Engine Water Jacket Cleaning

[Colonel]

The cooling jacket on my engine is in visibly very poor condition and full of rust products. Is there a method to clean this without stripping the motor? I have removed it from the car.


The material is thick and metallic. It tore up my water pump. The engine runs decent but overheats immediately. Temp inlet to radiator off the chart. Installed new rad and hoses so they were not the problem.


All thoughts appreciated.

[Gary WA]

I have used a piece of speedometer cable,about 2 feet long, Model A of course, in a drill, going in and out of all holes in block, also used on heads to clean, air compressor,and I have a set of small vacuum cleaner parts for computer that attach to shop vac. if on engine stand u can flip upside down helps too.! magnets for larger chips.

[CWPASADENA]

I have good success with RUST 911.


This is a concentrated solution that you mix with water.


If the car is still together and running, drain the cooling system and fill with RUST 911 solution. Leave in the engine for a few days . You can even drive the car with the stuff in the cooling system.


When it turns black, it quit working. Drain and flush out all the old crap refill with more Rust 911 solution and repeat. it may take several applications to remove the rust.


This will also dissolve any rust that may have gotten trapped in the radiator.


If you have the head off the engine, block off the water inlet on the side of the block and fill to the top of the block deck. Let sit for several days, drain, flush and repeat process. You can also poke around with a speedo cable as stated above which will help loosen the stuff but you have to be able to clean out the rust.






I have cleaned several rusted up engines without having to take them all apart.


You can buy Rust 911 on line. You will need a gallon of concentrate. This stuff is good to de-rust other stuff.


My experience,


Chris W.

[Bruce of MN]

This did a good job for me, but it was with a running engine:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Thermocur...lush/131810444

[Nosetime]

In addition to Evaporust, I used wire cable from HomeDepot...fray one end a couple inches and run it on reverse in a portable drill. Buy a couple feet of different sizes, the smaller wire will go around the cylinders somewhat.

[nick c]

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All the replies are good. I worked a radiator repair shop 50 yrs ago and did a lot of reverse flushes, its a gun that has garden hose attached and a air hose attached, with the radiator detached, it attaches to the outlet hose and exhausts out the inlet hose, then attach to inlet hose and exhaust out the top of block, it fills the block with water then hit the air button, this process is also used on radiator in or out of car.
If your on a budget, fill block and radiator with vinegar, run engine, let set for a day, flush with garden hose, this has been posted before by others on this forum, I've used it and it works.
carry on

[whirnot]

I too have used vinegar. Since you said it is out of the car, just leave it in for about two weeks. It does a good job.

[Bob Bidonde]

Debris tends to concentrate in the cooling passage behind Cylinder 4 because coolant flow there is poor at best. Give this area special attention with a pick of sorts.

[Chris Haynes]

I flushed my engine. Refilled the cooling system with RUST911 and drove it for a day. Drained the system and black water came out. I refilled it with a fresh batch of RUST911. Drove it for another day and drained it. Grey water this time. Drain and refill with RUST 911 again. When draining it the next day the water was clear. Removed the hoses and inlet/outlet and looked inside the block and head with a light and found it to be clean bare metal. The inside of the radiator was also sparkling clean.

[Mike Peters]

If you run an engine with chunks of rust in the water jacket, Those rust chunks will be pumped through the upper water outlet and into the top of the radiator, where they will lodge and plug up your radiator. So before you install your radiator, be sure to back flush the radiator in the upside down position to get rid of any rust accumulation that may be on top of the core.

[Werner]

Hello Colonel,

after mounting you should clean the cooler with dishwasher tabs.
Then rinsing with water.
After then dissolve the chalk lime with citric acid. No longer than 1/2 hour.

After 2 X rinsing with water add glycol, so that the system remains clean in the future.

[Synchro909]

I use the dishwasher tablets to remove any traces of grease before adding vinegar (50-50 with water). The vinegar can't work if there is a greasy film over the rust and dishwasher tablets don't foam up. I put the vinegar in before I do a longish drive, then leave it for a couple of weeks, maybe a month depending on how much crud is in tyhe system. I drive the car now and then while the vinegar is in there. When the time comes to drain and flush the vinegar, you'd be surprised at the junk that comes out. Refill with glycol and drive on.

[30 Closed Cab PU]

Originally Posted by whirnot

I too have used vinegar. Since you said it is out of the car, just leave it in for about two weeks. It does a good job.

If doing white vinegar, flush thoroughly with water, then flush with Baking Soda/Water mix to neutralize the acidity of the White Vinegar.