Helpful hint for all

[dtd24]

Just cleaned up mine, did a full lube up and blew off the air cleaner and radiator with my pancake compresser. Worked great!

 

[RonMar]

Just be careful with that pressure washer. They can bend the fins over on the radiator turning it into a decorative - not funtional - piece.

I do have to admit that overheating has not been on my mind. Yesterday it barely go to 70. In the morings it's been low 40's high 30's. In fact, it's been so cold, I haven't planted any buckwheat as it would die from the sporatic frost that has been forming in the low spots!

jb

You can easilly bend a large quantity of the fins with a pressure washer or a straight stream from a garden hose. Yes education can be expensive and time consuming

I use air from behind the radiator. This works very well and has less chance of bending fins. I made a pipe extension out of a piece of heavy aluminum arrow shafting attached to a regular air gun. The end of this tube has a round point taper cone for glueing on the nock. Right above this taper I drilled a hole so the air comes out perpendicular to the tube. I can just slide this into gaps at the rear upper corners of my radiator where it meets the shroud. because of the round tapered point, the tube can't hang up on and bend the fins From the top 2 corners, I can reach the entire rear face of the radiator and blow the crap back out the front the way it came in. About the only way I might use water would be to trickle it down the back side to be blown thru with the air. A fine screen over the front also catches a lot of the debris that might hang up in the radiator air passages. I have even seen some use disposable furnace filters out front to catch the trash.

The cleaner the AC&R guys are using is probably some form of mild acid to remove the aluminum oxide from the condensor cooling fins to improve heat transfer.

 

[hsvhobbit]

This weekend I cleaned out the radiator fins on my 'bota. As others have noted, it was truely shocking what came out of a visually clean radiator. I used a hose nozzle set to spray not stream. Thanks a bunch for the tip. It'll be a regular part of my maintenance from now on.

 

[Ford850]

You can easilly bend a large quantity of the fins with a pressure washer or a straight stream from a garden hose. Yes education can be expensive and time consuming

I use air from behind the radiator. This works very well and has less chance of bending fins. I made a pipe extension out of a piece of heavy aluminum arrow shafting attached to a regular air gun. The end of this tube has a round point taper cone for glueing on the nock. Right above this taper I drilled a hole so the air comes out perpendicular to the tube. I can just slide this into gaps at the rear upper corners of my radiator where it meets the shroud. because of the round tapered point, the tube can't hang up on and bend the fins From the top 2 corners, I can reach the entire rear face of the radiator and blow the crap back out the front the way it came in. About the only way I might use water would be to trickle it down the back side to be blown thru with the air. A fine screen over the front also catches a lot of the debris that might hang up in the radiator air passages. I have even seen some use disposable furnace filters out front to catch the trash.

The cleaner the AC&R guys are using is probably some form of mild acid to remove the aluminum oxide from the condensor cooling fins to improve heat transfer.

Great idea using the arrow shaft and the perpendicular hole. I plan to make one of those now!

 

[BTI]

Yes you do have to be careful with the PW....
Especially on radiators that may be older.
I usually do the "look thru" test.
If I can't look thru it, I get serious LOL

BTI