While I've got the front of my car stripped and the rad out, I thought I would give it a good flushing out, E Types are notoriously marginal on cooling....

I know I can just use a hose and reverse flush, but is there anything I can use as a pre soak or similar?

The rad looks in really good condition, so hopefully I wont clean out any muck which is plugging tiny holes....

Cheers.

Pete.

probably worth flushing the block too

Can you use some descaler in the system and then flush it well.

You can use a flushing agent, speedflush works well.

However, if th erad is blocked they don't help a lot. The tubes are very small, and if wedged in can be impossible to shift. If concerned, find a rad specialist. They can unsolder the tanks, and poke the tubes through. Then you know it is right....
I think they can do a flow check too, so may be worth investing in that first? Should be a few quid.

I'd put a colling flush in it. Run up to temp then drain system and back flush the rad. If it'scurrently not running order then you should be able to just fill the rad and let it soak but the results won't be as good.

If the cooling is marginal try a "water wetter" when you refill. It can make enough of a difference to stop it being marginal.

I'd recommend Forte Cooling System Flush and Cooling System Conditioner. There's plenty of others brands but we've always had good results from them.

Rad specialist pickle that radiators in acid tanks then back flush.

I have a blocked heater rad on a tintop and I am going to clearing it by disconnecting it and filling with either citric or phosphoric acid then leaving it to pickle over night, then a reverse flush. I will let you kno how it well it works next week.

I,ve cleaned choked rads with old battery acid, had to keep swishing it and did not leave very long, 20 minutes.

It's a kill or cure measure really, in my instance it was for my XJS jag, it works and saved me £££

Another one I tried on a heater rad was caustic soda, this also dislodged lots of rubbish.

You have to neutralise and back flush before refitting.

I just finish flushing my heater matrix, I filled it with phosphoric acid wheel alloy cleaner and left it for 1 hour then back flushed, no obvious detritus came out but the difference is night and day the heater is now producing in lots of hot air.

Iv'e used Mr Muscle sink and drain unblocker on heater matrix's to good effect but use at your own risk