Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2013 18:39:58 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Effectiveness of cooling system flush and clean products?
In-Reply-To: <1370635259.87252.YahooMailNeo@web163406.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
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Keep in mind that all that water is now waste and should not be allowed into
the ground. If you have public sewers you may be allowed to dispose of
antifreeze there. Otherwise you need to arrange for someone to collect it.
Here it costs close to $3/gallon to get rid of it. That is why many shops
now have the coolant recycling systems. You'll be surprised at how many 5
gallon pails you can fill with this cooling system. Honestly just way too
much work and waste with too little benefit and future damage to come.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Poppie Jagersand
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2013 4:01 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Effectiveness of cooling system flush and clean products?
Thanks to Mark, Dennis, Howard and Scott for comments and advice.
I agree that ultimately the original radiator may need to be replaced.
I'll still try the flushing to see if it helps buy me some time. Then I
won't have to be stressed looking for a parts van for mounts etc (b.t.w. is
it worthwhile to try to recycle the radiator also from a parts van or better
just to get the busdepot one? Any Canadian source with a price similar to
Busdepot?
For the flush, given Mark's comments I plan to proceed as follows:
1. Drain system
2. Make a fitting to connect a garden hose to the large coolant pipes.
3. Flush rad and hoses backwards and forwards with hose.
4. Take out thermostat. re-attach cooling hoses and fill with Gunk/Permatex
heavy duty radiator flush/cleaner 5. Run engine up to operating temp and
idle for 1-2h to let gunk flush dissolve scales and corrosion.
Here I was planning to run with the main coolant hoses crossed so that the
flush agent backflushes the radiator. On my van it is easy to cross the
hoses at the engine firewall as the two pipes are just next to each other
there.
6. Repeat step 3 flushing backwards and forwards with regular garden hose
water.
7. Refill system with coolant.
8. Put back thermostat. Fill with coolant test run for pressure build up,
temp and tyhermosta opening, leaks etc.
These 8 steps might seem tedious, but its really mostly matter of a few hose
clamps off and on to do it.
Additional remarks:
I agree with Dennis that ordinarily just changing the coolant should be
enough. I've been using the red long life coolant for the past 15 years and
not had a problem until last summer. System seemed clean on changes. Last
summer I noticed some scales and dirt in the coolant pressure tank. I
changed coolant, but it was perhaps too late and enough scales and crud got
into the narrow radiator passages to reduce flow somewhat.
Prior to this the water pump seal had spring a leak during a trip. On my way
home I topped off the cooling system with whatever water was available. This
could of course be particularly hard/mineral rich water that accelerated the
process. And/or the anti-corrosion and scaling additatives in the long life
coolant could have become ineffective. I headr the pink coolants are
slightly acidic and I assume that is to keep scaling at bay, similar to how
one can use vinegar to take scales out of a coffee maker.
I'll go over the radiator with an IR thermometer on warmup as Howard
suggests. I did some rough feeling with my hand and didn't notice any cold
spots that way, but the IR thermometer will be more accurate.
Martin
________________________________
From: mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Friday, June 7, 2013 6:38:40 AM
Subject: Re: Effectiveness of cooling system flush and clean products?
Martin, you should pull the radiator to do the flush, or at least pull the
hoses off. Then you can back flush it and not push the debris around your
whole cooling system. Remove the temp switches and look in there, before and
after you use whatever flushing chemicals you want to try.
What you see in there may help you decide if it is time for a new one, or
time to take it in for professional help.
Mark
Poppie Jagersand wrote:
> On a couple of occasions last summer the motor temp of my 1.9TD crept up
to the warning light/buzzer level. These were both on hot days and high
loads (going up a backroads rocky mountain pass). With hotter temps again
here in ALberta, Canada I'm thinking about what to do.
> I'm running the original 30 year old 82D radiator and it seems to be
gumming up and restricting flow a bit too much..................
>