Performed a radiator flush on a 1993 Ford Explorer yesterday. I have to say, that stuff really works. Before the flush, the driver said she had never noticed any real problems with the cooling system and her heater core put out heat like a wood stove. I took a Prestone backflush kit, cut the heater hose and inserted the T connector (it took a 5/8") and tightened down the hose clamps. Drained the radiator, and noticed a fair amount of brownish-red oil in there (which you couldn't see in the radiator from the top) and flushed out the fluid reservoir well (I dropped a garden hose in there and just allowed it to bubble out of the top until the water ran clean). Did the backflush afterward and added the Peak Super Radiator Cleaner and had her drive it around for a few hours. Drained and backflushed again. Added two bottles of Prestone Super Flush and idled it until hot. Drained and backflushed. The water ran out crystal clear (it did each time after the backflush, but those cleaners really did work). There was originally an oily residue in the radiator up until I did the final Prestone Super Flush. Afterward, I ran my hand around the inside of the upper radiator and no more oily residue. Replaced to a 50/50 mix of ethylene glycol/water and it runs beautifully. The temperature gauge was previously at the halfway mark when at operating temperature, now it stays down at about the 1/4 mark. The heater actually works too well now and the heated air coming off the core is actually very painful if you're not careful.
Overall cost to perform?
Tools:
Craftsman Cutters: $19
Flathead Screwdriver
Non-Durables:
Prestone Backflush Kit: ~$3.87
Peak Radiator Cleaner: $4.20
Prestone Super Flush (2): $5.00
1-Gallon Prestone Concentrated Extended Life Coolant (2): $19.00
I splurged by buying the Craftsman cutting tool. It looks like a pair of pruning pliers but it has disposable blades which are just regular utility blades. This is what sold me on them over the higher-end Craftsman Professional Accu-Cut. These things cut INCREDIBLY! They cut through the toughest of materials including wires (and especially hoses) like butter. Definitely worth it.
So the cost was a total of $51.07, $32.07 if you just count the cost of the nondurable supplies. Furthermore, because of the Prestone mail-in-rebate which allows you two $7 rebates, this price drops down to a total of $18.07. Extremely good when you consider that all of the other places I priced wanted anywhere from $80-$120 for a flush that wasn't nearly as good nor thorough.
So what has been everyone else's experience with these backflush kits? Have there been similar good results?
-Techniker
Performed a Radiator Flush
- Thread starter Techniker
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Bill in Utah
Staff member
They (back flush kits) work VERY well but I don't like tap water in my system so I stay away from them. Make sure you never use cold water on a hot motor as it could do some damage.
With that said, you doing it the way you did is 1000% better (and you DID it right) then any quickie lube/stealership "service".
The cost savings are just a side benefit. 
Bill
Bill
JHZR2
Staff member
I don't trust the backflish device lasting or the head not warping from cold tap water going through...
Thanks for the write-up. I noticed a brown oily residue in my 09 MS3 so I took a hose and put it in the overfill container, got under the car and took out the plug, let it run till both ran clear. Car was cold.
Anyhow, I filled it back up with 50/50 but in the overflow container there is a brown waterline around it on the inside. So I wish I had used a cleaner like you.
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Not my coolant. I questioned her on the coolant. You guys should enjoy this:
Her dad (who also thinks that it is okay to put pure tap water in a vehicle in a Virginia winter and that you also should not have any coolant ever in the overflow reservoir because it is 'just for when the engine gets hot') put ATF in the coolant because he thought it would clean up the radiator. I think part of me just died.
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
They (back flush kits) work VERY well but I don't like tap water in my system so I stay away from them. Make sure you never use cold water on a hot motor as it could do some damage.
With that said, you doing it the way you did is 1000% better (and you DID it right) then any quickie lube/stealership "service".
The cost savings are just a side benefit.
Bill
Bill Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I don't trust the backflish device lasting or the head not warping from cold tap water going through...
Originally Posted By: Techniker
Originally Posted By: onion
It's the thought that counts...
-TechnikerOriginally Posted By: Bill in Utah
They (back flush kits) work VERY well but I don't like tap water in my system so I stay away from them.
Bill
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I used Prestone T-flush kit in many cars for more than 20 years with tap water and never had problems with coolant systems or with T-flush kit. The T-flush kit makes flushing the coolant so easy and so fast, I would not flush any coolant system other ways.
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