What is the best method to clean out the coolant system?

[Gorilla]

Hi everybody,

Previous owner ran water and its a really tasty rust color (sarcasm) anyway i need some advice as to whats the best thing to use to clean it out before i put in coolant?

I dont want to use nasty chemicals if possible.  Also anybody with good ideas to clean out the coolant tank? i usually take them off and flush them with hot laundry detergent and srub them with a bootle brush then flush for as long as i cannot smell laundry powder.

[Geoff Weeks]

After flushing as best you can, install a coolant filter if the engine doesn't have one. Flushing gets the loose stuff out, the filter removes the stuff that wouldn't come loose at flush time, when it does come loose and starts circulating.

[Joey Mack]

And it can add a PH conditioners as well. I like coolant filters... 

[Gorilla]

9 hours ago, Geoff Weeks said:

After flushing as best you can, install a coolant filter if the engine doesn't have one. Flushing gets the loose stuff out, the filter removes the stuff that wouldn't come loose at flush time, when it does come loose and starts circulating.

First time ive become aware of coolant filters (sorry only mainly worked on cars), but will look into it 100%...... I like the idea for sure.  Its insane how badly people maintain their trucks (obviously not talking all but most).... one of the main reasons i got my own truck  is because i was so fed up with the badly maintained rubbish they told me to drive.

[Joey Mack]

I forgot, what Mack engine are you running.  There is a thermo housing you can get that accepts the filter pad. 

[Geoff Weeks]

Cummins filter head on my 1942 IHC

[cruiseliner64]

Theres a question.Id like to flush the cooling system on our Cruiseliner.So what is the best chemical/over the counter stuff to use...and how much would you use in the system???

Paul

Edited yesterday at 11:39 PM by cruiseliner64

[Joey Mack]

Cascade dish washer powder.. then flush with clean water..  i have a fitting that I hook to the air compressor so i can push flush water up to the surge tank. There are other ways, im sure.. 

[Adkat]

14 hours ago, Gorilla said:

Hi everybody,

Previous owner ran water and its a really tasty rust color (sarcasm) anyway i need some advice as to whats the best thing to use to clean it out before i put in coolant?

I dont want to use nasty chemicals if possible.  Also anybody with good ideas to clean out the coolant tank? i usually take them off and flush them with hot laundry detergent and srub them with a bootle brush then flush for as long as i cannot smell laundry powder.

https://costeffective.com.au/product/rmi-25-cooling-system-treatment/

I use this and a few of their other products. Works really well, you'd be surprised the amount of filth it'll pull out of a rusty cooling system.

[tjc transport]

2 hours ago, Joey Mack said:

Cascade dish washer powder.. then flush with clean water..  i have a fitting that I hook to the air compressor so i can push flush water up to the surge tank. There are other ways, im sure.. 

i use cascade powder for rust, and dawn liquid for oil. for oil add 3-4 teaspoons and fill with water. go for a 10 minute ride and flush. if oil is still visible do it again . then flush as good as you can with water. fill with water and go for another ride. once water comes out clean with no soap bubbles, fill with red ELC coolant and you are good to go. for rust, and few tablespoons of cascade powder and do the same flush repeat as for oil. 

[Joseph Cummings]

27 minutes ago, tjc transport said:

dawn liquid for oil

I do that for when oil coolers go bad, seems to work the best. I never tried cascade though. The liquid dish soap will also turn diesel or gasoline into a thick jell. Good for homemade napalm. I've seen it used for sabotaging the competition too