Blue Devil Flush VS Prestone Flush & Cleaner

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Given all of the potential problems you might create (i.e., introducing tap water with minerals that will likely cause corrosion, "cleaning" chemicals that the cooling system was never designed to handle...the list goes on), why do you (or your friend) want to "flush" a cooling system?

Ed
 
Originally Posted by Ed_Flecko
Given all of the potential problems you might create (i.e., introducing tap water with minerals that will likely cause corrosion, "cleaning" chemicals that the cooling system was never designed to handle...the list goes on), why do you (or your friend) want to "flush" a cooling system?

Ed

Okay, let me be more specific.
I have been doing coolant flushes on vehicles for well over 30 years +. I still used Prestone flushing products back then. On some vehicles I even installed the Prestone flush TEE.
Fast forward to today's times. For the last 20 years or more I have used DISTILLED WATER ONLY to flush and fill, AFTER flushing the chemicals out of the system.
WHY flush the coolant system? He has 181K miles on his 2K Silverado. The last time it was flushed and had new coolant was at 62K miles. Now, how would YOU handle this? IMHO, a flush would be the BEST solution in this case.
Oh, BTW, you might ask, with my exp. doing flushes, why ask? Because, I have NEVER used either one of the aforementioned products. I wanted to know which is better, or used more.
 
Originally Posted by lewdwig
Did a Prestone Super Flush on my daughter's Subaru...I learned how to replace the radiator and heater core...YMMV.

I was a pipefitter/welder in the HVAC field for 25+ years (Cooling towers, chillers, boilers, AHU's, etc.) Sometimes our service crews had to clean cooling towers and used a solution that was mixed like 1 gallon to 100 gallons of water. One of the guys used some of the solution to flush his radiator. After using/flushing the solution his radiator had so many holes in the radiator and heater core it looked like a sprinkler system. He too had to replace his radiator and heater core.
grin.gif

Oh, I did something similar but only had to replace the radiator.
 
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
Okay, let me be more specific.
I have been doing coolant flushes on vehicles for well over 30 years +. I still used Prestone flushing products back then. On some vehicles I even installed the Prestone flush TEE.
Fast forward to today's times. For the last 20 years or more I have used DISTILLED WATER ONLY to flush and fill, AFTER flushing the chemicals out of the system.
WHY flush the coolant system? He has 181K miles on his 2K Silverado. The last time it was flushed and had new coolant was at 62K miles. Now, how would YOU handle this? IMHO, a flush would be the BEST solution in this case..

Like many people who post here about "cleaning" something, it doesn't appear that you know for sure it needs flushing with a cleaner. Do you?

In the past 35 years of maintaining my vehicles and most recently in the last 1.2 million miles on my current vehicles I have never used a cleaner or flush. Below is my old Sienna during the last timing belt and water pump change at 412,000 miles, you can see the water pump cavity. It is pristine and so is the rest of the system. Have you looked at the system and determined it needs to be cleaned?

IMG_4929.jpg
 
Never used the Blue Devil but I have used Prestone FC. Never had a problem with it. It's a very mild flush that uses sodium citrate which is a weak acid. The Prestone super flush incorporates stuff like surfactants to clean out oil etc. Don't know what's in Blue Devil as the last time I checked they listed their ingredients as "proprietary" on their SDS.

Bars works pretty well too...

I wouldn't use anything harsher then a Prestone or Bars flush (Bars uses a detergent type cleaning agent). And I would be leery about the BD product simply because you don't know what's in it. Given the age of your friends system and how long it's been since it was last flushed, it is possible a good thorough cleaning could "reveal" a leak somewhere. I would consider doing water at first then if that doesn't work to your satisfaction, try the Prestone or Bars.
 
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Just a random video I found on YT about how a Ford Tech uses a chemical flush every time he does a coolant flush.
Just sayin'......................
whistle.gif
 
30 years ago engines were mostly iron and coolant was changed yearly because of rust and scale buildup from low tech antifreeze. Now most engines are aluminum and some antifreeze is good for 10 years. Chemical flushes are just not needed.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
30 years ago engines were mostly iron and coolant was changed yearly because of rust and scale buildup from low tech antifreeze. Now most engines are aluminum and some antifreeze is good for 10 years. Chemical flushes are just not needed.



