I just bought a 90’ 4dr integra and the Radiator only had water in it and it’s all rusty, is there anything you can recommend to flush the rust out?
yes
not being a jerk, but suggest get a new radiator. it will be worth it. not to costly, and can be done at the shop or by you if you don’t mind getting a little dirty and have the tools/
:squint:
Thanks, but…
it’s not like it’s leaking, it’s still in good shape. If any1 has any other sugestions besides buying a new one that would be helpful
I once used Muratic acid in an old escort to clean the radiator out. This stuff cleaned it so good it ate out the stop leak that had been put in about a year earlier. I advise you use this only as a last resort. You may be able to find a local radiator shop and take it to them and have them “rod” it out. This involves taking the tanks off and running rods thru it to clean anything stuck out.
you can try running flush through it and backflushing… but that will only do so much… you will eventually have to get anotehr one(who knows how clogged it is) does it over heat?
Actually, backflushing a rusted radiator will probably cause leaks/cracks. The heater core probably isn’t in any better shape either, though I don’t know if Honda heater cores are plastic or metal (never replaced one)… if it’s metal and rusted it’ll rupture very easily. If it’s just got light rust, you may be able to backflush it and run a 50/50 mix of coolant/water for a year or two before you have problems, but the rust flakes can also break free during a flush and clog up the radiator + heater core, leading to overheating.
Definately replace the radiator ASAP or get it rodded out. A flush after you replace the radiator will be a good idea. Keep an eye on the heater core too - if you start smelling coolant in the car or see coolant dripping on the passenger side floor board after a flush you’ll have to replace the core. (on a dry day with the heater on full blast that is - a lot of G2’s will drip water on the passenger floor board when it’s raining thanks to dry rotted seals in the cowl). Replace the radiator and heater hoses while you’re at it, since they’ve probably been neglected too.