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Old 06-17-2016, 06:34 PM   #1
VeryTangled
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Default 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Hi Everyone, I've gotta do a cooling system flush. I'm looking for a clever way to force water upwards from the lower hose out the filler neck with the radiator in the car.

Car is a '35. Engine is a '37-ish block with earlier heads w/pumps in heads and blockoff plates.

Radiator doesn't have drain cocks at the bottom. Sorta seems like a '35 small radiator but not certain.

Pulled lower hoses to drain earlier this week. Hoses deteriorated from probably decades of oil dripping on them. I put them back on. New hoses coming. So I'm draining it again and looking for suggestions for flushing the radiator and if possible block.

The debris seems like it may be from the hoses.
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Old 06-18-2016, 05:01 AM   #2
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Could you let it dry out a bit and get in there with a vacuum cleaner? You'd probably have to fashion some sort of small diameter extension pipe and keep bending it to shape. (Copper?)

A difficult one, that's for sure.
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Old 06-18-2016, 06:30 AM   #3
Kurt in NJ
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

this is a "zoo" flush gun, there is a water valve, and the little lever is the air,put in lower hose, turn on the water, when full of water hit the air, a block can take more pressure,and full pressure, but with radiator it is best to not "hit" it too hard, the air forces the water to nove fast and carry out debris

I know the tool is not common now, but easy to make something like it, just some adapters to adapt hose to the garden hose nozzel, and a fitting---drilled hole for blowgun ---first start with reverse flow, after debris stop reverse direction----then reverse direction again till nothing comes out anymore
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Old 06-18-2016, 06:30 AM   #4
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Disconnect the radiator from the engine block.
Fill the cooling system with vinegar, let it set.
It is about Five bucks for 4 gallons at your local grocery store.
Fill it up let it set for a few days
I had to do mine four times. flush well after each treatment.
I was amazing at all the crap that came out.
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Old 06-18-2016, 06:31 AM   #5
Kurt in NJ
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

wrong picture---this is flush gun
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Old 06-18-2016, 08:28 AM   #6
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

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Originally Posted by slowforty View Post
Disconnect the radiator from the engine block.
Fill the cooling system with vinegar, let it set.
It is about Five bucks for 4 gallons at your local grocery store.
Fill it up let it set for a few days
I had to do mine four times. flush well after each treatment.
I was amazing at all the crap that came out.
I did the same thing but only once so far. May do this again soon. I drove my car some while the vinegar was in the cooling system and after draining that, I ran with baking soda a day or so to neutralize the acid, and finally refilled with antifreeze.

The first thing I would suggest doing is getting all those pieces of black rubber?? out of the radiator, then start doing the flushing.
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Old 06-18-2016, 08:34 AM   #7
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

I filled the radiator and engine with vinegar and let it sit for 10 days, starting it from time to time. Drain it outside, it is a mess. Then I disconnected the lower hoses from the block and plumbed in 1 1/4 pvc pipe to the hoses. I used 2 ells and a tee with pipe to connect them so that the water goes in the tee and through the ells to the bottom of the radiator. I used a large water tank about 12' high so that I had a lot of water at low pressure but you could plumb the tee to a hose too. First I took the cap off and flushed the radiator then when it was clean I put the cap back on and back flushed the engine. I then reversed the lower pipes to the block and did it all again. I went back and forth until only clean water came out. It now runs cool maybe too cold sometimes in cool weather. Good luck.
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Old 06-18-2016, 08:49 AM   #8
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by JM 35 Sedan View Post
The first thing I would suggest doing is getting all those pieces of black rubber?? out of the radiator, then start doing the flushing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 36Bill View Post
...I disconnected the lower hoses from the block and plumbed in 1 1/4 pvc pipe to the hoses. I used 2 ells and a tee with pipe to connect them so that the water goes in the tee and through the ells to the bottom of the radiator. I used a large water tank about 12' high so that I had a lot of water at low pressure but you could plumb the tee to a hose too.
Excellent, you guys are on the track I'm exploring. How can I get that rubber crap out? That's Job #1 right now.

36Bill, Any chance you still have that rig laying around? Can you snap a pic? I think I'm visualizing it, but you know, a picture tells a thousand words.

My idea is I want water flowing upwards and eventually downwards through the radiator, then I'll move to the block cuz I'd be a fool to think that stuff is only in the rad!

