Thread: cleaning dead bugs out of radiators?

I'm pretty sure the bug wash that comes out of the spray gun at the car wash gets them out for me.

use air to blast them out while they are dry, start from the engine side first then go the other way, works a treat.........I grew up in the WA wheatbelt - land of the Australian plague locust.

We put shade cloth on our defenders and tie it on the plastic grill with cable ties this stops the problem -they do run a little warmer -on the plus side it keeps alot of crap out of the thermo fans and makes creek crossings better.

i've already gotten in there with an airline and also scraped the worst of the crap off..... problem is they're pretty much glued into the condensor.....

I'd try soaking them somehow. Solvent may take off the paint too though. Try some detergents first and leave it for a while.
Or sell it and get a Landy!

Aluminium mozzie mesh under the grille works great to keep the bugs out. If done well its very neat too, can hardly tell its there.

I hear the problem with bugs on the radiators (quite apart from obstructing airflow) is that their insides are acidic and eat away at the cooling fins making them soft and brittle over time. Not sure how true that is but all my cars have mozzie mesh underneath.

I give the mesh a rinse every time I go to a carwash, keeps it nice and bugfree.

Originally Posted by 4x4x2

We put shade cloth on our defenders and tie it on the plastic grill with cable ties this stops the problem -they do run a little warmer -on the plus side it keeps alot of crap out of the thermo fans and makes creek crossings better.

Shade cloth is about the worst material you could use for this purpose - it blocks a lot of air (some types up to 90%, most at least 60%). Any form of insect screen is a lot better, I prefer metal (bronze, steel or aluminium) but you can use fibreglass although it is less durable. In both the 110 and the 2a it is sandwiched behind the grille, in the 110 supported by another layer of 12mm square wire mesh, and in the 2a with small wire ties to the grille.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Shade cloth is about the worst material you could use for this purpose - it blocks a lot of air (some types up to 90%, most at least 60%). Any form of insect screen is a lot better, I prefer metal (bronze, steel or aluminium) but you can use fibreglass although it is less durable. In both the 110 and the 2a it is sandwiched behind the grille, in the 110 supported by another layer of 12mm square wire mesh, and in the 2a with small wire ties to the grille.

John

Shadecloth is a BIG NO NO!!!

As to clean it out, I used a Bernzomatic blue bottle gas and the thermo fans running to .... umm... burn them out...
worked tho and got all the grass seeds out too!!
Just dont hold it too close to the condensor and make sure you have engine running with A/C switched on.
I actually had fun!!
HP water jet damages the fins an you can never get an airline or a hose into the back of the radiator anyway unless tou take the whole thing out torching it from the front with flame was better than nothing.
Oh, and I could sit down, drink my beer and light my ciggie all at the same time!! And women think we cant multitask!!!