***Cleaning Krud out of Block**IDEAS?

[Bullitt-]

Had to replace a bad freeze plug & found the bottom 3" or so of the water jacket is filled with this gawdawful  black goo along with what I believe to be some hardened sand from casting.    Research on the internet turned up this approach...

I don't know if you all are aware of this <magic> product from Ma Benz ?
it comes in one pound jars and is used mixed with clean water to clean all the corrosion and crud out of the water jacket in your old Mercedes , best part is : it WILL NOT damage your plastic & aluminum radiator ! It'll even clean out a partially silted up one .

You drain the cooling system and re-fill it with distilled water and some non sudsing detergent ( think " SHOUT " type products) and let that run a while , much crud will break loose , drain & flush until the coolant stays clear , drain again then and mix 2 pounds of the Citric Acid powder with 2 gallons of warm or hot water and fill the cooling system , run it for a while (book doesn't say how long (I took a 45 minute freeway drive), drain again , this time remove the block drain plug, it's a 17MM hex headed plug in the dead center of the right hand side of the cylinder block ~ you *MUST* remove this plug , it takes a 6" ~ 10" extension to access it , you'll be amazed at the amount of black crud that comes roaring out of the block when you do this .

Flush the cooling system well and re-fill with either Ma Benz coolant or Zerex brand, nothing else, mix it with distilled water and you're good to go ! .

Be aware if your old Mercedes is severely neglected , like there's tomato juice looking swill in your radiator when you begin, it may take repeated flushing to get all the crud and acid residue out.

This stuff work great in ALL cars, I use it in my old American junk too .

Caveats : you MUST use a detergent to remove ALL oil residue before you use the Citric Acid or it won't work!

You MUST flush after each step until the coolant (water) stays clear after the engine reaches operating temperature!

This "is" a home D.I.Y. project but it takes lots of time and repeated flushings .

The black crud that you drain out, will kill your grass so choose your workplace carefully .

If you cheap out and use dish soap to de-grease the cooling system , you'll have to flush it a LOT before it stops sudsing and you MUST get all the soap out!
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Comments ?... Ideas?  

[brads70]

I don't know...? I think I'd try it on some car that I didn't care too much about or that was heading for the scrap yard first?

[moparmaniac59]

I would think it should be effective and safe. They have been flushing shipboard piping systems with citric acid for years with very good results.


                                                Matt B.

[72cudamaan]

How could pumping all that crap into your radiator not hurt it? I dont think the citric acid would hurt anything, but that crud has to circulate somewhere.

[Bullitt-]

I think the idea of the citric acid is to dissolve the solids so they can come out the block drains...not that some won't get into the radiator.

[ShelbyDogg]

Wade,
I just cleaned out my block on my engine stand. I just pulled out all the plugs and kept shooting my garden hose's spray gun back and forth and up ang down, while spinning the engine and poking a long coat hanger, bent as a hook, to reach in and break up the gunk, sand and casting pieces laying in there for years. I spent HOURS getting EVERYTHING out. It'll probably run very cooler than it ever has in it's life.

If yours is still in the car, only pull the ones that you can reinstall or you'll be pulling your engine out to hammer them back in.  (I only use the rubber ones in an emergency)