Cleaning an old radiator?

[Fallout]

My Gixxer radiator is old and filthy. There is a nice line of solid mud up the middle from the front wheel and also plenty of crap elsewhere, as well as hundreds of mini dings from years of stone hits. The biker gets hot pretty quickly and the fan doesn't cool it too well anymore, so I think a good clean is in order.

Does anyone have any tips for things to use? Obviously a pressure washer is a bad idea, but a hose does pretty much nothing. I'm reluctant to scrub it too as at the moment it doesn't leak and I'd like to keep it that way! Could perhaps use a tooth brush and some bog standard soap water. Any other better ideas? Any post wash care like ACF50?

[Tomor]

Pressure washer from the back.... will work a treat.

[Fallout]

Yeah, but I'm considering some of those fins maybe mms away from leakage. More fragile than Gav's temper in fact.

[Elliott]

TFR spray will disolve the dirt!

[PyroUK]

Muc off? Worked wonders on my mountain bikes and on the sv for removing all the spray from the scottoiler so might be ok to cut through the dirt in the rad, then just hose it out from the rear?

[timwilky]

One of my dads businesses was a radiator repairers and builders.

They would blow out cores using compressed air from behind. straighten any damaged fins where possible with thin long nose pliers, then a soak in an bath of sulphuric acid.

Cleaner than a clean thing.

Compressed air is the easy part. I wouldn't know how joe public get himself an acid bath. Still if you do, let me know I have a large lump of organic matter to dispose of quietly ;-)

[Sir Trev]

I wouldn't know how joe public get himself an acid bath. Still if you do, let me know I have a large lump of organic matter to dispose of quietly ;-)

Has that relative of yours been buying more Range Rovers?

[timwilky]

I was thinking more of the domestic purchasing director.

And the rangerover has suddenly been replace by an Audi R something or other

[stuR]

Hmm yeah pressure washer has blasted paint off of mine. Cant say i noticed it damaged the fins but its a bit tatty anyway.

[Tomor]

So, you can have my old damaged rad if you want to practise first?

[Fallout]

Can I not use the Deerhunter rad?

I've been reading around other forums and lots of people having been making comments like "Don't use a pressure washer. I did and I learnt the hard way not too!", so I dont like the sound of that. Will look into compressed air or maybe just spend a long time with a soft brush and a hose pipe, picking away. Probably about 50 fins across and maybe 40 down. Thats only 2000 holes. If I give myself 10 seconds per fin, that's only 20,000 seconds to clean the radiator. 5.5 hours. What a joyous job that would be! :)

[Sir Trev]

I'd think the caked-on (in!) stuff would be a sod to get out even with individual hole toothbrush agitation. Any chance you can remove the rad for an overnight soak to soften the stuff up first?

[Wideboy]

Use a pressure washer go on. I dare you.