crazandy

What do I use to clean the inside of my radiator (1984 Ford Ranger)? I might as well clean it while I have it off to pull the AC condensor. I just removed most of the AC unit a few weeks back.

What do you all recommend to clean my radiator out with? Are there any special solvents?

Thanks
- Andrew

bs

i pulled my radiator last night and want to clean it also... i think it might have gotten gunked back when my oil cooler seals were leaking.

I was going to take it to a radiator shop for an $85 dollar cleaning, but while taking out the radiator, i realized my alternator, not it's belt, was making that awful noise, so now i need to get that rebuilt and so i'm thinking of cleaning the radiator myself.

would gasoline or acetone be safe for the aluminum and the plastic and whatever seal is between them? how effective would those be at removing old engine oil?

i'm sure one of those would be safe for the sturdier radiator on your ford, andy...

M758

My father (retired Mercedes Benz tech) uses a citrus cleaner specifically for radiators.

I am not sure where he gets it from, but I do not recommend and "strong" cleaners since they may do more damage than anything else.

I think a mildly acidic cleaner is what you need.

Bob S. 1984 Silver

I would NOT recommend any solvent based cleaners. Depending on the make and model, some radiators have plastic tanks. Solvents may not eat through the plastic, and it may look OK. But, there is a chemical action between some plastics and some solvents which make the plastic brittle over time and it can fail, especially since it is under some pressure.