Well I finally got around to cleaning the radiator on my 94 LT1. I read a write up about it and kinda went about it my own way. I did not remove the radiator. That looked like a nightmare in disguise. I didn't want to mess with draining the fluid or messing with the trans lines.
I can just imagine stripping one of those lines and really being in trouble.
Besides, I was able to remove enough bolts to "crack" open the top of the shroud by moving the fans outta the way and lifting the top of the shroud enough so I could spray the **** out of it with the hose.
Granted, I probably didn't get all the gook out of the radiator fins, but I made a huge dent in the project. There was a ton of debris on the driveway and the fins were shiny and clean. It took the better part of a couple of hours to take it apart, clean, spray, spray spray it, and put it back together.
I got out a flash light and looked in between the radiator and the condenser as I sprayed the hose from the rear where the fans are towards the front of the car. I could see very well that the water was rushing thru the fins and flushing out a ton of debbris. I took her for a test drive and I swear that the temp guage never maxxed out like it does sitting in traffic.
[IMG][/IMG]

Trust me that there was tons more debris that ran down the driveway and out into the gutter that I didn't get a pic of. Also, If I could have gotten a pic of the before I cleaned it with all the pine needles and road debris on the front of the radiator I would have gotten it.

 

you should do this yearly,maybe not to that extent,but clean the grass and leaves out at least.

 

If you were getting out tons of those little pebbles that got stuck in the fins you probably got a good cleaning job. Good peace of mind.

 

Yea, I know that there doesn't appear to be too much debris in the picture. But you can see the type of debris that was it there. A lot of it ran down the driveway as I was cleaning and the water was running thru the radiator and draining on the driveway. I could see a trail of debris down the driveway and into the gutter.
I prefer to do it this way than to mess with trying to remove the whole radiator. My frined messed with his and he stripped the trans line. That sucked and It cost him a new one. I was ok with what came out and it was much easier.
I suggest getting the write-up from the search or from above where the tech tips are located. Start there and if you want to remove it and drain and refill and burp and all that go ahead. I have been driving her around all day and she never hit 230. Its in the mid nineties today. I didn't get into too much traffic but it still didn't get as hot as it would have before.
Thanks for whoever did the write up and to the forum.

 

We toldja so! What is bad about not cleaning the radiator is that the junk decays and attacks the aluminum radiator and THEN you have to replace the radiator!

 

I started having heating issues with mine and couldnot figure it out, I looked all around the radiator and found nothing, everyone was telling their was junk pulled up in there--but i didnt see it. I took it to a couple shops and all the wanted to do was replace things---AAA NOOO.
finally too the fourums advice (not before getting pretty upset with the whole situation) and I tore out the shroud, lines and radiator. guess what I found, A blue plastic wal-mart bag stuck to a quarter of the radiator. flushed it all and cleaned it, put it back and my problem has never returned--moral of the story--the forum folks really know their cars so listen to them

 

Amen Brother. The forum rules! But I'm sure they don't like this thread because someone has done this years ago and it was already discussed. They only like threads about pulling engines and putting in new trannys.