[Vwdiesel] flushing the block

[Terry Briggs]

excellent ideas, sadly I don't have the luxury of waiting until summer 
to do the job, I need to do it next week. I'm currently waiting for 
hoses to get here. Once I get the head and hoses changed, I'll be 
flushing it out. I'm sure it's going to improve the heat output as 
well.
On Dec 18, 2007, at 10:05 PM, Val Christian wrote:

> I've done something similar to what Sandy describes, and it works.
> I used more water, and less "Jungle Jake" which is essentially
> Simple Green.  I pretreated with an industrial degreaser (purple
> stuff...I think it was a metasylicate) which got 90-95% of the
> oil out in the first flush.  Then I did something like the
> Cameron Style Continuous Flush.
>
> I did run a fuel filter in the small line to the overflow bottle,
> and replaced it a couple of times until it was clear.
>
> Also, a shopvac exhaust is good for blowing out the engine, and drying
> things first.
>
> Do it on a hot summer day, and run the AC on the car to help with the
> heat load.
>
> Cleaning the overflow bottle is a bigger hassle.  I never could get
> it really "white".
>
>
>>
>> At 06:52 PM 18/12/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>>> Any tips or tricks on flushing the block , radiator and heater core 
>>> of
>>> accumulated oil crud due to a blown head gasket. I'm doing the head
>>> gasket { swapping heads with an '84} and hoses in the next few weeks
>>> and need a good way to clean out the oil.
>>> Terry
>>>
>>
>>
>> I had to do dyalasis on my son's 91NA.
>>
>> It's gasket was not blown from a combustion chamber, but it constantly
>> leaked oil, as revealed when I changed the gasket, due to a 
>> malformation of
>> the rubber insert in the gasket that seals the oil riser to the head.
>>
>> The inside of the cooling system was a mess! to say the least. An oil 
>> cooled
>> engine?
>>
>> First, I changed the head gasket.
>>
>> Then...................
>>
>> I pondered this for a few days, and settled on this trick which 
>> worked well,
>> cleaned the heater core, radiator, engine jacket, and the inside of 
>> the
>> hoses, without removing any of them from the car, and with the engine
>> running so it would stay hot, and the water pump would circulate 
>> everything
>> with reasonable velocity.
>>
>> It was also necessary to get the system up to temperature so I could 
>> flush
>> the rad without removing the thermostat.
>>
>> Equipment used:
>>
>> -Small submersible sump pump, (the kind with a 3/4" garden hose 
>> fitting on
>> its exit)
>> -4 gal bucket full of hot water mixed with one bottle of "Simple 
>> Green", a
>> water-soluable surfactant degreaser. Usually available at larger auto 
>> supply
>> houses.
>> (Canadian Tire Corp here in Canada)
>>
>> -Extra buckets of Hot water as required,
>>
>>  "Enema until clear", as the nurses say. :^0
>>
>> My engine came clean on the third bucket.
>>
>> I disconnected the heater hose between the outlet of the head and the 
>> heater
>> input, connected the dyalasis apparatus, pump output to heater input, 
>> outlet
>> from head to drain in to the bucket.  Take the top off the reservoir 
>> (I
>> actually had my reservoir in the house for laundering, NO I didn't 
>> put it in
>> the dishwasher :)
>> I cant remember if I plugged the reservoir hoses, I think likely, as 
>> they
>> would squirt when the sump pump is running
>>
>> TIPS:
>>
>> a/ use heat resistant hose, rubber with cord re-inforcement if 
>> available.
>> The plastic I used went limp with the heat and was difficult to 
>> manage,
>> folding and kinking.
>>
>> b/ Find a container and a skimming vessel to skim the oil off the top 
>> of the
>> water in the bucket as it comes out. I got almost a quart.
>>
>> I started with a dry engine, I recommend draining anything that's in 
>> the
>> cooling system first, it will not be re-useable, and will just
>> re-contaminate the insides.
>>
>> Set the pump in the bucket and turn it on. You may/will  have to add 
>> more
>> hot water to the bucket as it fills the engine and rad, etc.
>> When you have a good flow returning from the engine to the bucket, 
>> start the
>> engine and let it run at high idle. You can turn on the head lights 
>> and rear
>> window heater to give it something to do, it will heat faster that 
>> way.
>> Turn OFF the cabin heater fan so it doesn't suck away the heat.
>>
>> Make sure all your hoses, etc are secure, use clamps at the joints, 
>> tie off
>> runs so they dont kink, flop or fly away.
>> If anything comes apart, you will have a hell of a mess to clean up. 
>> And you
>> are working with scalding water temperatures. I did this in my heated 
>> garage
>> because it was december. I did not have a spill. Remember the Exxon 
>> Valdeze?
>>
>> All standard cautions and disclaimers apply.
>>
>> The oil will come out in gobs for a while and float to the top of the 
>> hot
>> water in the pail.
>> Carefully Scoop it out into a container. The return flow will clear 
>> up after
>> a while, but wait until the thermostat opens, when a lot more oil 
>> will come
>> out. I think there was more in the rad than in the engine. It's OK to 
>> shut
>> off the pump (have a means near by to do this, in case TSHTF) and 
>> engine
>> while you do the other chores like dipping and changing the water.
>>
>> When you think you have got most of the oil flushed out, time to 
>> change the
>> water.
>>                                                          HOT ! !
>> I just changed the water in the pail, as the water remaining in the 
>> engine
>> was grey, but not oily. Ran it again for a while until no more oil 
>> came out,
>> then flushed it again with clean water to get rid of the grey (soot).
>>
>> After this is all over, disconnect the lower rad hose, and one of the 
>> other
>> hoses from the water pump to drain the system. Blow some low pressure 
>> air
>> thru the heater core to blow the water out of it. It can not drain by 
>> gravity.
>>
>> When all the water is gone, replace all hoses and clamps, and fill 
>> with new,
>> long life antifreeze, run the engine until the T-stat opens, keep 
>> topping up
>> until it no longer goes away.
>>
>> The antifreeze in junior's car is still pale orange, with NO oil 
>> spots a
>> month later.
>>
>> Be sensible about disposing of the oil and water. If you skim the oil
>> carefully, you can probably dispose of the water in any drain or 
>> sewer, or
>> on a long gravel driveway.
>>
>> The simple green is labeled biodegradable, and the small amount of 
>> suspended
>> soot will do no one any harm.
>>
>> Sandy
>>
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>
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