Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - Printable Version
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Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - Guy - 07-06-2018
We are on the road from Rancho Jurupa Ca. to Moab Utah. The infamous Baker Grade west of Las Vegas brought us down to 15 mph 1st gear to keep engine temps under control. The ambient temp that day was 100+The rest of the trip has seen the engine run 190-200 degrees, but any increase in elevation brings us to 2nd gear to manage heat.
The radiator "looked" clean to me before we started the trip. In Cedar City Utah we had a truck shop steam the radiator, and saw some evidence of dirt in the fins. The cooling did not improve. Today, a fellow guru asked for photos of 8V92 radiator fans. I thought I would send a photo, as no two Newells are alike. Imagine my surprise when I opened the engine bay and saw a totally dirty radiator. Photo attached. I watched the truck shop steam the radiator, but looking back on the cleaning yesterday, the shop made sure the radiator had flow through it from back to front as they steam cleaned, but never checked their work in the engine side of the radiator when they were done. Neither did I. Also, I now believe they did not use steam, just hot water. Not ever using a steam cleaner, i did not know what to look for, but I saw no steam, just water.
Tomorrow I will locate another shop. We are now in the Moab Utah area. I am certain we will be running a lot cooler, thanks to the gurus.
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - whatsnewell - 07-07-2018
(07-06-2018, 09:00 PM)Guy Wrote: We are on the road from Rancho Jurupa Ca. to Moab Utah. The infamous Baker Grade west of Las Vegas brought us down to 15 mph 1st gear to keep engine temps under control. The ambient temp that day was 100+The rest of the trip has seen the engine run 190-200 degrees, but any increase in elevation brings us to 2nd gear to manage heat.
The radiator "looked" clean to me before we started the trip. In Cedar City Utah we had a truck shop steam the radiator, and saw some evidence of dirt in the fins. The cooling did not improve. Today, a fellow guru asked for photos of 8V92 radiator fans. I thought I would send a photo, as no two Newells are alike. Imagine my surprise when I opened the engine bay and saw a totally dirty radiator. Photo attached. I watched the truck shop steam the radiator, but looking back on the cleaning yesterday, the shop made sure the radiator had flow through it from back to front as they steam cleaned, but never checked their work in the engine side of the radiator when they were done. Neither did I. Also, I now believe they did not use steam, just hot water. Not ever using a steam cleaner, i did not know what to look for, but I saw no steam, just water.
Tomorrow I will locate another shop. We are now in the Moab Utah area. I am certain we will be running a lot cooler, thanks to the gurus.
Hey Guy......the key is not so much steam (super hot water works well too) but to clean both sides of the radiator. If they only sprayed from the outside they left a lot of gunk on the inside, which is obvious from your picture. When I had mine cleaned in Albuquerque back in mid April I had both engine bay doors open so I could see what was happening on the inside of the radiator. When I was certain they have removed all the gunk from the inside I had them quit. The results were some of the lowest engine temps the rest of our one month trip to Maine. When cleaning the inside they need to spray across the radiator fins with a little lower pressure to be sure they don't bend the fins.....you'll see the grease and gunk just fall off.
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - Guy - 07-07-2018
Thanks Clarke. If I did not have advice under my belt from you and other gurus on how to manage heat, I would have bought myself a rebuild job on Baker Grade without a doubt.
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - whatsnewell - 07-07-2018
It is a long, steep grade for sure.
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - HoosierDaddy - 07-07-2018
When I clean my radiator at home I spray it with CRC brakleen before hosing it down. Brakleen also works great to clean grease out of carpet. I believe it is similar chemistry garment to dry cleaning fluid.
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - whatsnewell - 07-08-2018
(07-07-2018, 07:46 PM)HoosierDaddy Wrote: When I clean my radiator at home I spray it with CRC brakleen before hosing it down. Brakleen also works great to clean grease out of carpet. I believe it is similar chemistry garment to dry cleaning fluid.
Dean, do you use the 'chlorine free' CRC, or the regular? I've been looking for a good radiator degreaser and never would have thought of a brake parts cleaner.
Clarke
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - Guy - 07-08-2018
I was contemplating using 03196 condenser and coil cleaner. I looked at the generic purple de greaser at Home Depot, but it is tagged as not safe for aluminum. To confuse me even more, Simple Green, which I assume is citrus based, IS marked as safe for aluminum. If I use an aerosol, I can.t begin to guess how many cans would be needed.
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - Guy - 10-02-2018
Finally got around to cleaning the radiator fins with Simple Green and a good rinse, Looks great. Bought a "Radiator Genie " from Amazon. It's it a 90 degree wand device to reach into the hard to get areas and shoot water through the radiator Cant believe the gunk that came out.. Managed to do it without bending and fins. Resisted the urge to break out the pressure washer.
Today we received the oil analysis from Blackstone Labs. I was a little, ( no , a lot ) nervous about the results, since we got past 200 degrees ( who knows exactly with 35 year old analog guages and a Digitemp,) on Baker Grade earlier in the season, pulled over on the side of Interstate 15 ,spit out 2 gallons of coolant, and sat 2 hours in 110 degree heat to let the coach cool down. Fun times! Running 600 miles after that pucker incident, the oil results came back perfect. Dodged a bullet on that one.
Almost time to load up, hook up , and leave this Utah dust behind for an East Coast winter. I guess we are reverse snowbirds this year. Does that make us sunbirds?
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - HoosierDaddy - 10-02-2018
Clarke, either would work. Chlorinated works better.
RE: Radiator Steam Cleaning- Lesson learned - Richard - 10-03-2018
Ok from your resident chemical engineer. Never use caustic based cleaner on an aluminum radiator. Never. You cannot rinse it enough to prevent the caustic from damaging the aluminum.
On brakecleaner. Makes no matter chlorinated or non.
However never ever ever use chorinated brake cleaner to clean a part prior to any kind of electric welding. The arc and the residual chlorine forms phosgene gas. Phosgene gas permanently damages your lungs IF you survive the initial exposure