Prestone Super Radiator Cleaner question

[JRHAWK9]

This weekend I got the chance to flush my LS1 cooling system after 51,000 miles. I bought 34 gallons of distilled water, 2 jugs of Prestone Super Radiator Cleaner and 2 gallons of Zerex G05 antifreeze and then began the process.

I drained and re-filled the system a bunch of times to get mostly distilled water. I then added the 2 jugs of cleaner and went for a road trip of around 250 miles (about 4 hours total driving). My question is, how long can I leave the solution of cleaner/distilled water in for? I know the bottle says 4-6 hours of driving. I am thinking about leaving it in for a bit longer.....will it hurt anything??

thanks
Paul

 

[Ray H]

I doubt anything further's to be gained by leaving the partially or totally spent cleaner in any longer. If it's spent, the organic acids in the cleaner have been converted to salts in breaking up and dissolving metalic corrosion scale. Salts in solution + bare metal = corrosion. If the flush chemistry is still active, it may work directly on metal components with equally unwanted consequences. If it were my car, I'd be finishing up with "a bunch of times" more distilled water flushes to get as much of the unneeded chemistry out of the system as possible and then install the G-05 (diluted with distilled water) to re-establish corrosion, boil-over, and freeze-up protection as soon as possible.

(If the initial drain of OEM coolant is clear, and, if visible, the viewable innards of the radiator appear clean and scale-free, I've personally never considered a chemical flush necessary or advisable.)

 

[uconn1150]

I'd run it maybe a couple more days and then run distilled for a couple days/until it drained clear. Of course everything depends on the condition of the old drained coolant--some come out in pretty good condition/others come out NASTY!

Oh, and I have used the "Super Radiator Cleaner" with good results...someone once said here that if you used a few packets of UNSWEETENED Kool-Aid you'd get the same stuff--citric acid.

 

[JRHAWK9]

ok, thanks

I guess I will be dumping it tonight after work and running some distilled water through it. I have 22 gallons that I can run through it before I have to get some more..lol

 

[Big Jim]

I would agree on getting some protection back in there as soon as possible. I would not leave the flush in there any longer than needed. Less than an hour is preferred. A few hours is alread a risk.