I am thinking of taking my radiator to a shop and have it flushed, not rodded. They said it could ruin the radiator by rodding it. So they want $60 to tank it. Is this a waste of money, ie something I can do or do they use chemicals I cant get or use.

 

I've had radiators rodded out in the past....you should ask them why they think it'll damage the core. Do you have a standard brass radiator core?

In more recent years, most of the shops would rather sell a new radiator than un-solder the tanks and work on an existing core. They have told me that if they start to solder a tube, on an old radiator, they end up soldering them all because the corroded old solder on the adjacent tubes starts coming apart as soon as they start working on it.

Maybe you should call some other shops to see what they think.

 

They have chemicals we can't get (except maybe in 55 gallon drums and for $$$). Be prepared, it is likely to "find" pinholes, but it will do an excellent job of cleaning. Make sure they don't pressure test more than 4 psi.

 

I was looking into chemicals to help me out with a cooling system issue recently. I was told by a local auto store guy (who seems pretty knowledgable) that the chemicals that really work and that I could buy have been outlawed by the EPA. What we are left with is stuff that he said I shouldn't waste my money on. And for the record, he wasn't trying to sell me something else, he directed me down another route that did not involve his store. FWIW.

t

 

It's always a dicey proposition to work on any old car or parts. One thing can lead to another. I'd bet the guy doesn't want to chance rodding the radiator and finding thin metal or poor solder joints. The chemical boil out is less aggressive but as mentioned, may find other problems.

I read on another board a post from a person with an old car who complained that he couldn't find a mechanic in his area to work on his car. One reason I know is many of the younger guys wrenching now just don't know how to work on the old cars. They like to plug in a diagnostic computer and have it tell them what's wrong. Our old cars and trucks have to be fixed with experience and by listening and looking and being able to figure out what is wrong. But, there was also a reply poster who operated a repair garage who make a good point. He said he steers away from older cars because while working on one part of the vehicle you can easily jostle another whole different part of the vehicle without knowing it and make a part that was on the verge of failing go bad. Example, you change a motor mount and while doing so you raise the engine and in doing so you inadvertently move the transmission and now you've tweaked a 60 transmission seal and it starts to leak. Then the customer comes back a week complaining and accusing the mechanic of damaging the transmission seal.

 

I think it's also because the flat rate books don't go back that far, so they have no idea how long it takes to R&R a carb on a '47 Ford pickup.

 

I use to work in a radiator shop. The reason they just want to boil it is that they don't want to chance taking the tanks off.... When you remove the solder from the tanks, it may crack the tank and/or loosen the solder around the tubes... Before rodding a core it's boiled out. To many of the radiators now days are throw out with plastic tanks and they don't know how to rod a core or solder on one...

 

Ross, a while back right here on this board there was a young guy who was a SASE certified tech and he asked how to remove and rebuild the "calipers" on his stock pickup. He said he did many modern caliper set ups but he'd never worked anything as old as our trucks. If the guy is ready this I'm not making fun of him, I'm glad there are younger guys getting involved in the old trucks. It's just dying knowledge, getting replaced with new technologies. There are many services I took for granted 30 years ago that you will be pressed to find today.

 

My Dad use to use muriatic acid mixed with water. 50/50 or 75acid/25water to clean out nasty crap in the radiators of several old beaters. He use to solder pinholes shut too... weird cause he never passed that on to me...I remember that nasty crap coming out though! thats rough stuff! the acid...

 

Muriatic is easy to get, but what do you do with it afterwards?! When I cleaned out my gas tank with it, I poured it on the rocks in my yard -- they were fizzing and popping for hours!

Bob, I don't doubt what you're saying at all. Sign of the times...