mud in rad

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mark-d

mark-d

Well-Known Member
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1,107
Location
Netherlands
after going through the mud run a few times at newark my radiator got full of mud and it was getting a bit hot on the way back what is the best way to stop it, it was on the inside more, washed it off the outside but had to take the cowling off to clean the inside
 
Don't be tempted by a pressure washer, that can knock fins off the back as quick as anything!

I just use a normal garden hose at normal pressure and put the hose up to the front of the rad as best I can, if it's really bad I open the bonnet remove the fan cowling top piece and just do the best I can pointing the hose forwards!

'snot easy ...
 
I did the same as the previous tow posters, but I found that there was still quite a bit of crud in there. Maybe I had left it too long to dry, dunno.

Personally if mines really bad I remove the rad and intercooler, use many, many buckets of very hot soapy water, then spend age with the hosepipe at close range, (but not with my thumb over it), gentle forcing the muck out.

Just don't do what I did and remove the bottom hose, spilling almost all the coolent into your mouth. Not cool at all.
 
hahahahahahahahahaha! :D that is funny. Maybe you can block the rad off when you get seriusly muddy with some plastic sheeting. keep an eye on temp and see how it goes. Alternatively, buy a new rad when its completely shagged out.

G
 
Griffdowg said:
hahahahahahahahahaha! :D that is funny. Maybe you can block the rad off when you get seriusly muddy with some plastic sheeting. keep an eye on temp and see how it goes. Alternatively, buy a new rad when its completely shagged out.

G
Click to expand...

That's what I do when I know it's going to be seriously muddy, small sheet of thick plastic on the front covering the grille ... and it works! I reckon it'd run at least an hour or so without getting hot, and pobably much longer, but never tried and don't intend to as I take it off when not needed!

;)
 
will have to do something like that maybe shut it in the bonnet

getting the mud out wasnt a problem i just took the cowling off, but i coundnt do that when i was 100 miles from home on the a17 with limited tools

thanks for your help all
 
It makes me wonder if someone doesn't need to redesign the radiator. How long has the design been exaclty the same ????

How bout a more solid unit with thick cooling fins, something that could handle been pressure washed. Kind of like the cooling tower my PC has (but obviously flat).

RESERATOR-1-V2_02_b(0).jpg
 
Your PC cooling tower works by having an increased surface area to disipate the heat from it. A radiator is different because you have coolant flowing between the tubes. The fins need to be thin for the heat exchange to work most effectively (by allowing the coolant to be as close as possible to the outside of the structure) whilst also having an increased surface area to disipate the heat.

G
 
I had to end up taking my rad out completely after it mud was virtually wielded on thanks to Whaddon. Yep, def needs a redesign. Unlike the copper/brass ones that if broke you had to go and get repaired, aluminum rads aren't designed to last, you wear it out and replace it. Us lot just wear them out a bit quicker! All that mud then trying to get it clean without breaking the fins.....
 
I use a ball point pen on the end of my garden hose spray gun, this allows for a small, precise and powerfull water jet to clean between the fins.
No need to remove the rad….

However, I get to play in mud and dirty water so many times that I'm going for the sheet covering the rad, even more as I have an open grille…

Other thing is, if it starts to get hot and you see the temp needle going up, turn your heater on full blast on the hottest setting..that will bring the needle down a bit…

here's a pic of me washing the rad, so you know what I mean by ballpoint pen on garden hose. works a treat.

4454_181665170612_727855612_6803279_820799_n.jpg
 
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