-
Hi Guest!
If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Question about Vinegar rust removal...
- Thread starter timbn2
- Start date
Share this page
Offline
Hi Tim,
I'm not aware that there is any aluminum in the heater core itself, only the housing & support assembly. Vinegar shouldn't hurt the inside tubing. I doubt if it will do much good either.
When I first got my BN2, the heater was bypassed. I checked it & found the water passages were plugged solid with bees & rust. I pressure flushed the core with a garden hose & got a lot of junk out. Connected the heater, refilled, & it dripped on the carpet. Leaks in the core, which was likely the reason it was bypassed in the first place.
I disassembled the heater, some really curious wire routing, & odd assembly with clips involved. My local radiator shop was able to fix the leak, flush, & presure test it. They said that if the leak had been in any other location it would have been impossible to repair. Moss offers a replacement core for something like $525.
The heater isn't easy to remove. There are three mounting studs, two under the dash in a hard to reach location, & a third lower stud that is accessed from the engine side of the firewall. Hidden deep inside via a rubber plug in the firewall.
The fan motor bearings were also in dire need of help. I hope simple flushing is all you need. Going further can be a real adventure.
The good part, it puts out a surprising amount of heat which is welcome in my winter sub freezing climate. With top & sidescreens buttoned up, it can get down right toasty.
D
I'm not aware that there is any aluminum in the heater core itself, only the housing & support assembly. Vinegar shouldn't hurt the inside tubing. I doubt if it will do much good either.
When I first got my BN2, the heater was bypassed. I checked it & found the water passages were plugged solid with bees & rust. I pressure flushed the core with a garden hose & got a lot of junk out. Connected the heater, refilled, & it dripped on the carpet. Leaks in the core, which was likely the reason it was bypassed in the first place.
I disassembled the heater, some really curious wire routing, & odd assembly with clips involved. My local radiator shop was able to fix the leak, flush, & presure test it. They said that if the leak had been in any other location it would have been impossible to repair. Moss offers a replacement core for something like $525.
The heater isn't easy to remove. There are three mounting studs, two under the dash in a hard to reach location, & a third lower stud that is accessed from the engine side of the firewall. Hidden deep inside via a rubber plug in the firewall.
The fan motor bearings were also in dire need of help. I hope simple flushing is all you need. Going further can be a real adventure.
The good part, it puts out a surprising amount of heat which is welcome in my winter sub freezing climate. With top & sidescreens buttoned up, it can get down right toasty.
D
healeynut
Jedi Knight
Offline
Tim -
Vinegar is simply acetic acid. Most acids have the affect of reversing corrosion and "etching" most metals. Vinegar will not harm your radiator, it is a relatively mild acid.
The general rule of thumb is to run a 50/50 mix of vinegar and distilled water for 20 minutes, drain, then backflush with clean water to clear out the vinegar.
Let us know how your vinegar flush goes!
Good Luck.
Vinegar is simply acetic acid. Most acids have the affect of reversing corrosion and "etching" most metals. Vinegar will not harm your radiator, it is a relatively mild acid.
The general rule of thumb is to run a 50/50 mix of vinegar and distilled water for 20 minutes, drain, then backflush with clean water to clear out the vinegar.
Let us know how your vinegar flush goes!
Good Luck.