Cleaning cooling system?

My cooling system is old, gross, and full of rusty shit. Aside from flushing the bejesus out of it, what should I do to make it nice and clean and sparkly again?

 

had success with white vinegar. Just need to final rinse it with plain water/baking soda to neutralize the residual vinegar.

 

I used Dishwashing detergent (Powder type) in a couple flushes... worked great....

 

I used that Prestone alum safe flush, did wonders on my dirtbike.

 

two 08 r6's.. raced every season. I have never an issue. Rads and cases look great. but.. i run engine ice. Water only or some little additive like water wetter to water? you are gonna have issues.

 

Well, that's not helping solve his problem, Greg.

White vinegar takes the oxidization off the aluminum parts. You can soak it, but don't leave it overnight, it starts to etch the ally. Rinse all of it well and dry it with compressed air. I use either Simple Green or Spic and Span on the rubber hoses and steel parts, with good old fashined scrubbing with pipe brushes, etc. If it tarnishes the ally in the head, it can be hard to get rid of without ultrasonic.

 

Engine Ice is not legal to run with WERA

 

i am fully aware of that... for almost 2 decades. My point is ya need something in there besides just water or it will rust. And i have seen rust form in bikes with water wetter additive.

my point was (and i obviously didn't make it very well-it wasn't just to advocate engine ice but it did come off that way now re-reading it) was something other than water is a must in bikes. even the small amount of water wetter additive to water alone, often results in a rusty cooling system.

 

So your advice is, fuck the rules and anyone who has to deal with the results of your decision. Got it.

 

holy shit.. what is with some people ?
you need to find some additive, that is legal, besides running straight water or a small dose of water wetter.. i brought up engine ice as it's 50% deionised water, yet won't ever rust a system.

 

Any experience on the aforementioned Prestone Aluminum-Safe Flush? Sounds, just from its name, like it might be a safer alternative to acetic acid.

 

None. Lots of experience with acetic acid, all of it good and successful when properly executed.

 

Cool, thanks. Doesn't sound like the vinegar route would be too hard, anyway.. I'm guessing fill the system with straight white vinegar (5% acetic acid), warm it up, flush, repeat til sparkly, flush with water a few more times?

 

I mix the grocery store stuff (79 cents per bottle, bought some today) 50/50 with water. I cap the radiator outlets, fill it up with solution, then spray the outside with the same stuff out of a spray bottle, let it sit for a bit, scrub and rinse, re-apply, scrub and rinse, etc. Then I drain the inside and flush thoroughly with water. How much work delends depends upon how corroded the rad is.

 

Awesome. Thanks a ton man!

 

I've been using that to flush out a car radiator that's been sitting for 20+years. I'm on my 5 or 6 flush and it's starting to look really good to where I can add antifreeze and forget about it.

 

Curious if there are any ingredient lists or whether it reacts with a base (baking soda) just like acetic acid....

 

Rick .. what should the wera guys use in the radiator as coolant to help inhibit rust? i just am not convinced water wetter is enough having seen some nasty systems from racers claiming to be using it, or do you find it is good? or is flushing the system every year or six months a must?

 

i read an article about this as well.. they said that using distilled water, with ZERO minerals, will actually leech stuff out of the aluminum radiators, and cause damage over time. That you are actually better off using good filtered bottled water.. ?