Radiator Cleaner?

[Vanguard]

I'm replacing the radiator in my '94 530i this evening. I'm planning on flushing out the green stuff and replacing it with Zerex G05 on a 50/50 mix with distilled water. I'm considering putting a can of cleaner through the system as well, but don't know if this is a good idea or not.

Whaddya think?

[gale]

Some of the commercial products scare me in an engine with an aluminum head and waterpump and a headgasket that is problematic to begin with. I've had good success using citric acid, available in powdered form at a pharmacy or candy shop. It does a great job dissolving calcium deposits without attacking hoses or weak gaskets. I empty the system including the block drain, and use about a cup with tap water and run it for about 15 minutes with the heater full blast & then let it cool and do repeated fill-run-cool-drain routines with water until it comes out clear.

[Russell]

Prestone makes two types of flush/cleaner. One you run for 5 minutes and flush/drain. The other you partially drain raid, add water and cleaner and leave in for x miles or about a week. Then drain/flush. It also has some sort of citric additive as a cleaner.

I used the second type, flushed out rad and block with distilled water and filled with g05/distilled water. No problems. Works/acts exactly as it di before with BMW blue only yellow colored.

[winfred]

the best radiator cleaner costs $275-325, cleans that old radiator right outta the core support and off the car

[Vanguard]

It actually cost about $235 for the radiator itself. Got a Nissen. I figured I'd run the cleaner through the block, but I think I'll just flush it now. Looks like I finally found a store that carries the Zerex G05 so I'm off to the FLAPS now.

[ryan roopnarine]

that cleaner will probably be at a much stronger concentration than it was designed to be present at if you use it to flush out your radiator only.

[Hector]

I've used their stuff which comes in powder form in a can. After one can, lots of crud and rust came out. After the 2nd can, a little more stuff got flushed out. Then I topped it off with a flush of distilled H2O and I was good to go.