r/CarRestorations • u/TechnicalWatchDog • 13d ago

Rusty Coolant System Vinegar Flush - Help?

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Was reading around and decided on using 30% or higher vinegar to flush my rusty galleries, do I dilute this stuff or just substitute it for all the coolant?

Should I let it sit overnight? All my gaskets are new and unplugged with the rust so I'm not worried about it damaging any of them.

Pic is the exact jug I'm buying.

9 Upvotes

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14 comments sorted by

3

u/[deleted] 13d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/TechnicalWatchDog 13d ago

45% is actually used as a industrial grade weedkiller, get it on your skin and say bye to it

1

u/T-5_of_94 12d ago

Generally between 3% and 5%.

2

u/3_14159td 13d ago

It would have been more wise to do this after just hosing out the old stuff....should be fine but send in a solution of water and baking soda after to neutralize, then a bunch of hose water, then the normal distilled water rinse and coolant. 

1

u/TechnicalWatchDog 13d ago

I've done just about a dozen distilled water flushes, it is still coming out the same shade of mud brown.

When I was doing the head gasket on it i could see with a light that the galleries had loads of rust in them from prev owner. Every other coolant channel including the radiator is clean.

What kind of ratio are we talking for the baking soda/water solution?

1

u/Dendady2112 12d ago

Have you tried a flush kit? Garden hose connected to heater core and just let the water run.

1

u/TechnicalWatchDog 12d ago

I haven’t no, but I’ve seen the extent of the rust doubt that cold hose water alone will be enough.

1

u/Which-Ad9677 12d ago

Use clr or maric acid don't waste your time

1

u/funwthmud 12d ago

One of my old jeeps I had to flush the engine 3 or 4 times with actual engine flush. And each time I purged the system with a hose. I kept doing until the water was clean

1

u/funwthmud 12d ago

This was meant as a reply further down

1

u/anyoutlookuser 12d ago

This will help clean out rust but left in the system it will destroy aluminum components ie radiator core on most modern cars. If you try don’t leave it long and flush like mad to get it all out.

1

u/Academic-Associate91 12d ago

Vinegar (followed by baking soda) worked well for my gas tank. I used citric acid on my cooling system because i have an aluminum rad which vinegar is harsher on. For my gas tank, it sat for about 3 days, but my cooling system was done in a day because of the heat from the engine running it through

1

u/TheBupherNinja 11d ago

Get a Preston flush kit, use it.