Need to clean my radiator,cannot find the simple green that is aluminum friendly at the local lowes or home depot. So am thinking of using a mixture of dishwashing soap and water. Any better ideas?

Simple Green Extreme is the stuff that you need. The difficult part about ANY cleaning solution you use is proper rinsing to remove all traces of the soap. I am not sure about dish washing detergent and how it will affect the aluminum if you cannot rinse it out of all of the little spaces between the fins. The Extreme Simple Green was designed for cleaning aircraft where it was assumned that you might rinse every bit of it off. It is designed not to corrode the aluminum. I believe Home Depot lists it on the online page so you should be able to order it and have it delivered to your home or to the store near you.

You should not need anything but water and just the pressure from a garden hose

Colo Native wrote:You should not need anything but water and just the pressure from a garden hoseIn an ideal world, perhaps. But with the air going over the hot rear axle, transmission and engine before being sucked up and forced into the CAC, the chances of no petrochemical residue is pretty small.Some of the industrial cleaning supply companies carry Simple Green Extreme. And might ask at places that service or sell supplies for aircraft. It is used for cleaning grease off aluminum aircraft.And, to be clear, 90% of the cleaning will be of the FRONT of the CAC, NOT the radiator.

captpar wrote:Need to clean my radiator,cannot find the simple green that is aluminum friendly at the local lowes or home depot. So am thinking of using a mixture of dishwashing soap and water. Any better ideas?I have used this, I spray it on and then will rinse it off - no damage and does a great job. Always keep a couple cans in with the cleaning/oil products I carry. You should be able to find in all Home Depots, if not Zep something similar/equal.BOL,

For some unknown reason I have a old posting about that and I don't even have a class A. (No idea why I save it, you can view it here.)http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23677871/print/true.cfm

Cleaning radiator | Good Sam Community

11 Replies

rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Jul 27, 2015
That's the stuff.
bukzin
Explorer
Jul 27, 2015
A quick check of Amazon came up with this...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VXU7OE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1/177-4168614-2757440?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=1HNN857JBAG34QGP8QBV&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1944687662&pf_rd_i=B00627REY0

Cheap by the gallon.

Is this the version you guys like?
captpar
Explorer
Jul 27, 2015
Thanks all for the info.
YC_1
Nomad
Jul 27, 2015
coil cleaner

This stuff worked so well I bought ten cans. It seems when you find a product that works this well they take it off the market. It cuts right through the gunk,.
sh4717
Explorer
Jul 26, 2015
Just bought some extreme simply green at local autozone last week to clean my radiator. They had it in stock.
Hedgehog
Explorer
Jul 26, 2015
Last time I bought it I got it from Grainger.
path1
Explorer
Jul 26, 2015
For some unknown reason I have a old posting about that and I don't even have a class A.

(No idea why I save it, you can view it here.)

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23677871/print/true.cfm
Busskipper
Explorer
Jul 26, 2015
captpar wrote:
Need to clean my radiator,cannot find the simple green that is aluminum friendly at the local lowes or home depot. So am thinking of using a mixture of dishwashing soap and water. Any better ideas?

I have used this, I spray it on and then will rinse it off - no damage and does a great job. Always keep a couple cans in with the cleaning/oil products I carry. You should be able to find in all Home Depots, if not Zep something similar/equal.

BOL,
wolfe10
Explorer
Jul 26, 2015
Colo Native wrote:
You should not need anything but water and just the pressure from a garden hose

In an ideal world, perhaps. But with the air going over the hot rear axle, transmission and engine before being sucked up and forced into the CAC, the chances of no petrochemical residue is pretty small.

Some of the industrial cleaning supply companies carry Simple Green Extreme. And might ask at places that service or sell supplies for aircraft. It is used for cleaning grease off aluminum aircraft.

And, to be clear, 90% of the cleaning will be of the FRONT of the CAC, NOT the radiator.
Colo_Native
Explorer
Jul 26, 2015
You should not need anything but water and just the pressure from a garden hose