it is most likely due to the
fact that you added some foreign substance other than what is naturally
found in tap water or good quality antifreeze...i.e....radiator stop leak
(FIX THE LEAK). Flush your radiator twice each year with water and re-fill
it with 50:50 antifreeze and water and your system will not deteriorate.
Change your motor oil every 3000 miles also and you're most likely not going
to blow a head gasket. All that other crap is snake oil.
Man...ya'll are thick headed. If I kept doing everything my pop told me he
did for 30 years I'd have gone through a lot of vehicles too. Times have
changed...catch up for krise sake.
Nate
George E. Cawthon
Happy Hunter wrote:
> George,
>
> I never said don't flush your system or change antifreeze. I said a system
> in good shape would not need a CHEMICAL flush. If you need a chemical flush
> you have other problems that need to be fixed. Fix them. If your head
> leaks, fix the head gasket...if your exhaust leaks, fix the exhaust leak.
> If you need a chemical flush in your radiator it is most likely due to the
> fact that you added some foreign substance other than what is naturally
> found in tap water or good quality antifreeze...i.e....radiator stop leak
> (FIX THE LEAK). Flush your radiator twice each year with water and re-fill
> it with 50:50 antifreeze and water and your system will not deteriorate.
> Change your motor oil every 3000 miles also and you're most likely not going
> to blow a head gasket. All that other crap is snake oil.
>
> Man...ya'll are thick headed. If I kept doing everything my pop told me he
> did for 30 years I'd have gone through a lot of vehicles too. Times have
> changed...catch up for krise sake.
>
> Nate
Hmmm! Now you are going way too far on maintenance. Flush
and refill twice a year? No thanks! I'll do it every 2-3
years, maybe even longer if the liquid level stays constant
and I don't add more than a cup in a year. Worked on my old
pickup that lasted for 27 years.
bill horne
Yep.
I change the green stuff about every 2/24K years/miles, because that's
what the book says do, and the truck is now 19 years old. I also use
distilled water.
I change the orange stuff about every 5/100K years/miles, because that's
what the book says do. I use distilled water in it too.
Why don't you folks just do what the manufacturer says do, unless you
have good reason to do otherwise?
Happy Hunter
Oh shit! I meant to say once every two years. Sorry.
Nate
Cass
You are way too transparent.
Cass
"Happy Hunter" <cc...@nvbelldeletemeifyouwantotsendjunkmail.net> wrote in
message news:qdN99.227$Da.18...@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
Hugh
>
> Nate,
>
> You are way too transparent.
>
> Cass
Took you long enough. <grin>
Hugh - hey you want my trailer?
George E. Cawthon
Well, maintenance intervals are just a best guess based on a
specific circumstance. So one ought to look at the
manufactures recommendations and how that fits with one's
specific use. My use isn't neither normal nor heavy duty
use. For example my truck says 3 months or 3,000 miles for
oil changes, but my truck often doesn't run for a month at a
time and may get only 1,000 miles on it in a 3 month
period. It doesn't get multiple short distance use either
and only gets dusty use occasionally. On the other hand,
much of the use is pulling a trailer. So changing the oil
every 3 months doesn't make much sense, especially since I
only have about 10,000 miles on it in 2 years.
BTW, I can't find a mileage or time interval for changing
antifreeze in my truck book. It does say to use distilled
water and not to use the orange stuff (Ford's Extended Life
Engine Coolant) since you should use the Premium engine
coolant. Since I expect it will be at least 5 years before
I do need a change, I'll wait to see what they recommend at
that time.
OTOH, the dealer recommends a more rigorous maintenance
schedule and a change in antifreeze every 30,000 miles or 3
years for all vehicles. Wonder why that is?
Neon John
<greghall@yacht_master.fake> wrote:
>Your grain alcohol idea is stupid. Why? Because
>anti-freeze has a double purpose. One is to depress
>the freezing point and the other is to raise the
>boiling point. Grain alcohol does the former but not
>the latter.
antifreeze and water boils at 106 deg C - a whole 6 deg elevation.
No, the OTHER purpose is corrosion prevention. The reason antifreeze
is changed out every few years is not because the stuff suddenly loses
its freeze protection. It's because the anti-corrosion chemical
additives have been depleted.
John
John DeArmond
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.tnduction.com
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
See website for email address
cerj...@gmail.com
Thank you for the advise.
