2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Simple Green? Castrol Super Clean?

[JRihani]

All,



I'm planning on "raking" some bent fins on my condenser, intercooler, radiator stack that were bent over by the previous owner. I want to rinse them out as well... are there any common cleaners that I SHOULDN'T use on this material? I have Simple Green and Castrol Super Clean on the shelf right now (and a little bit of POR-15 Marine Clean). Can I take my pick? Any suggestions?



Thanks!

 

[Bob Wagner]

simple green should work very well

 

[JRihani]

Thanks Bob, I'm still saving my pennies for a Catcher Wouldn't want to put one on with a dirty radiator!

 

[Bob Wagner]

you should see decreased temperatures after you get all that gunk cleaned off the back of the radiator.



is your breather bottle still located there?

 

[JRihani]

Bob, you're reading my mind with my next question!



Yes, my breather bottle is still located in its original position. I performed an oil change last night and looked up how to empty the breather bottle in the factory service manual. Am I making this job too hard? How do you get that stinkin' nut that is holding the bottle to the gear cover loose? I tried from the top and couldn't reach, I tried from the bottom and it was almost like the bottle was keeping the wrench from grabbing the nut. Is there a trick to this job that I am missing?



Your post made it sound like there is another place to locate this bottle? Is there an easy bomb to relocate it?



When I bought the truck the whole engine compartment looked very clean (undetailed, but clean) except for the mess the breather had made of the front of the gear cover (and everything below).



Thanks for all your help Bob!

 

[nps]

The bottle is held in by a loop strap. Just pull it up and it will slide out.



To relocate it, get 2 feet of 5/8 or 3/4 heater hose, a garden hose union at home depot, and extend the breather tube straight down. Cut the hose to desired length and no more radiator mess.



You can put the bottle at the end of the hose by feeding the heater hose through the hole in the bottle lid and putting a couple of tie wraps around the end of the hose. Or you can just let the hose hang open.

 

[JRihani]

Thanks for the tip! I think I'll take care of that tonight.



Regards,

John

 

[PC12Driver]

FWIW, the FAA sent out a bulletin a couple of years back telling us not to use Simple Green on our aircraft because it attacks and weakens aluminum. I used one of the foaming engine cleaners and a pressure washer.



Relocating the blow by bottle doesn't really stop the radiator from getting plugged (but I'm sure it helps some). Mine has been relocated pretty much since the beginning, and it was the front of my radiator that had the majority of the junk. Check out my pics in this thread; that's the front of the radiator. The only way to get it clean is to pull it out of the truck.

 

[nps]

PC12Driver - relocated my blowby bottle with 200 miles on the truck. After 40,000 the radiator is still clean - just pull and checked it. Don't know what happened to yours.



A good barometer of the radiator are the fan blades. If they are oily and gunked up, good chance the rad is also. Mine are clean. Now my sway bar and front pumpkin are a whole nuther story.

 

[PC12Driver]

I'd say it has something to do with location. I'm guessing your air in LV is significantly cleaner than the crap we breathe over here (pollen, polution, etc). Factor in the amount of moisture that my truck will see vs. yours (which helps the airborne junk stick to things) and the higher bug count in the midwest than in the desert and it shouldn't be a surprise that your radiator stays cleaner than mine.



Take a look at the pics; that's junk stuck to the front of the radiator, and it's not oily. I've pulled two radiators from similar '01s, one with a blowby bottle (my Dad's) and one without (mine) and the amount of crud in each was just about identical. Even the back (fan) sides looked the same. So I'm pretty well convinced that the effect of the blowby bottle on the radiator is minimal. Especially considering that the crankcase vapors would have to flow backwards through the fan and against any airflow coming through the radiator once you're moving in order to touch the fins.



But getting rid of the bottle does keep the engine a lot cleaner.

 

[GAmes]

I think the Castrol super clean works better. I found that by removing the fan you can "back flush" the radiator and force the remains of all those dead critters out much easier.

 

[pwknapp]

Cascade dishwasher detergent in hot water is an excellent cleaner and it doesn't hurt aluminum. JM . 02

 

[TRCM]

Lowe's sells a cleaner in a spray can that is designed for a/c condensors. It is like 7 bucks a can. I'd try that first.