Maverik Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 The 90 is getting a bit hot anything over country road cruising, so I'm thinking the coolant system might need a flush... can anyone think of a reason why using flat cocacola might damage the engine in any way...? Mav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 It's sticky stuff that'll likely break something, like the thermostat. What's wrong with just water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Idris Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Might just be the rad? They don't have to leak to be no good. Internal and external corrosion really knocks back the performance. It worked on my transit! I'd start with the fins before I started cleaning the insides. Car rads are so thin in the tubes that you would be going well to 'clean' the insides before you killed it. We use caustic stuff on the plate and bar units (ally as well). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveturnbull Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Take the rad off, lie it flat on the floor, block off the expansion pipe, fill with water, shove the air line in one port and seal as best you can with plastic bag / rag then blast some air through the water. The disturbance seems to do quite a good job of knocking bits of crud out of the tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I've used Holts radiator flush in the past and it does what it says on tin, however, if the radiator is way past it's use by date, radiator flush will make it leak ! Coke is fine in principal, after all it's only a weak solution of phosphoric acid, however the vast amount of sugar that's also present, well thats probably not a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Coke is fine in principal, after all it's only a weak solution of phosphoric acid, however the vast amount of sugar that's also present, well thats probably not a good thing use Diet coke or coke Zero then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete3000 Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I'd go with a rad flush also, get the hose and run it through back and forwards a few times. Only way to get a good load out is to take the rad out and turn it on end. Don't forget to wash the fins on outside also to remove off road mud,flies etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deej Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 use Diet coke or coke Zero then Save that for the MX-5, a Land Rover will want full fat! p.s. Not to be construed as actual advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcock Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Have you considered central heating cleanser? Put some in run it, flush it, then do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bob Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Dishwasher rinse aid works ok if you go for a run down the road... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 We use coca-cola for flushing but not radiators, top for what we use it for, probably would just back flush it with a hose and maybe a rad flush solution but in my mind would be to replace it or get it re-cored in the near future. What is the cost of a re-core against replacing an engine after cooking it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 Well the core looks in perfect condition, also looks pretty clean as I can see through it... hence why I'm going to give the internals a flush. re coring is something like £200 up here when I last got a quote. I have a funny feeling there is another issue and I wonder if its the exhaust, but I want to rule the coolent system out if I can. I've decided to exchange the engine for a defender 200tdi (which I plan on re-building) will also put a nice big exhaust on it. - but that's not going to happen any time soon, for now I can just about use the 90, but she's no good on longer trips as she just starts to get too hot. I don't think the sugar will do any harm to the engine, I'll pop it in take it for a run then leave it for a day or so then back flush, see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 The exhaust can definitely cause that. Do you have cats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Cats are only good for waxoiling help, carp on cleaning out radiators Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Just to throw a spanner in the works, is the drive belt for the water pump A. Tight and B. the correct one? I ask this as I had all sorts of problems with my Disco, couldn't get the alternator belt to stay tight, turned out that there are 2 different belt profiles ( a narrow V and a wide V). I had the wrong one so it was not gripping the pulleys properly (and no you couldn't hear it slipping- no screeching etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Dishwasher tablets are good too, in fact anything with caustic in it, just don't leave it in there too long (like no more than a couple of hours I would think, as there is aluminium in the system). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Given the massive price difference, why not use proper radiator flush that's designed for the job? You could save several pounds whilst risking bu&&ering your engine/rad and having no comeback whatsoever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 ^^^ What he says. Last time i bought it, Holts Radflush from Halfords was only about a fiver. Its probably actually cheaper than coke for the same effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Perhaps he was going to use carp pop ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 Given the massive price difference, why not use proper radiator flush that's designed for the job?You could save several pounds whilst risking bu&&ering your engine/rad and having no comeback whatsoever Yeah I've got some Comma branded radiator agent on its way to me for the grand sum of 2.99, but I was so impressed at how coca cola can strip rubbish from brass products I thought "hello" this could clean up the innards of my radiator quite well, and its environmentally friendly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 The exhaust can definitely cause that.Do you have cats? No cats, gf has a dog though. (its a 2 box exhaust I cobbled together using LR parts, after seen some 300tdi's, this one looks quite narrow. There's definitely some more exploration needed as I think she's feeling down on pulling power too... Something I have just noticed after driving a few different trucks recently, is that the header tank gets up to temperature relatively quickly, the 90's header hardly ever seems to get that warm. On the pulley slipping topic. I found out about the belt sizing the hard way, I've just been through that on the 110, - I don't think that's an issue as you'll see it polishing the pulley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Very_Disco Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 In my own experience I have found that proper branded rad flush is effective for any hard blockages and light corrosion. I then smash up half a dozen dishwasher tablets and pour them in. I normally run the car for a couple days and drain and replace coolant. Things that coke would damage would be mostly the bearing in your water pump on the impeller shaft and also your expansion tank cap when it fizzes. Of course having never actually tried this I can't say for sure but honestly you would be cheaper and I imagine more effective spending a fiver on a flushing agent and nicking half a dozen tablets from the Mrs/somebody else's mrs. I agree with your logic though that coke should be good. If you want to find out without risk then try leaving an old water pump in coke to see? Or fill an old rad up out of the car I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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