I will go with the 180 stat, it get dern hot here when you get stuck in traffic with the A/C going full on.
Any advice on the best way to give the system a real good flush ?.

 

Never did it before but I'll give you good advice on what not to do and that's go to firestone for one because they want $120 for it haha.
But most rads. have a drain plug on the bottom you can open to get all the junk and sediments out, or if the Ds don't have one just disconnect your bottom rad hose and let it flush all that junk out, then just purge the system, that should do it.

 

My main concern is getting rid of that Barrs "Aluminum Jello" I threw in there, dont get me wrong, that stuff does what it says and is holding up whilst I get a new rad, but it sticks to everything like sh*t to a blanket, so I want to make shure I get it all out of the system. I dont want it fouling up the new rad.

 

For stuff like that, I'm not sure, either manual cleaning (I rather slowly jam toothpicks under my fingernails) or possibly a compressed air/water flush would do the trick. Once you get air in the system don't forget to burp it after too. But of course all the fluid in there now has to come out so draining the rad. is first on the list, then either take the system apart or blast all the remaining fluid out of the system.

 

Anyone ever use that cooling system flush you run thru for a while then drain and flush again ?, I dont like throwing chemicals in there when I dont know what they are, I dont need to create any more problems for myself.

 

I never used it anything, just blasted water through my system with a garden hose once and you wouldn't believe what kind of stuff was coming out. The only mechanical part in the cooling system I'd want to protect the most is the water pump (the thermostat is the only other moving part), everything else is just hoses and water paths so pumping stuff through is no problem as long as all of it comes back out.

 

Well you should be using Distilled water and antifreeze or 50/50 because garden hose water has minerals in it that attack the engine block and metals causing those very problems in the first place.

 

I did a purge after it with 50/50 solution to get all the plain water out after. All is good 3 years later.

 

I don't care who you are, now that's funny

 

Well this was my easter weekend, the new radiator arrived, also got some Centric rotors for the front, some Duralast gold pads, Fram air filter, and tough guard oil filter, GTX High Mileage oil, so away I go to get it all done.
Well bugger me, I can tell you, what a PITA the rad was, ...almost every fastener spun in the plastic on me, to the extent I ended up taking a hacksaw blade to the bloody thing and then a chisel to pop them off, then recover them on the bench to re use. Then the transmission fittings had at some point been attacked by some idiot with a large pipe wrench, looked like they had been chewed up by rats.
Umm, time to get vice grips out, but I dont own any,( should never need them ), this is my only ride, and I live out in the boonies, ...so call someone, three hours later vice grips arrive, job done.
So it took me all weekend to do the rad, and I am not that much of a noob, I am 49, and have looked after my rides since I was 17, but what a ball ache it can be when following a butcher mechanic.
Upside is, I took the time to do a good flush, the oil, and air filter were changed out, and a 180 t'stat, everything was replaced with anti seize on the threads.
Took her out for a beer run, bout 25 mile, now running at just above the first line on the temp guage with the A/C running, and I was gettin the EVAP codes before, and they have gone without me clearing them, which is a little confusing. Anyways, ticking like a watch and all turned out nice for me.
Oh, I have to say, I purchased a " TYC " brand radiator from Amazon after much searching for $119.95 shipped, it is dual core, fits with HD cooling, and is FINE QUALITY, I was amazed at it. Sometimes you can just pick something up and it feels right, well this did, and came with all the rubber , even the threads were ready prepped on the brass fittings for the trans lines, top job !
Any way, just wanted to share my minor triumph,and if ya need a rad, TYC are good, I will be doing my brakes next week and let you know how I feel about the Centric Rotors, they do look pretty, but you never know till they are on there. Happy Easter.