Cool/Heat: Flushing Block and Radiator

[stall]

I like to keep up with maintence and it's now time to change the anti-freeze. After so many years I think it might be time to use a radiator cleaner but I'm not sure and certainly don't want to do more harm than good. Here's my questions and thoughts for the experts who have helped me so much in the past.
---I have Studebaker's own cleaner (circa 1955) and it has both a cleaning agent to put in after draining the old coolant. It also has a neautralizer to put in after draining the cleaner and before filling with new coolant.
---The new stuff on the shelves of your FLAPS are just a cleaner, no neautraxzer??? Which is best, or no Difference?
---I usually just pull the lower hose and put a water hose into the thermostat opening and run water for a while. Theres not much pressure, is this the best way to flush?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts
Murray

[jackb]

follow the instructions on the old S-P can. I think I run the cleaner for 15-20 minutes, then flush the block 2-3 times with all freeze and lower drain plugs removed. Unless you know those side plugs are new and good...remove them. If you don't remove the drain cock(s) down back, you'll still have sludge down there that will forever make your coolant murky and less efficient and without removing the side plugs will probably not clean the block enough for mixed driving.....Then the neutralizer and 2-3 flushes as earlier, button it up and away you go .....! GL

[studegary]

How old is what is now in there? Look at what you drain out. If the coolant looks almost new, just flush with water. If the coolant looks terrible and rusty color use the Studebaker cleaner. I have used many cans of it. Follow directions and it will be good. When flushing with water or cleaner, I close everything up again and run the engine to circulate the water/cleaner through the engine, heater, etc. and not just the radiator. Have your heater water valve open. I suggest finishing off with a clear water flush before putting in new antifreeze.

[mmagic]

On my rebuild on the Champ... after installing a new radiator, wiring every crevice I could reach and thinking I had thoroughly flushed it with lots and lots of water, I put the new freeze plugs in and for good measure filled it with a strong vinegar mixture and let it sit over night. Next day I stuck a hose in the top and flushed more crud out the bottom than I could believe existed. So much came loose and out that I repeated the process to make sure I had got it all. After a long flowing water flush I buttoned it up and put the engine back in the truck.

I filled it with antifreeze and fired it up only to discover after 15 minutes, lots of crud floating on top of the antifreeze and a rapidly rising temp gauge. I drained the antifreeze again finding probably a cup of sediment in the bottom of the catch pan. Pulled the theromostat and it too had a half inch of crud blocking it. I next flushed several times into the catch pan until no more sediment appeared.

Finally, I closed it up again, filled it with antifreeze and put the heat gun on all points of block, head, inlet and outlet with great readings. It has since run beautifully ice cold with no indication of crud floating in the radiator.

The point of this rambling account is that as many have pointed out on this board, after 50 years those old blocks (and heads) may still have an amazing amount of foundry sand as well as accumulations of calcium and rust from who knows what some previous owner did or didn't put into his cooling system. Any of these diminish the cooling ability of the system regardless what you use for antifreeze. And this accumulation of unknown crud should be removed.

I use vinegar to clean calcium from coffee pots etc and I know it works for that purpose. I know I can control a slow working water/vinegar mix but I don't have a comfortable feel for what is in a commercial brew that is pitched to do all of this in 15 minutes. I will follow a similar but better structured procedure on the Speedster or the '63 if I get around to that one.

[thunderations]

I installed A/C in my 66 Daytona just before a weekend run. It was OK, but the temp gauge kept climbing on long runs and overflowed upon stopping once. This car had been used for short, around town jaunts with no A/C prior to my purchasing it. Once it was back home I flushed the system and got some Preston cleaner that you can run for days, weeks or months. The package said to run it for so many miles. I drove it around town some and then I trailered the car to South Bend and drove it around for a week. Just before the slow parade downtown I drained, flushed with clear water and then filled the system with a 50/50 mix of Preston coolant. It never even tried to get warm during the parade or at the proving grounds. I've had it back in Phoenix driving in some pretty hot weather and still no problems. I'm guessing that the lack of use the car received prior to my getting it allowed crud to settle and build up. The Preston cleaner was allowed to work for a couple months, getting warm and circulating and then doing it again several times before getting a good long run and draining. Keeping my fingers crossed that it's OK or the radiator goes to the shop and the freeze plugs come out and a pressure washer starts blasting the water passages.

[studegary]

I installed A/C in my 66 Daytona just before a weekend run. It was OK, but the temp gauge kept climbing on long runs and overflowed upon stopping once. This car had been used for short, around town jaunts with no A/C prior to my purchasing it. Once it was back home I flushed the system and got some Preston cleaner that you can run for days, weeks or months. The package said to run it for so many miles. I drove it around town some and then I trailered the car to South Bend and drove it around for a week. Just before the slow parade downtown I drained, flushed with clear water and then filled the system with a 50/50 mix of Preston coolant. It never even tried to get warm during the parade or at the proving grounds. I've had it back in Phoenix driving in some pretty hot weather and still no problems. I'm guessing that the lack of use the car received prior to my getting it allowed crud to settle and build up. The Preston cleaner was allowed to work for a couple months, getting warm and circulating and then doing it again several times before getting a good long run and draining. Keeping my fingers crossed that it's OK or the radiator goes to the shop and the freeze plugs come out and a pressure washer starts blasting the water passages.

I am glad that you had good results. Please keep in mind that your experience is with a different style block with different cooling issues than the original poster's.

[SN-60]

To: stall,----If You're saying that the chemical was packaged in 1955, don't think I'd want to use a product that old.

[stall]

To: stall,----If You're saying that the chemical was packaged in 1955, don't think I'd want to use a product that old.

I think you're right; I love the concept of using "old Stuff" today but this would be as dumb as going back to non-detergent oils.
Stall

[thunderations]

My thoughts were that the newer products that can be run for an extended time might have a better chance to loosen up old sediment then a quick flush and fill. The block is still cast iron and the radiator and heater core are still brass.

I am glad that you had good results. Please keep in mind that your experience is with a different style block with different cooling issues than the original poster's.