True, if you've been the sole owner of the vehicle and have been diligent about changing the fluid out regularly and using only distilled water or a premix but not everybody fits that description. Fact is, many people buy their cars used and have no idea what kind of service history was adhered to by the previous owner(s), so a chemical flush makes sense just to get things started out on the right foot.
 
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
Just a random video I found on YT about how a Ford Tech uses a chemical flush every time he does a coolant flush.
Just sayin'......................
whistle.gif


Of course that same Ford tech also may sell unneeded throttle body cleaning, transmission flushes, BG oil and fuel additives, paint sealers and glass VIN etching.

Just sayin',
 
I feel your pain, BlueOvalFitter. The ONLY good response you might get is from someone that has actually used those two products.

I agree with the unsolicited advice that well maintained engines on modern coolant don't require chemical flushing. Lesser maintained systems probably benefit from cleaning. To share my anecdote: I maintain a Kohler generator at my workplace with a small 4 cyl. Ford engine (iron block, copper-brass radiator) that specifies conventional iat coolant (I use Zerex). Even with 2 year changes, I started noticing some white krap buildup through the radiator cap hole. I tried both Zerex flush products. The milder one did nothing. The "stronger" one DID remove the white deposits.

Maybe try to compare the ingredients of your two products and choose the one that seems stronger. Best of luck to you.
 
IMO it's not necessary unless something has happened, like oil in the system.

A 2k Silverado should have had dex cool from the start. So no silicates. A very clean coolant if kept properly.

The engine is likely aluminum, so no rust or cast
Iron dirt.

I'm just not seeing the need. Flushing with distilled, sure. If the cooling system isn't working well? Ok. But
Otherwise? Meh.

If dex was mixed with something else, it's a possible different story.

OATs apparently don't build their protective layer as fast as silicates and phosphates. Flushes could interrupt or remove that layer. Not sure that is desirable.

So not clear I'd want to bother with flushes unless there was a real reason.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
30 years ago engines were mostly iron and coolant was changed yearly because of rust and scale buildup from low tech antifreeze. Now most engines are aluminum and some antifreeze is good for 10 years. Chemical flushes are just not needed.


HOATs and better last 5-10 years in those cast iron engines with aluminum radiators and heater cores.

This was my 81 240D, taken just a few weeks ago. All original, hoses, radiator, everything. G-05.

[Linked Image]


So cast iron by itself isn't even a determinant, IMO. Modern coolants that aren't mixed is the best way to go.
 
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
I have never used either one of these. But, I have used Prestone SUPER FLUSH exclusively in the past. But, no one sells it locally. It can only be bought online.
I have heard very good things about Blue Devil, but nothing about the Flush & Clean. A friend is doing a coolant flush this weekend and asked me about these 2 flushes. Opinions?

https://prestone.com/products?detail=AS105Y
https://gobdp.com/product/radiator-flush-00204/

All I asked was, which of the 2 chemical flushes that members here might have used, their opinions on each flush, so I could pass the information onto my friend. Instead, I get personal feelings about why a chemical flush MUST NOT be used! Oh, and lessons on how to flush a coolant system.
Without further ado, can we get back on the subject about the 2 aforementioned chemical flushes I posted about?
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
Just a random video I found on YT about how a Ford Tech uses a chemical flush every time he does a coolant flush.
Just sayin'......................
whistle.gif


Of course that same Ford tech also may sell unneeded throttle body cleaning, transmission flushes, BG oil and fuel additives, paint sealers and glass VIN etching.

Just sayin',

Oh WOW! Ford offers glass VIN etching?
 
I like to use what Benz uses: Citric Acid

Works wonders. Makes a completely rusty cooling system look like the Sienna that was posted.

If it's iron that's rusted to high Hades, might take several goes.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
I like to use what Benz uses: Citric Acid

Works wonders. Makes a completely rusty cooling system look like the Sienna that was posted.

If it's iron that's rusted to high Hades, might take several goes.


Preston's yellow bottle at Napa and elsewhere has sodium citrate. Nothing I've seen ots has citric acid.

But agree 100%. If a flush is needed, that and a degreaser is the right way.

https://dieselgiant.com/mercedes_citrus_flush.htm
 
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