Has anyone ever used or heard of CLR "Calcium Lime Remover" being used to flush a radiator/engine? I heard of this but don't know of anyone here doing it. They say it works real good. If so, whats the mixture ratio and how well did it work?

I would like to get some info before I jump out on a limb that might break?

Thanks

Xaviar
96 F-250HD 4x4 460/E4OD 4.10
Banks Power Pack, Banks Trans Command
MSD 8227 Coil, MSD 32199 8.5 Wires, MSD 6A

 

Thats stuff can be pretty tough on Aluminum radiators if you use it full strength . I dont know how it would react with various gaskets that it would contact if you used it as a flush thru the engine . If you do use it , thin it down to 50/50 . If the radiator tubes are clogged it may be cheaper to have it profesionally cleaned . The CLR stuff is kinda pricey & even if you 50/50 it , its still going to take a lot to fill the entire system . Have you tried the conventional radiator flush produdts ?

 

Why would you want to use something like this? Is your engine heavily rusted or has calcium deposits? A 96 shouldn't have enough deposits to require drastic measures unless it was abused or negelected.

I cannot speak for what CLR will do to an engine with iron, aluminum, rubber, paper gaskets and who knows whatelse. I wouldn't do it unless some expert(not me) has a lot of experience with it and is willing to guarantee the results.

There are lots of good chemical flushes out there just for engines. They come in all types, from the 10 minute flush which is good for "normal" cleaning, all the way to the heavy duty stuff that comes in a two part can with I think an acid cleaner and a separate neutralizer. If none of these products will clean up your system, you probably should take it to a pro.

Check out this web page and be sure to check their home page for lots of good Radiator info. This IS a professional page, not just some amatuers like me.

http://www.imcool.com/articles/anitfreeze-coolant/whygoodradsgobad.htm

Good Luck, and don't use CLR unless you KNOW what it will do.

Jim Henderson

 

I was just inquiring about the product. I haven't used it and I don't presently have any cooling problems. I wanted a little feedback on the CLR. There has been word of people using the stuff. So, what better place to ask than here?

You know how it goes. You hear of the lastest stuff and we ask about it.

Thanks for the reply and the web site.

Xaviar
96 F-250HD 4x4 460/E4OD 4.10
Banks Power Pack, Banks Trans Command
MSD 8227 Coil, MSD 32199 8.5 Wires, MSD 6A

 

Calcium lime removers. I used some in a car 4 years ago that had over 120,000 miles on the orignal aluminum radiator. I pulled the radiator out,sealed one end dumped two bottles of lime away in. Sealed up the other end. Sloshed it aroung for two or three hours. Drained and flushed it out with clean water. All the crud was gone & no leaks. $7.00 and my labor beat $75.00 at the radiator shop.
92 F150 XLT ext cab(mint)
89 Bronco II XLT (I rebuilt all under the hood)
93 Aerostar AWD

 

Trying new things and asking questions is good. I don't want to discourage you on that. I just like to have a lot of people try something this different before I try it. Looks like at least one guy has tried it and it worked for him. A few more testimonies and I would probably feel OK. But still there are plenty of good alternatives especially made for that purpose so unless I was desperate I wouldn't try it unless it really gave me an advantage.

I have been on a Cword digest for 4 years and postings there go in a cycle. Way back many members promoted the use of a torque converter from a small truck S10 in a heavy Car Caprice and Impala. Lots of people liked it. About a half year later we started seeing a few of these people with blown up transmissions, the TC just couldn't handle the strain. Over the years more and more started blowing up. The current word is that these TC should be avoided like the plague. So like I said, I want somelse to try it before I put my car at risk.

But trying new stuff is the American way, otherwise I would never have learned about Mobil 1 or Ford Trucks.

Historical note. This kind of experiment has been done before. Back in the fourties/fifties (I only read old magazines, I wasn't alive then) Popular Mechanics had advertising from SaniFlush promoting their product's abilities to clean radiators. SaniFlush as you might know is a toilet bowl cleaner, it worked a lot lot like CLR. So apparently it must have worked way back then, but I suppose the market came up with radiator specific products that did a better job.

CLR is a good product for toilets sinks and dishwashers, I would just want to hear more. My wife loves it in our plastic lined dishwasher, rips the rust stains right out.

Jim Henderson

 

Believe it or not a lot of the flush they sold for cleaning radiators back in the fifties & sixties was like Drano. I have a couple of old cans someone gave me a few years back. The flush was two parts. One part was the crystals for flushing and the other was the neutralizer you used to kill the flush. Never used the stuff as I dumped the contents out and saved the can for display.