Heat Exchanger Cleaning

[hcalmar]

What do you think about this idea. I have an extra valve/port on my oil exchange pump. Connect output hose from the pump to the zinc port on the outboard side of my heat exchanger, input hose in the pail of phosphoric and the return hose to the pail from the zinc port just north of the raw water pump? Is there enough volume or do you need the 500gph bilge pump and 2" adaptors Genesis describes? Will the Groco reversing vane pump get harmed?

Is there a consensus on the acid to use rydlyme, phosphoric,muratic for the non-dip method?
Thanks
Hal

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Those bilge pumps are cheap. I'd stick with a plastic cheapo bilge pump, a five gallon plastic bucket and a short length of hose.

 

[REBrueckner]

I agree with sky.....you do want to risk ANY oil in a cooling system even though it would get flushed...and suppose you accidentally reverse the oilo change pump with a bit of acid in it?? and acid in copper connectings??..just not worth it....

volume of pump is unimportant...all that is needed is some circulation so as acid is neutrailized by crud some fresh is washed in...

likley there are pros and cons among various acids....if interested, I'd check with a radiator shop and see what they use. Another option is to read your engine manual and see what it specs. Yet another option is to check with your local trusted mechanic and see what he likes and why...

 

[MikeP]

When you do this, place the bucket ABOVE the highest point in the cooling system. Otherwise the solution will not fill the RW cooling system and the upper half (or even more) of the HE and/or intercoolers will not be cleaned at all.