cleaning radiators

[RandallNeighbour]

Bill, Mark's doing fine. He's at the track every time the PCA opens it up for a HSDE. Some of the time he volunteers as a corner worker to get free entry on the next registration.

I gotta do that next to save $225.

Mark's needle moves up to "normal operating temp" rather quickly (actually TOO quickly if you ask Mark.) Then it sits right there no matter how the car is driven or operated... roll it down a hill in neutral with the AC off, turn the AC on full and sit in park, drive the piss out of it on a track, and that needle doesn't move unless the motor is overheating and then it shoots to the right and turns on the dummy light.

I too am quite surprised that dealerships don't offer this service. Lord knows they could make a pile of cash doing it.

My mechanic has told me more than once that I should take my house vac's crevice tool and tape it to the tube of my high powered shop vac and suck all the debris out of the front radiator through the grills from time to time. He's never recommended removing the bumper and separating the radiators though.

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

My mechanic has told me more than once that I should take my house vac's crevice tool and tape it to the tube of my high powered shop vac and suck all the debris out of the front radiator through the grills from time to time. He's never recommended removing the bumper and separating the radiators though.

Yes, I have done this. Easy to do. Not much came out though. Leaf blower still worked better.

[timothy]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

I too am quite surprised that dealerships don't offer this service. Lord knows they could make a pile of cash doing it.

When I was but a newb, Park Place in Dallas said the radiators needed to be cleaned of debris at a price of $400 IIRC. It was suggested as annual maintenance.