Power Wahser to Clean Rear Radiator

Received a Private Message asking how to extend the slobber tube on the Cat 3126/C7. So, here goes:

Present tube is 1" ID and end is slanted.
Cut end off square.
Insert 1" barb to barb fitting (any hardware store-- metal or plastic fine)
Use a couple of feet (buy 4' to be safe) of oil resistant 1" ID hose to the barb.
Secure both original and new hose with hose clamps. (buy two hose clamps)
Use a couple of zip ties to secure the extension to exit behind the fan shroud, so no oil/water vapor will be sucked into the fan.

IMPORTANT: Be sure the hoses run down hill only (no drip loop), as in below freezing conditions, moisture in a drip loop could condense, freeze and block the hose. If you are never, never in below freezing conditions, this is not an issue.

And, as stated before, make sure you are not overfilling your engine crankcase, or it WILL spit it out.

First of all, I don't let the dirt and grime build up in my radiator system. Then when I do clean it, it's pretty easy. I put hot water and Simple Green in a two gallon pump sprayer. Then, with the engine running I spray into the fan, partly cleaning the fan, but blowing the mixture through the radiators. After waiting about a half hour, I spray from the rear pushing whatever is in the radiator forward, continuing until the effluent is clean. Many miles on many hills with no rise in temperature. I do have a slobber tube that extends beyond the radiator.

Paul

The two pictures show the slobber tube as it is so I am assuming that there is no extension?

If you bend your fins, it's not the end of the world. Use these Fin Combs to straighten them back out.

Yes, that is the crankcase breather hose (aka slobber tube).

No second picture showing an extension, so can't comment.

Again, the #1 cause of oil from crankcase breather is overfilling the engine oil.

If you have the engine serial number I can look up the correct capacity.

First, thanks for sharing all of your knowledge with me. I have been crawling all over the back of the coach and opening the compartment in the closet to see what is there and what I can get to. I can see the fan and a very small part of the radiator from under and over the coach, but it is not very accessible.

I am attaching two pictures of what I think is the slobber tube. First, it is the slobber tube? Second, has it already been extended? It is at the bottom of the frame of the coach so I am not sure it can be extended any further. If is has been extended, is that why the toad and the back of the coach got covered in oil on the last trip going up and down the steep hill?

Slobber Tube 1

Slobber Tube 2

It is VERY easy to bend the fins on your radiator, stick house AC unit, etc.

Bending fins is very bad for cooling and make getting it clean in the future even harder. Will make getting it dirtier easy.:E

If you use a high pressure sprayer keep it far enough away from the fins so the spray pressure is similar to using just a garden hose with a sprayer. So it can be done safely with a high pressure sprayer it is just kind of silly to use one and there is much greater chance of causing damage to the fins.

Do use soap, degreasers, simple green extreme, etc., as this is a job for finesse using safe chemical cleaners not brute force of a high pressure sprayer.

Scott,
As you suggest, not overfilling the oil is the #1 way to prevent oil coming out the crankcase breather-- applies to any diesel engine built before 2007.

But, correct oil capacity for Caterpillar engines is a little more complicated than stated. Many shallow pan 3126's are 19 quarts, but some 22. Deep pan (aluminum pan) are 29 quarts, but some 27 and some 30.

Best advice is to call the Caterpillar RV Hotline with your engine serial number: 877 777-3126.

ncrowley,
Well Sir, it's your radiator so, you can clean it and the CAC in whatever fashion you deem necessary. As you can read, there are folks that have cleaned them with pressure washers and, no one's died. The radiators are still in the coach and not blown away. So much of working on a coach is common sense.

You say you've sprayed "gunk" all over your toad and other places? Well, one thing you really need to make sure of is, that you have the CORRECT amount oil in your engine. You see, there's different versions of oil pans for many of the CATs. A very large percentage of the motor homes with the 300, 330 and 350 HP CATs, use the smaller, shallower pans. Those pans/engines, are to have no more than 19 quarts installed, and that's with a new filter.

The larger pans take 22 quarts. If you have more than the required 19 quarts and, yours is a 19 quart pan, than CAT states that, you will have excessive blow-by and, it will spit out way more oil/fumes/mist from the blow by tube. And, once you've determined that no more than the 19 quarts is in there, then a mark on the dip stick is needed to show the max level.

There's many of us that have had to remark our dip sticks due to improper marking from the factory and other reasons.

The "CAT" techs you talked to about extending your blow-by tube sound absolutely clueless. The entire planet knows they have to be extended and, as has been stated, even Freightliner has kits for this issue. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to extend it. It's hose for Christs sake. Get some PVC or, whatever will fit, and a bit more of the same size hose to make it all work together and, extend it to a point beyond the radiator bottom or, like I did, all the way to the rear bottom of the coach.

Now, none of those fumes ever see my CAC and or Radiator. Another thing, cleaning those fins with a garden hose and, being effective, is all about how bad it was when anyone used that method. As I stated in my previous post, ours was seriously bad. If I wimped out and didn't use a pressure washer, I would have been there for a year with measly garden hose.

Yes, you can use a garden hose if your fins are barely dirty and have a bit of dust/oil on them. But, not if they look like the pics below. And, yes, like another poster stated, just be careful. Again, common sense is the name of the game here. So, in the end, make sure you have the correct amount of oil, get that hose extended and, clean your radiator appropriately. Good luck.
Scott

PS. Sorry, the pics won't post due to the I-net connect used at present.

deandec wrote:
So, a rear radiator fan blows air and a side radiator fan sucks air.

One then cleans the rear radiator from the engine side and a side radiator from the outside?

CORRECT.