red4dr

So I did things a little backwards. I Should have flushed the motor before I removed the radiator, but I pulled the radiator already. Is there something I can pour into the block to help clean it out better than just water pressure from the garden hose? I dont want to put the new radiator in and get it all plugged up because of things that were still in the motor. Thank you guys!

djb383

Garden hose should be good enough. U can back flush the head/block by removing the stat cover and sticking the hose in the stat hole in the head. Be sure the bottom rad hose is off of the water pump. it would be preferable if the water pump itself was off the block. Just flush, flush, flush and u should be good. Do the same to the heater core. Don't want crud from it getting in the new rad either.

red4dr

I have the thermostat cover and the water pump off, thought there might be something better I could do besides the hose, figured I would ask before I put it all back together. I really wasnt too worried until i cleaned out the heater core and some nasty stuff came out of there when I back flushed it. Im getting rid of the heater control valve, so that wont be a problem again in the future.

Fred/N0AZZ

If the heater core looked like that you can bet the block isn't much better.

Personally I would reassemble the old items and do a proper flush of the complete system, several times. The better flushes advise you to drive the car for a while, I do for 20-30 min. then drain and flush with fresh water. If the least amount of rust is saw of the engine was in very poor shape I do it all over again. New flush, drive, drain, fill, drain or after first drain leave thermostat out and run hose into radiator and leave it run while engine is running and petcock is open.

I hate placing new radiator, water pump. heater core or even a thermostat and antifreeze in a dirty engine. Rust inside the engine causes problems you can't see most caused by running no antifreeze or past its intended use.

red4dr

thats not such a bad idea except for the plastic football is already in the city dump. that was the first thing i took out, and punted as hard as i could in shear excitement thinking about it now, it wasnt such a good idea.

Fred/N0AZZ

Sorry I don't know how to clean the block being the current state its in. just back flush I guess with fresh water.

djb383

I prefer not to use those flush chemicals due to the fact they r very caustic and I don't want to take the chance of any remaining inside the motor/rad/heater core.....but that's just me. If coolant is changed before it turns a rusty color, there shouldn't be much crud in the system and if u flush the motor/rad/heater core separate from each other, the little crud that may have accumlated won't be flushed from one place to another.

DFlintstone

Shoot! You could have sold it on Ebay! (Heck, I'd have even bought it).

red4dr

o no sir, that little football and I have a long complicated history, if the jeep was running I would have ran it over a couple of times too!

it is getting swapped over to the open system due to said relationship with multiple plastic footballs.

red4dr

My thinking was along those lines, the poor jeep has been sitting for the most part of the last 5 years with fixing a little here and a little there, always managing to find something else that keeps her from being road worthy again.

djb383

If it's been sitting a while, u can probably count on fresh coolant turning rusty quickly. As soon as it appears to change from bright green, drain it and refill with fresh. Each time u do this, it will stay clean/green longer.

red4dr

10/4! I have no problem changing the coolant out, I was just worried about anything solid clogging up the new "big sexy" csf 3 core radiator. the last time napa had their coolant on sale, I bought 6 gallons of the non mixed stuff, so im all ready for a lot of changes.

djb383

Get that garden hose out and flush, flush, flush, flush, flush and flush some more. Radiators only have one core......that one core may consist of 3 rows.

DFlintstone

For those using the closed system with the expansion bottle, be sure to leave it 1/2 empty so there will be air in there to compress. (otherwise you might end up a tad grumpy)

Fred/N0AZZ

I agree about using a caustic flush but when someone lets the system get that bad or run the engine with coolant for like the summer thinking its not needed ruins it. Not only the rust issue but the bering in the water pump also no lube.

Antifreeze is cheap I change everything I own every 2 years and yes I know that it will go longer. The same goes for oil and filters cheap change often opened up to many engines and saw what neglect looks like inside almost and cheap filters oil/air and oil.