Hi All:
On radiators - clean the fins by shooting water or coil cleaner through the back side to force the crud out the front. Not too much pressure now.......... The same can of coil cleaner (citrus based) is used on the rear evaporator coil in the A/C system. You will have to remove the expanded mesh grill to get up close, but you will find that you don't need it any way......

Fin combs can be bought at an HVAC supply house, and they usually have several sizes of pitch available on it. This is the tool to use if your fins are bent up.

Hope it helps..

Randy Bergum
1990 Carat

Tarheel wrote:

Be very careful using a pressure washer on radiator fins. I have seen them bend from this. If there is a HVAC guy on the list I bet that he could tell us what sort of spray is used to clean condensers and evaporators......... Tarheel
81 westy (2 of them)
74 beetle
73 Transporter (new!!!!!!!) Total resto in progress Vanagon Partsmobiles

----- Original Message -----

From:Alan Watts

To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 6:31 PM

Subject: Re: Cleaning radiator exterior?
There are lots of birds around my house and they enjoy the buffet-style meals the radiator gives them! My plastic grill got destroyed in a wreak, so they have easy access to all the insect delicacies! My radiator has been picked dry! A high-power water sprayer would probably do the trick too, but I'm sure birds would be sad to see such fine food being washed away. Alan At 4:20 PM -0600 8/1/01, Karen Olson wrote:
It looks like my 1984 Vanagon radiator is a bit clogged with bugs.

I cleaned off those sticking to the front, but shouldn't I be able to see through the radiator cooling fins? Anyone have suggestions for cleaning/removing the embedded bugs for better air flow?

Thanks!

Scott Maurer (Boise)