Prestone’s is pretty safe and easy to get.So I noticed my lower rad house felt crunchy so I took it off to see if it was clogged but it turns out it just has a spring inside it to reinforce it. So I put it back on. Now since the coolant is drained I figured I’d refill it with distilled water and a chemical radiator flush to clean out the cooling system. Can anyone recommend me a good radiator flush?
Yea that was a concern of mine I don’t want to make anything worse. This is how it looks on the inside from the cap can you tell if it’s in bad shape or not? I’ve already done a flush with just water in the past so it’s got fresh coolant.Just a hose, run it till its clear and throw in some $5 AC Delco seal tablets, not a fan of flushing the system with any products unless its before your replacing the entire system down to the heat core. Your just asking for leaks on 30 yr old stuff with any product that could break up rust.
Typical for an old brass copper radiator that wasn't serviced much. Multiple water flushes letting it get to temp and cycle a few times with straight water, will knock most of it out without using a high ph flush to eat at the crude. Then just a 50/50 or 30/70 mix since your in fl with distilled water for the final fill. I've been using Toyota pink in my cars if it has an aluminum radaiator for the last 2 decades since working for them. normal green in my one car that still has an old gdi brass 3 core which I'm betting is what's in your car.Yea that was a concern of mine I don’t want to make anything worse. This is how it looks on the inside from the cap can you tell if it’s in bad shape or not? I’ve already done a flush with just water in the past so it’s got fresh coolant.
Yea it looks super crusty. I just went ahead and ordered the lmr sve aluminum radiator. I figured the cost to repair it wouldn’t make sense like rednotch said so I’d just be better off upgradingThat looks pretty crusty to me, alot of scale looking stuff, I'd take it to a radiator shop if you have one near by, or replace it.
Its a 20 yr old give or take brass copper radiator, that's just calcium build up, none of the tubes looked plugged to me, if there's no signs of leakage when you remove it don't chuck it. Cap it and fill it with a water, vinegar mix and let it soak for a day or two will clean it right up, then flush it out with some baking soda and water.. You could probably sell it for more then the aluminum radiator your replacing it with. I've never hard a cheap China aluminum radiator last like those old brass copper ones.
Probably still cheaper to buy a new one, but those old $100 brass copper 3 cores run about $500 min. for a new unit, last recore I was quoted over $600 and that was from a puncture. Not many radiator repair shops left, and the few who still do it really chage you for it. Just like most everything else today, between labor and parts, the cost is more then buying new.Agreed. That's all i did to my radiator and it cleaned up pretty well.
To be frank, i'd rather spend the money to recore it, than get a China-made aluminum radiator.
Probably still cheaper to buy a new one, but those old $100 brass copper 3 cores run about $500 min. for a new unit, last recore I was quoted over $600 and that was from a puncture. Not many radiator repair shops left, and the few who still do it really chage you for it. Just like most everything else today, between labor and parts, the cost is more then buying new.
us radiator out of alabama is what most are selling these days. NPD carries them but you can get a repo in the same specs as the old gdi 3 core for $500 give or take if you shop around. its one of thing I all ways look for when i see claimed low milage unmolested cars, flippers are to cheap to buy a repo and just slap in a cheap aluminium one.Ouch. I had an old brass heater core quoted for a recore by a local shop and they wanted $125 or so for that. I didn't figure it would run up that high to do the radiator.
What aftermarket radiators these days are worth the money? I don't need one right now, but in the future if I do I would rather not run a China aluminum radiator.
Definitely going to make sure i take care of this brass 3-core I have
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