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[Albus Dumbledore]

When using degreaser in the cooling system, do you have to flush the sytem with a gardenhose afterwards? I have just used a degreaser, and ran the engine, and after a while some heat came from the heater in the car (hasn't happed before, since cir. problem). Then I waited 30 minutes and started the engine again, and this time more and more constant heat came. Then i waited another 30 min and drained the system (screw under the radiator) and put water inn instead. The heater then stopped giving heat, even thought the engine was starting to overheat! And I noticed that the hose from the thermostat to the radiator was scoulding hot, but the bottom hose from the rad. was cool. When I disconnected the bottom hose cold water came out. Does that mean all the oil has blocked the rad?

[Entwood]

It can take several "goes" and quite a long time to remove oil from a radiator ... the degreaser can only "attack" the surface every time and has to work its way through the .. possibly congealed ... muck

[Albus Dumbledore]

So, how's the best way to get rid of it? Flush, then degreaser then flush and so on?

[Entwood]

Its a long time since I had to use a system degreaser but if memory serves (no rude comments plese !!) the instructions are on the package !!!

Many years back when I couldn't afford proper "stuff" I "obtained" some "low foaming detergent" from a mate who's mother was a cleaner and put a 25 % mix of that in a Cortina, left it idling for 5 hours then flushed thoroughly, did that 3 times until the flushing solution was clear ... sorted the problem out brilliantly  

[Albus Dumbledore]

I haven't found a degreaser that's for the coolant system, so I asked a garage and they told me what to use, and how much, so it doesn't say on the package:(

[Debs.]

Its a long time since I had to use a system degreaser but if memory serves (no rude comments plese !!) the instructions are on the package !!!

Many years back when I couldn't afford proper "stuff" I "obtained" some "low foaming detergent" from a mate who's mother was a cleaner and put a 25 % mix of that in a Cortina, left it idling for 5 hours then flushed thoroughly, did that 3 times until the flushing solution was clear ... sorted the problem out brilliantly  

....you`d need a bank-loan to do that these days!  

[shyboy]

This problem must be very frustrating for you. Curing the problem is a lengthy job.
Flushing should solve the problem eventually, but remember that the oil will be very congealed and will resist breaking down in the narrowest parts of the circulation system, ie. radiator and heater matrix, and narrow pipes, ie. heater hoses etc. It sounds as if you are making progress if some heat is starting to get through to the heater, and you'll just have to persist, and run, flush, disconnect pipes and repeat as often as necessary. 'Massaging' the pipes whilst the engine is running may help to hurry up the break down process, but watch out for the danger of these bursting through softening because of the oil contamination. Wearing strong gloves would be wise.
The radiator is obviously the most important part to get clear first. You could run the car with a blocked heater if necessary, but you may have to consider changing the radiator as a final step.
If the garage trade in Norway is anything like here, you will pay a fortune for this work which you can clearly do yourself. Keep trying, and post the results.
Cheers,
Bill.

[shyboy]

if you do go for a new radiator, don't fit it until the system is clear.

[Albus Dumbledore]

Thanks for the reply! I'll try to flush till my hands look like raisins, but it is very frustrating!!
I feel I've tried a hundred different things till now, but this is the first time something different has happened.  I tried something called "radiator clean", but the garage told me it wouldn't do anything about the oil, and that I should try a degreaser mixed 50/50 with water (if I only used degreaser it could damage the engine:( ).

And I don't know how the garage priced are in the UK, but it's reeeeeealy expensive here. If you go to a proper Opel (Vauxhall) garage, the prices are rippoff

[shyboy]

I'm afraid I can't remember the details, but somebody did post details of a product specially designed for this job, available on the Internet.
Hopefully they will see this and repeat the details, or you could start a new specific thread.
Good luck.

[shyboy]

Thanks for the reply! I'll try to flush till my hands look like raisins, but it is very frustrating!!
I feel I've tried a hundred different things till now, but this is the first time something different has happened.  I tried something called "radiator clean", but the garage told me it wouldn't do anything about the oil, and that I should try a degreaser mixed 50/50 with water (if I only used degreaser it could damage the engine:( ).

And I don't know how the garage priced are in the UK, but it's reeeeeealy expensive here. If you go to a proper Opel (Vauxhall) garage, the prices are rippoff

[/highlight]

The real problem here is that whilst most prices for labour are rip offs, it is almost impossible to find people who are competent enough to do good work. Their training seems to leave a lot to be desired.

[Albus Dumbledore]

Now I have degreased my effing ass off!

The heater now works, and I sorted the EML I had

Now, when I start the car and push the gas pedal ( to make the waterpump work faster), there seems to be as build up of pressure in the col. system. When I feel on the hose from the thermostat to the rad. it's rock hard, and the same is the bottom hose from the rad. When I then take the filler cap on the eks. tank off the pressure is released and the hoses are easy again. Put the filler cap back, and slowly the pressure comes again. If the filler cap is off and the engine is running, no bubbles come in the coolant, but hear gurgling sound. Also see som sort of steam coming from eks. tank (with cap off), even though the coolant is cold/luke warm. Could this be exhaust? And then the HG?

[Albus Dumbledore]

I'm gonna take a guess at the head gasket. Need to get it now before easter kicks inn, so I don't have to wait a week for the new gasket  

[Albus Dumbledore]

I have just replaced the head gasket, taken off ALL the coolant hoses, thoroughly flushed them everyway possible, cleaned the cylinder block water channels (found parts of old rubber gasket inn there), cleaned the cylinder head, changed aux belt, cleaned breather hoses (inlet manifold), and STILL, it overheats. ALL the collant hoses, except the radiator bottom hose and the radiator itself gets scoulding hot. The radiator top hose (from thermostat to radiator) gets lukewarm.

This circulation problem has cost me about 50-60 hours of fruitless labour. I'm considering dumping the car

[hotel21]

Are you relying on the car guage to tell you its overheating or are the fans cutting in and running all the time?

Reason I ask is my 3.0 MV6 was giving me concern as the guage was always up around the 100 mark but without the red overheat warning light or fans running.  Turns out that a good tech2 session showed that the dash guage was not tech2 connected properly to the car.  A reset with the correct information saw an instant drop of the running temp, as per the guage, down to proper levels....