Cleaning Your Radiator

[Craig P.]

When I attended the CAT engine seminar at the FMCA Rally, CAT said it was important to clean & degrease both sides of your radiator annually with Simple Green.

I just crawled under my C7 engine and there appears to be no way to get to the engine side of the radiator. The small area that I can see looks awfully dirty, so it obviously needs some attention. Any suggestions?

Craig

[Craig P.]

When I attended the CAT engine seminar at the FMCA Rally, CAT said it was important to clean & degrease both sides of your radiator annually with Simple Green.

I just crawled under my C7 engine and there appears to be no way to get to the engine side of the radiator. The small area that I can see looks awfully dirty, so it obviously needs some attention. Any suggestions?

Craig

[wagonmaster2]

Same question I've had. All I can see from the engine side are fan blades and shroud. Maybe a small spot here and there between the blades but very little. I'm also wondering if you get too much soap on the fan belt and can't get it all washed off will it make the belt slip. I wash my radiator a couple times a year from the back side and not having any heating problems yet so maybe I'm getting the majority of dirt out that way. Also put a jar on the bottom of the slobber tub to catch any oily spray that might oil up the radiator.
Wagonmaster2

[Spooky]

Hi Craig & WagonMaster:

Went through a rad/CAC cleaning with Simple Green in a pump sprayer and rinse with garden hose (being careful not to bend the fins). In my 02 Journey 36DL, I accessed the rad/CAC from under the bed by removing the top cover sheet metal. This opened up most of the rad/CAC surfaces for spraying and rinsing. Dragging the hose up thru the opening gave me easy access to most of the dirty surfaces. A final rinse from the outside through both units was easy with the DW watching for clean water.

De Oppresso Liber - Spooky - 02 Journey 36DL

[chasfm11]

I guess I'm fortunate that when I lift our bed to clean the radiator, I can lean over and squirt the Simple green into the areas that I need to. I try to soak the top of the Charge Air Cooler (the part of the sandwich closest to the engine on mine) and let it dribble down. Moving the fan blades slightly lets me get between them. I can also lie underneath and squirt upwards but I recommend full safety goggles if you try that.

I typically do it 2-3 times a year. Shining a flashlight through the fins will pretty much tell you if you have a dirt problem.

[Craig P.]

Thanks for the info. Now if I could only figure out how to access the engine from the bed. I tried once and nearly pulled out my back. I think I'll call Fleetwood and ask for help. Thanks!

Craig

[TEO]

I have a system that works for me, though many will find it stupid. I start the engine and have it idling while I spray a Simple Green/water solution with a pump sprayer. The spray goes everywhere on the radiator and some gets blown through. Then I stop the engine and wait a half hour. Then I spray the radiator thoroughly from both sides. So far, I haven't had a problem with overheating.

Paul

[Jestme13]

TEO, just where do you spray the solution onto the radiator without loosing a hand ? It sounds a bit dangerous to me Bro, all those belts, pully's and blades spinning round!

[smlranger]

I think TEO may be onto something. If you spray in the general direction of the fan/fan shroud, the fan should push the SG into the CAC and rad...maybe the stuff gets broadcast better that way?? I don't think you would have a problem with the moving stuff...would think a strem of SG sprayed a safe distance from the moving fan would still get sucked/pushed into the rad assembly.

[Teach]

Steve, I've used the same procedure that TEO uses and it works fine. I use a one gallon, garden pump sprayer and spray a stream into the fan's air stream. You want to do while engine & radiator are cold.

[chasfm11]

Perhaps you guys who are using the sprayer method with the engine running can help me understand your procedure. On mine, the dirt seems to build up the worst in the corners and edges, just outside the fan's path. By shining a flashlight in those areas, I can see the blockage. I do like the sprayer idea and think that I'll try it then next time I clean because it might be easier to get to those perimeter areas - with the engine off.

How do you get your spray to that perimeter?

Thanks,

Charlie

[TEO]

I also use a pump sprayer and spray from a distance. The action of the spinning fan sends the SG mixture everywhere. The corners do collect the bulk of the dirt, so I back wash from the outside and spend extra time backwashing the corners. Due to the contour of the fan shroud, it's difficult to get in the corner from the inside.

Paul

[Craig P.]

Do you guys spray from the engine side of the radiator, out the outside (rear of coach)?

[SteveG]

You can also find thread on cleaning the radiator Here

It was a frustrating experience. Access is limited; you can not really see what your doing. I just stuck the sprayer nossel in between a fan blade and squeezed the trigger and moved it in as many directions as my arm and the restriction allowed. Got a pile of stuff on the ground so i know it did some good and maybe that was enough! Seems to me that access to something as important as the cooling system should be better designed. But I have to admit I have not had any overheating and I live in Florida where summer heat can be brutal. So maybe my cleaning efforts have worked.

At an FMCA rally I discovered that FreightLiner will clean the raditors for a price at Gaffney, SC. I happen to be going that way this May so will drop in and watch them do it.