[NA]car radiator flush solutions[NA]

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Dave Taylor
Actually it’s a generator with an engine much like a car.

Tap water?
Distilled water?
Special flush solutions ie NAPA/Autozone?
 
Flush with tap water and an Autozone mixture, if needed. If it ain’t broke, don’t.
 
Regular water. If it’s clogged so much it needs anything else, just replace it.
 
Regular water is fine. You can use Restore or Restore+ if you really want to get it clean inside be running it for a while, then flush with water and refill with coolant mix.
 
Mx manual says use standard mix coolant and do it every 3 years (its 3 now).
Thanks - thinking tap water; brief runup; drain and coolant refill.
 
If it's a diesel, as is common with larger generators, a SCA might be advisable to prevent cavitation associated damage.
 
Back when I was a mechanic we would put a capfull of powdered dish washing detergent in the radiator to flush it. Preferably Cascade.

Because it doesn't leave spots.

Seriously.
 
FORANE said:
If it's a diesel, as is common with larger generators, a SCA might be advisable to prevent cavitation associated damage.
Click to expand...

its more like a common car engine (I know there are diesels but I think gas are still more common) - anyway the manual says use a <particular brand> ethylene glycol.
Anytime I read xxx brand oil or other bodily fluid of engines I suspect a monetary bias is being invoked... Briggs and Stratton would tell us a particular brand oil, same with I think it was two stroke oil in the weedeater, once the warranty on a riding mower was longer if we used their brand of oil.
Does anyone think I'd go wrong to use Napa (or Autozone's) brand ethylene glycol?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
its more like a common car engine (I know there are diesels but I think gas are still more common) - anyway the manual says use a <particular brand> ethylene glycol.
Anytime I read xxx brand oil or other bodily fluid of engines I suspect a monetary bias is being invoked... Briggs and Stratton would tell us a particular brand oil, same with I think it was two stroke oil in the weedeater, once the warranty on a riding mower was longer if we used their brand of oil.
Does anyone think I'd go wrong to use Napa (or Autozone's) brand ethylene glycol?
Click to expand...

It could be (pure WAG on my part) that the specified coolant is silicate-free...my Honda motorcycle calls for silicate-free, allegedly because silicates will eat the water pump seal more quickly. Could be baloney but after having just changed one (not fun...at all), I went with what they called for.

Or, it could be purely profit-based as you stated. Wouldn’t be the first time.
 

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Omalley1537 said:
It could be (pure WAG on my part) that the specified coolant is silicate-free...my Honda motorcycle calls for silicate-free, allegedly because silicates will eat the water pump seal more quickly. Could be baloney but after having just changed one (not fun...at all), I went with what they called for.

Or, it could be purely profit-based as you stated. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Click to expand...
Those silicates can fall out of suspension over time and clog up coolant passages as well. The Ford Gold coolant having that silicate issue is attributed to clogging up the EGR/oil cooler on Ford 6.0/6.4L diesels which caused blown head gaskets. It's what gave those engines a bad reputation, so the majority of Powerstroke owners use CAT ELC instead of the Ford coolant.
 
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