Keeping Cool
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Instructor
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 111
Likes: 12
Keeping Cool
Just a little note: I recently was cleaning up things under the hood of my '85 L98 and wanted to paint the underside of the hood and the plastic radiator/condenser cover. After removing the rad/condenser cover I noticed a huge amount of leaves, seeds, dirt, etc. between and under the radiator and condenser. I tried vacuuming it out, but it was really stuck together, so I removed the condenser (A/C needs a recharge anyway) and thoroughly cleaned it all out and drilled a drain hole in the center of the plastic support under the rad/cond assembly for future drainage. I don't know how much extra cooling it will provide, but at least it's now operating with the airflow it was designed to have (a clean radiator is a happy radiator
) The assembly tag on the radiator makes me believe this accumulation started when the car was new, and I am surprised at how much debris was really in there. Sorry that I didn't have a camera available to provide some pics, but it was a bit of a surprise.
) The assembly tag on the radiator makes me believe this accumulation started when the car was new, and I am surprised at how much debris was really in there. Sorry that I didn't have a camera available to provide some pics, but it was a bit of a surprise.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,584
Likes: 972
From: Communist Colorado
Just a little note: I recently was cleaning up things under the hood of my '85 L98 and wanted to paint the underside of the hood and the plastic radiator/condenser cover. After removing the rad/condenser cover I noticed a huge amount of leaves, seeds, dirt, etc. between and under the radiator and condenser. I tried vacuuming it out, but it was really stuck together, so I removed the condenser (A/C needs a recharge anyway) and thoroughly cleaned it all out and drilled a drain hole in the center of the plastic support under the rad/cond assembly for future drainage. I don't know how much extra cooling it will provide, but at least it's now operating with the airflow it was designed to have (a clean radiator is a happy radiator) The assembly tag on the radiator makes me believe this accumulation started when the car was new, and I am surprised at how much debris was really in there. Sorry that I didn't have a camera available to provide some pics, but it was a bit of a surprise.
) The assembly tag on the radiator makes me believe this accumulation started when the car was new, and I am surprised at how much debris was really in there. Sorry that I didn't have a camera available to provide some pics, but it was a bit of a surprise.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,692
Likes: 349
From: Sacramento California
Now that you have that area all cleaned up, I suggest installing a screen / mesh barrier above the front air dam to prevent debris from collecting again. The stuff I used is called "hardware cloth", it is a galvanized steel wire mesh. I cleaned this radiator area in my car and put up a couple layers of this mesh, and the clean airflow through the area has actually blown out some of the smaller stuff that was still in there, a surprising result.
Home Depot Hardware Cloth 1/4"
Thread: 94 Front Spoiler Support Bracket
Thread: Radiator Coolant Flush
Home Depot Hardware Cloth 1/4"
Thread: 94 Front Spoiler Support Bracket
Thread: Radiator Coolant Flush
