I’m on round 8 of drain and fill in preparation to put the correct 24” radiator that the car came with back in. I’ve flushed this a couple of times over the years but just a casual drain it once and go. This time I decided I wanted to get it ‘clean’. I think this is gonna drain the local aquifer.
About step up the game and get the Thermocure brand and start over. I heard is does a better job. Might still take a dozen fill drain cycles.
And no I haven’t pulled the thermostat, I don’t need that kinda heartbreak in my life it still functions perfectly since the last time I replaced it. I am considering replacing the heater hoses with the ‘correct’ ones so splicing in a backflush isn’t out of the cards yet.
How many times, realistically, do have have to look forward to get something clean coming out?
So here’s the worst-case scenario, hopefully yours isn’t this bad. But I flushed mine dozens of times and never got clean coolant. Since it needed new freeze plugs anyway, I pulled the engine and heads, and rodded out the block passages. There was an unbelievable amount of rust and scale deposits that flushed out.
Typically you have to use vinegar to get clean water. Let a gallon of vinegar - plain white vinegar from the grocery store - sit for maybe 8 hours or longer. Then drain it and flush with clean water. A lot of rusty crud will come out.
I used the thermocure flush stuff and it worked well. I don’t remember exactly what the preferred method was but I believe you needed to drain your coolant and fill with water and the bottle of flush then run the engine for an hour or so then flush. For the flush portion I left the drain valve open and stuck a hose in the cap on low to keep the level up. Ran the engine at high idle until it was clean, took an hour or so but it cleaned all the nasty out of the block and heads.
Thank you all for the insight. I’m not in huge rush and I have patience, so I’m going to try the vinegar tonight, flush till it’s clearer. Then see where I’m at. If still funky go with thermocure. Probably not gonna yank the freeze plugs - wasn’t planning on that until I rebuild the block.
The coolant is ‘clearer’ just has an orange ‘tinge’ to it. It doesn’t overheat, just sometimes runs on the warmer side. I live in Arizona, it has 20” radiator that I replaced the 24” with in 92 because that’s what I could afford then. No shroud and a centrifugal clutch. It was my only car back then. It sat for 7 years while I was in Germany. And again for the last 4 because I was lazy. Each time I started her back up I went through the same things, flush everything, belts, hoses, etc. this time I’m trying to make a few things right hopefully improve some things. I have an aluminum 24” (correct looking once it gets some paint), shroud, and proper clutch. Luckily I still have the proper fan. After this is sorted on to disc brakes.
Steve
Oh a side observation - I must’ve had some crud in the heater core. It’s blowing SUPER hot now. The temp gauge is hanging just a smidge left of center after a 20 minute idle.
Back when I was younger had a leak in the heater core and somehow folded myself in positions that I am paying for these days and swapped it out without pulling the entire box or console, still don’t how I did it. What without YouTube or the internet. I remember I got it from WCCC though.
Got the pump off today. I sweated the thought of breaking a bolt so much that i doused each bolt every day this week. Turns out every one came off without a hitch, well except for one that was a little tough.
I had the big red wrench in the bullpen ready, but didn’t need. I turned out then back in, out, hit it with some PB. Did that about a dozen times and out she came.
I am not 100% certain this is the pump that came with her BUT it does have the Fomoco logo and a 68 part number. The bearings are still smooth. But the impeller- whoah is that thang nasty. The leak was a super itty bitty less than 1 mm hole on the heater hose outlet.
In the meantime, this might be a good opportunity to try soaking the water pump in vinegar and other solutions to see what cleans it best. Then, use that on the rest of the system.
I’m gonna do that. That last round, just before pump sprung the leak I had already put in the thermocure. Only ran it for 20ish minutes and shut it down. The plan was to run it some more the next day. I cleaned up the mess but left what was in there for about 5 days. Says it is safe for a few days. I just finished back flushing by using a garden hose connected to the heater hose. I’m in the garage so I could only run it about 2 gallons at time. Man was it black. And quite a bit of ‘gunk’ came out with it. After 10 gallons it was a lot cleaner than it was after the first ‘flush’. Water was initially just coming out of the water pump ‘holes’ that I had some tubing shoved in to guide it to the bucket. I plugged them with my thumbs to get water out of the bypass. Discovered I now have a thermostat housing gasket leak. That’s coming off too as soon as the new shallow 1/2” ujoint socket comes it my old one is probably with all my 10mm sockets….
Just anFYI. As you use these acids to flush there is a possibility that you are going to find lots of new leaks. On one engine it all cleaned up but once it got on the road the freeze plug on the back of one head failed. After pulling the engine it was clear that all the freeze plugs were in need of replacement
Exactly how I lost my freeze plugs too! But they were original, so they were well past their prime. Engine rebuilder replaced them with ones marked “CHINA”. He completely understood when I asked him to replace them them with Ford plugs.
I an 100% certain the freeze plugs are original. And I am only 60% confident that once I get the pump back in that it will be the end of this part of the story, was hoping I found some driving miles in before rebuilding the motor.
I am already pulling the factory A/C (non-functional) stuff off if I have to go back in and yank everything out.
it still functions perfectly since the last time I replaced it. I am considering replacing the heater hoses with the ‘correct’ ones so splicing in a backflush isn’t out of the cards yet.