today i finished cleaning up all the 20-year-accumulated kak inside the engine and it took me about two hours and a broken back...
anyway, i encountered some weird stuff when flushing and reverse flushing..

first, the water seemed to stay under pressure somewhere which i blamed it on the kak, but then water came out from an outlet on the inlet manifold... right now i dont really remember what was connected to that plug, but i got poo scared thinking maybe i flooded the entire engine with water.
right under the carb, theres a big outlet next to the vaccuum feed for the ecu... is the inlet manifold refrigerated?

well, thirty minutes later i found out there WAS a drain plug and my "frankensteined" car actually had a post 1985 engine. so it took me another hour and a half to remove all the kak through the drain plug...

final question, but certainly the least important: can i use a household pipe cleaning product? or maybe something more "household" than that? soap? fairy?

I think (if it's a Pinto ), that the outlet on the inlet manifold is return from heater circuit
Used to be a Halfords product called radflush which was pretty good. Friend of mine used it and afterwards his rad leaked from dozens of little holes which the radflush had opened up so it must be good at dissolving rusty kak

I,ve used drain cleaner to good effect, and when desperate caustic soda.

Not much in a pinto to damage, although beware of thin core plugs, I have seen kent engines cleaned, bolted together and run up in cars for the core plug behind the flywheel to start leaking.. eek

If going the intensive clean route then you are best replacing these, also gives you lots of holes to probe about to dislodge gunge.

Regards Mark

Ahem...I connected my karsher jetwash to my crossflow block when I first flushed it..still can't believe how much cack came out....

Sure it's not *that* good an idea in hindsight, though...

[Edited on 26/6/06 by stevebubs]

i removed rad hoses, connection to manifold and block plug when flushing mine. flushed in through various holes until each one ran clear just with plain water. System was well grunged at first. Now it is a bit brown but far better. I have some rad flush that i got from independant factors (Forte is the make). Not cheap but highly recommended - will do that later.

Refill carefully to prevent air locks - i alwys fill from highest point first then heat car up fully a few times.

I recall removing the block drain plug and getting no water out it was so well crudded up - had to poke some wire in to get it flowing, now OK. The cause is a past owner running without anti freeze, water rusts up and settles over time. Always use good quality anti freeze for iron blocks with a pinto.

I've used(and still do) washing soda to good effect. Get the engine hot, drain, then refill with soda mixture. Do this a couple of times and let the engine run and get good and hot each time. No damage done,...yet.

Cheers,
Syd.

CAUSTIC SODA

ALWAYS add caustic soda to the water, not other way round.

Caustic soda attacks aluminium so don't overdo it.

Wear gloves and eye protection.


(This does not apply to chiels frae the Mearns, who are hard men )

[Edited on 27/6/06 by Macbeast]

Family in Stonehaven, Mother retired to Banchory.

Dishwasher tablets

thanks for the replies, i managed to clean the system up and now water flows much better than before.

i then tested the thermostat suspending it in boiling water, and found out it was as dead as roadkill. 100ºC and not a hint of it opening.

how much can a new one cost from the dealers?£40? £50?

quote:

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Originally posted by robertst

i then tested the thermostat ....
how much can a new one cost from the dealers?£40? £50?

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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-CAPRI-CORTINA-ESCORT-O-H-C-PINTO-ENGINE-THERMOSTAT_W0QQitemZ190001730521QQihZ009QQcategoryZ27377QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem

£2.99 +p&p if it's difficult to get hold of one in Spain.