Re: [Chrysler300] Old Mopar overheating

300H

On Feb 4, 2016, at 1:25 PM, Keith Boonstra kboonstra@xxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jack,

You can introduce chemicals that will recombine with with various oxides that have gained a foothold within the radiator, and use other agents to clean out other gunk, but organic fibers such as wood, straw, or cotton are difficult or impossible to "dissolve" chemically. To demonstrate this, you can soak wood or straw in a VOC such as lacquer thinner, etc. for a very long time, but it will not liquefy.

My suggestion would be to oxidize the organic fibers so that they actually turn to a powder that can then be flushed out of the radiator. If you place your radiator in an accurately controlled oven (think powder-coaters, etc.) at a max of about 350F/175C for several hours, any organic fibers (and likely synthetic fibers as well) that the mice hauled in there will char into a powder and be gone. To keep the solder from liquefying be sure not to exceed 360F/180C as it starts to melt at 361F. You are oxidizing, so keep the openings open during the process so that oxygen can freely reach and facilitate the charring process.

Follow that up with a good radiator shop power flushing, and I'll bet it performs like new.

Keith Boonstra

On Thu, Feb 4, 2016 at 1:26 PM, 'Jack Boyle' jackcboyle@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I will admit this is not a 300 only problem but it is related to my 1946
Chrysler straight 8 overheating. After much diagnosis and confirming the
water pump, t-stat, water distributing tube and hoses are in proper working
order I finally was able to borrow a small video probe and confirm the
problem in the upper tank of the radiator. BTW, There is a large baffle that
prevents viewing any portion of the top header without the camera.

Years ago while the car was in the assembly process some mice secretly made
a nest in the upper tank. No amount of back flushing will dislodge all of
the blocked tubes (verified with the camera). This radiator was in the car
for 2 years and the result was dislodging of some of the material but major
overheating (obviously). The car is now not even drivable for more than 5
minutes.

No radiator shop in Kansas City (even the OLD) ones will take the tanks off
this radiator and clean it - they say the tank to header hem will be brittle
and not survive reassembly. I am left with a re-core (just to clean lint out
of the upper tank?!?) at an estimate from two sources at $7,000 (that is not
a typo). The tanks/headers are not flat and the radiator is sort of an
octagon shape. I have considered just replacing the radiator with a modern
custom radiator but this is an AACA Grand National car and it seems a crime
on several levels.

This brings me my question. Is there a chemist out there that can offer an
acidic or caustic product that might dissolve the fluffy lint like material
and NOT harm the brass, solder, etc? I know from chemistry class that there
is something out there that will dissolve the organic lint and leave the
metal clean and bright. I do have two trashed radiators available for
product testing.

I know there used to some cooling system cleaning products but the
environmental issues seems to have eliminated most of the old products.

Any suggested ideas are appreciated.

.Jack

Jack Boyle

(913) 544 4650

Enjoying the same C-300 since 1967

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