The car was still drivable, but I didn’t need to take a risk of doing any damage to the engine (more than the radiator issue) and adding insult to injury. I ended up waiting 4 hours for a tow truck to come pick the car up and bring it home. I have not had the “pleasure” of pulling engine parts off, so I am curious if the 32’s were equipped with thermostats, or if that was an option (and what would that look like)? If mine is equipped with one, could a worn out thermostat possibly cause this? A blockage of some sort either in the hoses or the radiator? When the car is off, should the water temp gauge needle be all the way to the left? Mine seems to rest around the line between cold and normal. The fluid was not low at the time, but it also was not overfilled (I had checked before leaving my house). I do understand that the color of the fluid indicates that the radiator badly needs a backflushing (a lovely shade of rust orange). The radiator was not steaming, and the temperature gauge (if working correctly) seemed to indicate that it was in the normal range. The cap is not broken and seems to hold fine. The eagle cap does not have a cork or rubber gasket, but a fellow 32 owner with the same cap told me that it doesn’t need one. The car did not seem like it was overheating, in fact, when I pulled over, the eagle radiator cap was a little warm, but not so hot you couldn’t touch it. I have driven it many times without an issue, but this day it developed a real attitude problem. It started with a little bubbling over the top of the radiator and then developed into the spray onto everywhere before I could pull over safely. The other weekend the car decided to develop a problem and I am hoping someone might have some ideas about possible causes…ĭriving down the road at about 40 mph my radiator decided to violently spit up all over my 32. I am still learning about the car’s systems and the car’s personality. It is so much fun, and I really look forward to having it in the family for many years to come. The water is pumped inat low levels of pressure, but high speed.I inherited a 1932 Confederate Deluxe 2 door sedan back in May and am absolutely honored to be driving it. A power radiator flush involves pumping clean fresh water into the system, forcing dirt and debris out without the mess or hassle involved in removing individual radiators. We can carry out something called a ‘power flush’ – we do not just flush your radiators, we flush through your entire system, making sure it is fully clean and working at maximum efficiency. Have a bucket ready to catch the large amount of dirty water from the bleed valveįlushing through a radiator with a hosepipe will remove a lot of the sludge, but it’s unlikely to be as efficient as a powerflush.
However, it is strongly recommended that you hire a professional for the job. Yes, if you are confident removing a radiator and manually flushing it out yourself, you can do this at home.
This can be done by manually removing the radiators to clean them, or by organising for a professional to carry out a full flush of your central heating system.
What is a radiator flush?Ī radiator flush is the process of cleaning out your radiators and the central heating system – ‘flushing’ it through. So, if it’s been a few years since you’ve had the radiators cleaned – or you haven’t ever had them cleaned – it is worth thinking about organising a radiator flush. Having sludge in a radiator doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the central heating system, however sludge can cause further problems and even boiler breakdowns. Radiator sludge can also stop radiators working completely. You may have radiator sludge if your radiator(s) are warm at the top and sides but cold at the bottom.
It sinks to the bottom and creates a thick sludgy layer that can stop the hot water from circulating effectively. Radiator sludge is a build up of rust and dirt in your radiators. Along with central heating servicing and repairs, we can also carry out a radiator flush to help keep your radiators in tip top condition. However your central heating system needs maintenance to ensure it is working at maximum efficiency. Central heating is a clean and efficient way of heating your home.