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Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ View Post
this is a "zoo" flush gun
Thanks Kurt. That gives me some more ideas.

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions!
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Old 06-18-2016, 09:42 AM   #9
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Tangled,check eBay I see several used and new air assisted back flushers.I have used the vinegar treatment followed but a air assisted back flush to end my overheating problem on my 36. phil
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Old 06-18-2016, 09:54 AM   #10
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Don't know if this would work for your 21 stud but it works great for my 59A Check it out and see: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83557
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:10 AM   #11
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Here are some pics of what I used. The first 3 show the pipes in front of my PU as it would sit in use. I didn't glue any as I had a low pressure water flow. The last shows the tank and most of it's connection, one ell and some radiator hose are someplace else. This is a tank for filling our sprayer on the farm but you could make something out of a barrel on a stand with a 1 1/4 pipe to feed it. A hose might work too, never tried it



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Old 06-18-2016, 11:17 AM   #12
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

seeing all that crud in the top of teh radiator, i would recommend some extra work and remove the radiator and take it to a radiator shop and have the upper & lower tanks removed and then the core rodded out. just flushing wont remove much of that stuffg that took years to accumulate....
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Old 06-18-2016, 11:21 AM   #13
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Quote:
Originally Posted by 36Bill View Post
Here are some pics of what I used. The first 3 show the pipes in front of my PU as it would sit in use. I didn't glue any as I had a low pressure water flow. The last shows the tank and most of it's connection, one ell and some radiator hose are someplace else. This is a tank for filling our sprayer on the farm but you could make something out of a barrel on a stand with a 1 1/4 pipe to feed it. A hose might work too, never tried it
Bill
Very interesting setup!
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Old 06-18-2016, 02:12 PM   #14
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Consider getting some bunjy cord around the right side of the bottom pulley then up to the left pump then the revers on the other side .this will run the pumps back wards .( not sure if that would work though because of the distributor) ,The vinegar idea I am all for soaking it min for 10 days .I have used a vacuum cleaner with a smaller tube taped to it ,worked OK .Ted
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Old 06-18-2016, 02:33 PM   #15
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

donald1950, I thought the same thing, the problem is finding a shop that does more than putting in a new radiator. I had found one shop that said they would boil it out but when it came back there was no difference. I then tried the vinegar and flush and it works, cheaper too.

Bill
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Old 06-18-2016, 05:17 PM   #16
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

If you can set up a back flush how ever. Maybe just cap of one lower spigot (frost plug in the rad hose?) Anyhow get water going in there from the bottom up and see what comes out. If that doesn't get it all, try a small brush with a twisted wire handle that you can bend, and gently massage along the top of the tubes. Most of that stuff will be in the top of the radiator. Do it while the water is coming up.
See how you go.

The best result of course, would come from the top and tailing of the radiator.
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Old 06-18-2016, 05:27 PM   #17
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Hi Again. THANKS EVERYONE for their comments and suggestions.

36Bill, excellent. That was almost what I visualized but I can see what you did will be much better! Thanks a whole bunch for the help.

Also thanks for the air assist suggestions, will explore, I think I have stuff on hand to do that.

I'm not sure what will happen with this car. So I'm trying not to take it apart for now. I haven't said much about it but I took it from the garage it's been in for 53 years. Wasn't looking for another car but it found me.

Am concentrating on getting it running reliably to the level that I can within that restriction.
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Old 06-18-2016, 05:58 PM   #18
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

I took the bottom tank off my 33 rad and rodded the tubes out. Four pieces of 1/16" welding wire side by side should pass through the oval tubes.

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Old 06-18-2016, 06:38 PM   #19
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

Hi All. Thanks Mart. I have some great welder guys owing me some favors so if the radiator comes out I'm pretty sure they could deal with the soldering and you've given me the tip on the cleaner. The tanks are soldered on top and bottom, correct?

Not taking this one apart until fall if at all possible.
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Old 06-18-2016, 06:48 PM   #20
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Default Re: 21 Stud Coolant Flush Tips & Tricks Needed

If it were mine I would take it to a radiator shop rather than trying to do it myself .Soldering the tank is tricky and they use a torch made for radiator repair. They also have a tank to check for leaks. Phil
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