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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

VINIGAR to clean cooling system

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Don LC

08-04-2007 08:31:08




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I would like to flush the cooling system on my tractors....A Farmall H and M --John Deer LA --Alis chalmers G ..... ..

Would it be safe to use "VINEGAR" ....?
I dont want to screw up the water pump.....

Do I use it straight or cut it with H2o....

should I run the engine?

I would then flush and refill with 50/50 mixture of anti-freeze and distilled H2o..... ..

Thanks for your help Don

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Walt Davies

08-05-2007 13:55:56




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
Try this stuff I mixed it 1 cup to 5 galoons of water an ran the tractor to get it good and hot then run for an hour or so.
It will remove almost all of the rust with not much damage to any other parts.
We use it in the dishwasher to clean it out and the washing to get the iron out of the whites.
Any way it sure cleaned up my Old 1945 Case LA.

Walt

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glennster

08-04-2007 19:25:03




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
here is a page from a 1940's tractor repair book, tells how to use washing soda to clean a cooling system, hope it helps. i have used cooling system cleaner from napa with pretty good luck. it helps to use distilled water in the cooling system, a lot less minerals. i startied using the premix antifreeze, its pretty handy, no mixing always ready to go
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Bob Kerr

08-04-2007 17:14:50




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
I have cleaned up some real cruddy cooling systems with nothing more that pure rain water. run it for a while and then drain and refill it after a few weeks. do it several times over the course of the summer.Rain water is free (but scarce at times like this week). You should have seen all the crud that came out of my hot tub heater when I filled it with rain water! After changing it several times it now is in good shape. It had been filled with well water from the previous owners and was real bad.

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K- Mo

08-04-2007 13:18:55




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
Like was mentioned, what you use depends on what needs to be cleaned out. I'm not making a recommendation, but for conversation, the McCormick Deering 10-20 manual says:

"Should the cylinders and radiator become limed up, make a solution of one part muriatic acid and seven parts rain water, and allow this to stand in the system for thirty-six hours. Then drain and flush the entire system with clean water."

I believe I have also heard suggesting the use of baking soda in the initial refill to make sure any remaining muriatic acid is neutralized.

K-Mo

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buickanddeere

08-04-2007 12:22:35




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
Depends if the cooling system is plugged with lime/calcium, iron or oily dirt. Vinegar works on lime/calcium. Something else is required for the others. Of course if the cooling system is filled with demineralized water then scale & corrosion doesn't happen. Tap/well water is about the worst stuff to put in a rad. If nothing else use the ready to use antifreeze and don't b*tch about buying water.

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RAB

08-04-2007 11:07:29




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
Vinegar is already 'cut' with water. It is about 2.5% ethanoic acid in water. Pickling vinegar is up to twice, or more, the strength possibly. Still drinkable - if you know what I mean! It is not a 'strong' acid so the pH will never be as low as the likes of hydrochloric or sulphuric acids.
Regards, RAB



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Jerry/MT

08-04-2007 11:12:51




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to RAB, 08-04-2007 11:07:29  
Is ethanoic acid the new name for what we used to know as acetic acid?



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RAB

08-04-2007 14:02:04




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Jerry/MT, 08-04-2007 11:12:51  
'fraid so. Good old 'glac. ac.' has gone from the vocabulary! Sad but progress. All -anes -enes -ynes -ones -ols, etc.
We still know it as acetic but in ten years time the students of the day will look at us and wonder what we are talking about. The new system is at least easy to follow once in regular use. Like metric in the UK. A lot of older people just don't want to get their heads around it - and even the students only know what their weight is in stones and pounds (instead of Newtons!). They just don't realise how easy it is once you think metric. Every thing ties up nicely with few nasty constants or conversions (only ones that come to mind are 4.18 kJoules for the specific heat of water and 9.81m/s/s for the acceleration due to gravity).
Regards, RAB

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RustyFarmall

08-04-2007 09:15:15




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
Won't hurt a thing to put the vinegar in there full strength, of course your tractor might smell like a pickle, but it's a small price to pay for a clean cooling system.



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old

08-04-2007 09:14:09




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 Re: VINIGAR to clean cooling system in reply to Don LC, 08-04-2007 08:31:08  
I use it all the time and have never had a problem with a water pump etc. Only way it would hurt any thing is if it was on its way out any how. I use it with out any water or in other woods just fill the system with vineagar then run the tractor till good and warm, let cool and drian. Then if you can back flush with a garden hose. I made an adaptor that fits in the block drain and hook up a hose to that and let the hose run for a couple hours to make sure the system is good and clean. Been doing that to engines for 10 plus years now

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