engine waterways cleaning

[Kccv23highliftcam]

Is there anyway you can chemically clean the waterways of an installed but non running engine?

• Please note I am expecting to have the urne taken by the usual punters, nhf

[GreenV8S]

Kccv23highliftcam said:

clean

What are you trying to remove?

[227bhp]

It also depends on what you are trying to clean; iron? Aluminium?
If it isn't running how are you going to pump it round?

[Kccv23highliftcam]

GreenV8S said:

What are you trying to remove?

!0 years of [possible] crud.

Have been back flushing [thermostat housing removed] with success but was just idly wondering if there was anyway to chemically clean it [spinning on starter with no stat fitted] to clean around pump, then re flushing again.

I don't think I'd be happy using a chemical and only using the starter to spin it over to be honest.

[tapkaJohnD]

The pressure from a hose pipe will circulate the water, probably better than a water pump.

If you want a cleaning agent in there, why not wait until it is running? That's what they are supposed to do, and most will say on the tin, fill engine with solution run it for a day, drain, flush with water, refull with antifreeze/anticorrosion agent. Simples.

John

[GreenV8S]

Kccv23highliftcam said:

[spinning on starter with no stat fitted] to clean around pump, then re flushing again.

I don't think that's a good idea at all. Cranking an engine over for an extended period is very bad for the cam and also won't do the starter or battery any favours. In any case it won't achieve anything since typical water pumps are centrifugal and highly speed dependent and will give approximately nil water flow at cranking speeds.

You could disconnect a couple of hoses and push a few gallons through it from a hose pipe if you just want to get rid of loose debris. I can't think why you would have anything more inside the engine needing actual cleaning of the internal surfaces, but I suppose if you've had a gasket failure and contaminated the water ways with oil you might want to purge that. It would be possible to use an external pump to circulate a cleaning solution for a few minutes / hours. And quite likely you'll find some overpriced detergent solution that you can fill it with and drive round for a few days if you really want to go to town. Unless there is something unusual happening inside your engine I doubt any of those approaches would achieve anything other than make you feel happy that some invisible bits are less dirty. The engine itself won't care one way or the other.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

All done today, no electrics or chem involved.

Thanks for the advice it's appreciated.

Edited by Kccv23highliftcam on Saturday 27th October 09:54

[Mignon]

Generally the lowest water flow point in the block is the waterpump and the bottom of the water passages in the block will be an inch or two below that. No amount of flushing with the engine in situ will remove much of what is lurking down there at the bottom of the bores but then the waterpump doesn't move it either so it does little harm.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

Mignon said:

Generally the lowest water flow point in the block is the waterpump and the bottom of the water passages in the block will be an inch or two below that. No amount of flushing with the engine in situ will remove much of what is lurking down there at the bottom of the bores but then the waterpump doesn't move it either so it does little harm.

If I may? There is a dearth of information on the following .... Does anyone blank off the heater feed from thermostat housing and the return to the middle of the inlet side of the head?

In my case [mid/rear engined sylva mojo] the heater was removed with remaining pipework looped/joined together at the [ex] heater end to let it flow "as normal" back to head with pipework left alone in centre "tunnel".

I was debating whether or not to get rid of the whole lot and blank both "ends" off at stat housing and head as above OR is the heater return feed into the head vital?

or plan 3 route length of pipe from stat housing to return in head...

thanks.

Edited by Kccv23highliftcam on Saturday 27th October 15:08

[Penelope Stopit]

Kccv23highliftcam said:

If I may? There is a dearth of information on the following .... Does anyone blank off the heater feed from thermostat housing and the return to the middle of the inlet side of the head?

In my case [mid/rear engined sylva mojo] the heater was removed with remaining pipework looped/joined together at the [ex] heater end to let it flow "as normal" back to head with pipework left alone in centre "tunnel".

I was debating whether or not to get rid of the whole lot and blank both "ends" off at stat housing and head as above OR is the heater return feed into the head vital?

or plan 3 route length of pipe from stat housing to return in head...

thanks.

Edited by Kccv23highliftcam on Saturday 27th October 15:08

I had to bypass a leaking matrix that always had water flowing through it from the head (heating controlled by flaps, no water shut-off valve), fortunately for me someone on-line had in the past calculated the water flow through the matrix of the same model car/engine and had posted what size restrictor was needed in the matrix inlet pipe to give the correct flow

"Just saying like"

[GreenV8S]

Do you mean take the heater outlet from the stat housing and connecting it back to the pump inlet, effectively short circuiting the heater circuit? That''s one way to eliminate a leaky heater matrix. You need to pay attention to how the coolant circuit is bled. On some installations, that circuit is used to provide a static bleed of the pump body so it mustn't be blocked off completely, but any flow through that link is effectively taken away from the engine coolant flow so you do want it to be restrictive.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

GreenV8S said:

Do you mean take the heater outlet from the stat housing and connecting it back to the pump inlet, effectively short circuiting the heater circuit? That''s one way to eliminate a leaky heater matrix. You need to pay attention to how the coolant circuit is bled. On some installations, that circuit is used to provide a static bleed of the pump body so it mustn't be blocked off completely, but any flow through that link is effectively taken away from the engine coolant flow so you do want it to be restrictive.

With the original type of pump




the heater return went to pump but with later cvh pumps



it goes into the head middle of inlet side..



My car has the newer setup, with the repositioned expansion tank being the highest part of the system no heater matrix just the feeds to it connected together.
I wondered whether to blank the feed at stat housing and return port on cylinder head as heater removed..

Edited by Kccv23highliftcam on Saturday 27th October 17:06

[Kccv23highliftcam]

Penelope Stopit said:

I had to bypass a leaking matrix that always had water flowing through it from the head (heating controlled by flaps, no water shut-off valve), fortunately for me someone on-line had in the past calculated the water flow through the matrix of the same model car/engine and had posted what size restrictor was needed in the matrix inlet pipe to give the correct flow

"Just saying like"

Hmm thanks will look into that...

[Kccv23highliftcam]

OK have a plan. Some may say half arsed but...

Scrub blocking stub from housing and head inlet water from pump has to go somewhere.


1. Connect pipe from housing stub to inlet on head, incorporating bleed valve at highest point in pipe installation. Monitor running temps, if running hot.....

Or

2. Loop connect pipes at ex heater,monitor running temps-note to all-have x2 4' 16mm alloy pipes to act as "heater" to balance temps out..my fav solution as it means I keep the heated gear lever!