Flushing and Cleaning Cooling System Of Engine
To maintain the temperature of an engine is one of the vital aspects of engine design because no engine will have a good lifespan with poor temperature control.
In other words, poor temperature control will always give rise to overheating followed by high noise and subsequent wearing and tearing of parts which are very detrimental to the life of the engine.
To have the life span of the engine preserved, there are necessary things one needs to put in place which the flushing and the cleaning of the cooling system are among.
Generally, modern internal combustion engines do come with radiator and water circulating units, including the porous holes created within the engine block for the purpose of making water circulate within the piston cylinder where the major activities in the engine do take place.
However, due to constant use and longtime service of the engine, the holes and water circulating channels within and outside the engine block gets blocked or obstructed causing reduced water flow and causes a rise in the engine temperature.
We shall be dealing with the steps to treat and maintain the cooling system of internal combustion engines using a car engine as our reference and an example. Below is the procedure to ensure the cooling system of your engine is in order.
- Look through the radiator filter hole. If the tubes are covered with scale deposits, use a proprietary cleaning compound to loosen them following the maker’s instructions.
- Flush the radiator by hosing water at main pressure through the filter hole. If the flow through the bottom hose stub is restricted, it will be necessary to backflush the radiator. Push a garden hose into the bottom radiator stub (wrap it in a rag to prevent leakage). Turn on the tap and run it until the water runs out of the filter hole. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove the radiator, turn it upside down, and again back-flush it by hosing water in through the bottom hose stub. If this does not improve the flow of water and the engine persistently overheat, consider de-scaling it using a powerful alkaline solution, but this later process requires a good knowledge of radiator maintenance and working principle.
- Clean the outside of the radiator with plenty of water and a soft-bristled brush to remove any debris blocking the airflow.
- To flush the heater hoses at the engine. One will be clipped to the cylinder head or the inlet manifold and the other will be attached near the water pump. With the heater control on ‘hot’ or the cylinder head water valve open, fit the mains hose to the heater hose disconnected from the main pump, i.e when you turn on the water there should be an unrestricted flow from the outer heater hose, continue flushing until clear water emerges.
- The thermostat must come out in order to flush the cylinder block. In most cars, it is located under a housing at the cylinder head end of the top hose. Unbolt the housing, remove it, and scrape away the gasket around the edge of the thermostat. The thermostat should now lift out. It may, however, be corroded firmly in place. If so, scraping debris from the edge of the thermostat, using a small screwdriver, will allow it to be lifted.
- Disconnect the bottom radiator hose at the water pump end. Insert the mains hose in the thermostat hole and turn on the water. There should be an unrestricted flow from the bottom hose stub. Flush the system until clear water emerges.
- Start the reassembling of the system by reversing the process.
With the steps mentioned above, it is believed that your engine cooling system will be in good condition always, thereby ensuring the prolonged lifespan of your engine. However, if you have an additional contribution to this post, please drop it through your comment.
