flushing radiator/block

[william]

Hey Guys,

I'm about to flush the radiator and block and was wondering if you guys follow the service handbook and use the recommended 3.5 Gal. of water and 14 oz. of sodium carbonate?

Any advice? where did buy the sodium carbonate? How was it done?

Thanks as always

[tyang]

I'm no chemist, and my Dad (had a PhD in Chemistry) would probably be pretty upset if he knew I didn't definitively know this answer, but do you think they meant Sodium BiCarbonate? Baking Soda?

Tom

[william]

Hi Tom,

The service handbook says sodium carbonate?

Does francois use baking soda or just flush with water?

Thanks

[whturner]

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and sodium carbonate (soda ash) are two different chemicals. The latter is a strong alkali, but not as strong as caustic soda. It is used by the tons in the glass or aluminum industry.

I think it is sold (retail) as "washing soda". But check the box before you buy.

Cheers.
Warren

[xs10shl]

Another option - ff there's a local radiator shop around you, they can probably do it for $40. $60 if you want the radiator painted. Just be sure to tell them it's a radiator from an old truck, and not a Ferrari.

[william]

Thanks guys,

radiator's on the car and looks fine, just want to flush out the system.

[Sleeper]

Is there any reason not to just drain the coolant and then stick the garden hose in the radiater and let it go for a while?

[Rudy van Daalen Wetters]

I'm no chemist either but my thought would be that a good anti freeze would do just as good a job in protecting vital parts. I favor a 15% solution since water is a better conductor of heat than anti freeze and out here it can get mighty hot in the summer time. I know this seems low and would not work back East. My Lancia owner's manual states that the radiator should be flushed every six months but I average about once a year or longer, really. I have had plenty of cases where I just ran the hose and still had restriction at the bottom of the radiator due to the accumulation of sediment. This needs to be boiled out or rodded, no alternatives.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

[John Vardanian]

Hi Rudy,

You are in So Cal, correct? Why do you use any AF at all?

I had been using filtered drinking water plus Redline water wetter, but I realized that the water wetter left a certain pinkish scaling behind. Now I use just filtered water and flush it out once a year.

john

[tyang]

Hi Rudy,

You are in So Cal, correct? Why do you use any AF at all?

I had been using filtered drinking water plus Redline water wetter, but I realized that the water wetter left a certain pinkish scaling behind. Now I use just filtered water and flush it out once a year.

john

I think even filtered drinking water has some minerals in it to give it some taste. If you're going to spend money on the water, I'd go to the pharmacy and buy distilled water. There is nothing but H20 in that stuff. The scaling may have been the water wetter dye collecting on the minerals from the drinking water.

Is there any reason not to just drain the coolant and then stick the garden hose in the radiater and let it go for a while?

If you've ever seen the scale at the bottom of a well used tea kettle, that's the scale that can build up inside the radiator if there are minerals in the water. Just from my experience from trying to clean that stuff showed me that flushing a radiator with a hose will probably not do anything. If it's really bad, bring it to a radiator shop, if not, just run distilled water and antifreeze.

Good luck!

Tom

[Rudy van Daalen Wetters]

Hi John,

I like to use some antifreeze just for some protection. I just feel that it helps to have something besides water in the system. I used to use just distilled water but stopped doing that since I learned that using soft water is better than distilled water. I have used water wetter as well and have seen the same pink gritty scales that Tom has.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

[John Vardanian]

Tom,

A chemist friend told me that distilled water can be harmful as it is more conductive and "leaches" the metal out. Meaning, it can cause erosion at a faster rate than a chemically neutral water. Filtered water is probably better than city water as it has less minerals, thus less scaling.

john

[tyang]

Tom,

A chemist friend told me that distilled water can be harmful as it is more conductive and "leaches" the metal out. Meaning, it can cause erosion at a faster rate than a chemically neutral water. Filtered water is probably better than city water as it has less minerals, thus less scaling.

john

Good to know. Somewhere in my dim memory of high school chemistry class I seem to remember some of this. I knew I should have paid closer attention!

I wonder if my filtered and softened well water will work?

Tom

[Rudy van Daalen Wetters]

Here's an interesting quote from a workshop manual published by the Bugatti Owner's Club of England in 1977 for the Type 57 - 57S models:

"The best solution, if it can be achieved, is to use a 2-3% solution chemical inhibitor (e.g. Sodium benzoate) in water. This chemical is not readily available to the normal owner and assistance should be sought from an industrial chemist or a friendly oil refiner. This is the chemical used in commercial glycol mixtures used to inhibit corrosion. There is even better inhibitor using benzotriazole (Ciba- Geigy) if an industrial chemist is available to mix a supply. Distilled water was earlier sometimes recommended, but in fact ordinary tap water (or rain water) is to be preferred, as modern distilled water is usually de-ionized water which promotes corrosion."

I say we all talk to Tom's dad.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
1966 330 GT s/n 8705

[xs10shl]

Tom,

A chemist friend told me that distilled water can be harmful as it is more conductive and "leaches" the metal out. Meaning, it can cause erosion at a faster rate than a chemically neutral water. Filtered water is probably better than city water as it has less minerals, thus less scaling.

john

John, any thoughts on using Evian, or perhaps Coors Light? ;^)