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Getting rid of insect remains in radiator?
I was walking out to my car today in the parking lot and the sun was just right, shining on my radiator and it looked disgusting! Bug guts all over the place in my radiator (see below). I have an 1800 psi power washer I was thinking of using on it but didn't know if that might damage the radiator fins, or just blow the bug guts through the radiator and onto my engine and frame, or worse yet just lodge the bugs deeper into the radiator fins. Anybody have a good technique of getting bug remains out of the radiator? Anybody tried a power washer?
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...elius/-1-1.jpg |
Get yourself a wheel brush, wait for the radiator to cool, brush up and down and gently across.
Bill S. |
Perhaps a Water-Pik? :p
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First, I soak the bug residue to soften the remains (a combination of soap and water works well). Then I gently scrub the remains with a soft bristle brush. Takes a little effort but minimizes any risk to the radiator.
To take it a step further, I had my local ACE hardware store fabricate a screen to cover the exterior of the radiator. Cost $23. Fastens with Velcro, which makes removal easy. This approach makes it much easier to clean and helps protect the radiator from bugs and small debris. |
Shop vac with brush attachment-NO POWER WASHER.
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180MPH for an extended period of time should force them the rest of the way through...:3DSMILE:
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Go your your auto repair shop and take a air hose and blow them out from the engine compartment, this sends bugs out the way they came in and doesn't further lodge them in the cooling fins. Then get a piece of door screen and cover the front of the radiator securing around the mounting bracket, this eliminates bugs and small stones from getting to the fins. Doesn't affect cooling either and can be removed to clean
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Get the bug screen, velcro it on. Best $40 you will spend.
Pop that thing off after a buggy ride, run a hose over it with a wheel brush BAM 5 minutes you are good as new. Its almost impossible to clean the radiator without bending those fins. BTW another way to eliminate the bug problem is to drive in 40 degree weather like I did today :D |
... squirt bottle of water & an old toothbrush does me just fine...
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Ditto C. Battaglia...That is the system I use and it works great. Can't say enough good stuff about the simple window screen and velcro.
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Thanks for all the helpful replies. I tried the easiest method first and it worked great, see before and after photos below. I let the radiator cool then used a brush attachment on the shop vac to get the easy stuff off first. Next I used a nylon bristle brush I got at the home center to carefully brush off the stubborn stuff by going back and forth and up and down. I then used a crevis tool on the shop vac to clean up the debris that had fallen off the radiator and collected at the bottom. Finally I used a small pin to straighten out a few of the fins that got bent by bigger bugs. Sweet.
Before: http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...rnelius/-1.jpg After: http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...elius/-2-1.jpg Tools used (except the pin): http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...rnelius/-3.jpg |
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