I've read different things about it. That it's okay to use for 15 to 20 minutes in the core and then flushed and neutralized. No horror stories. I need something stronger than vinegar.

 

I'm hesitant to use CLR (and haven't) mainly because the CLR says don't and heater cores are a royal PITA to get at. The CLR site may recommend against using it in automotive applications because they may have some long term negative results/info whereas folks on the 'net that say they've used it with no ill effects may not have kept the vehicle long enough to have long term results/info. Again, I'm just hesitant to try it because of what CLR says at their web site.......user be ware, I guess.

 

What's an alternative? Vinegar didn't work well. CLR's main ingredient is hydroflouric acid BTW.

 

Get a commercial, made-for-autos solution/mix.

Otherwise you're playing Russian Roulette with your core.

Kinda like using FRAM filters for your engine. The Orange Can Of Death.

 

^^^^That's probably 'bout as good as u r going to get and be relatively safe at the same time.

The heater core basically is similar to the radiator, but on a smaller scale. The tubes run horizontal/stacked vertical and any solid/heavier than water particles in the system that make their way to the heater core will may settle at the bottom of the core, eventually accumulating/plugging the tubes off one by one. Once a tube becomes plugged, whatever cleaning agent u use will no longer flow into the tube to do it's cleaning/crud desolving thing. Cleaners got to get inside the tube to clean it. Same way on a radiator.....top half may flow fine while the bottom half is plugged off but u only have 1/2 of the radiator's (heater core's) efficiency. If u do a bunch of cleaner/flushes, one after the other, with no improvement in heater performance, just gotta bite the bullet and........

 

I ran some prestone radiator flush through my heater core last weekend and it did dislodge some more gunk. It definitely isn't as powerful as CLR, but I really didn't want to eat through my heater core.

 

*shrug* roll the dice, it's either going to work or it's not. That's a 50% chance of success!

 

Funny guy. Point well taken.

 

.....wonder if the Fram filter site says "do not use Fram filters on shower heads or small appliances".

 

It should say "Don't use on anything you care about or want to keep."

 

Fram oil filters are the best. I use them on every vehicle I have. They have bedliner on the top! That must mean strength!

 

Im bankin on "roll the dice" w/ any used xj now .. limted supply of low miles .. Im rolling dice on rebuilt / new engine at 100k ..now 227k .. no paperwork

motor sounds ok though

 

I heard the new ones will have diamond plate caps and sell for 50 cents more

 

Pretty bad when the best feature of an oil filter is on the OUTSIDE, huh?

 

rofl