Found this over on myrovers.com - since we have been having posts about various home brew rad cleaning methods. The two week drive period is a new idea to me, rather than our normal instant gratification solvents. Don't know how many repeats there would have to be.

Clean out Your Cooling System
This is especially for older cars that have been sitting for an extended period of time. This Tip will explain an easy way to clean out the cooling system and it even cleans out radiator cores – it does NOT un block them – it cleans them and increases the efficiency of your cooling system.
1. Drain all fluid out of the cooling system
2. Refill with fresh water
3. Add two cups of “washing soda” – 20 mule team has it and Arm and Hammer has it. Get it at the grocery store in the laundry soap area.
4. Close the system up – drive for a week or two
5. Drain the crud and the filth
6. Refill and repeat until the system is clean
7. When the desired results have been achieved, refill with the recommended mix of antifreeze and water.
This actually works wonders….and is easy and painless!


Source: motorcarsLTD

 

Impressive, thanks!

 

Question about adding the "washing soda" with a D1: should I mix it with the water prior to filling the system, add it to the coolant tank, add it to the radiator through the little plug on top, or does it not make any difference at all? Will the washing soda prevent the water from freezing or should this be postponed until spring? Is there a risk of doing more harm than good with all that crud circulating through the system for two weeks?

Okay... that's several questions. But if this method works it would be outstanding.

 

Freezing would be an issue. Putting it in via the D1 bung hole would be OK. Mine is brass now because the plastic already broke all apart. Can't imagine it would do any more harm than what crud is already in there.

Now - for a D2 it is a better deal. For the D1, more options, because of copper radiator and metal tanks. You can find an indy shop, look for one that does tractors and off road construction gear, and carry yours in. Near me in the farm area a guy unsoldered my tank, rodded out the calcium, and hot flushed it in ciric acid; $75. Cools great. I had already tried commerial flush, white vinegar for driving around, and even took rad out and let muricatic acid soak inside it for half a dau. Made what copper I could see bright. But the rod out made the big diffrence.

On my D1, you could look down in the bung hole with a flashlight and see calcium on the tubes. This "washing soda" method might make some of that go away, but over what period of time who knows.

 

More questions:
What should I look for regarding an indy shop that does farm equipment? (I'm in the 'burbs, north of Atlanta.)
Is there a compatible radiator off another vehicle? The Disco is my daily driver, and I'd have to find a boneyard/Craigslist rad to bring to a shop.

Thanks for the help!

 

Boneyards are plentiful in Atlanta. Not a match except for Range Rover. Marietta Radiator is an example of a big shop, quality work, long history, and they will have higher price than some small one/two man shop. You might have to go outside the burbs. There is also the $235 aluminum radiator that is sold on the web, we have had members install it and six months with no problems. At that price you could buy three for what one copper brass one would run.

 

Sticky this please!

 

I would make a note to NOT do this when there's a chance of encountering freezing temperatures in the first post, but otherwise, good post!

 

With all the posts about overheating, I agree emphatically.