My radiator fluid in a 98 F150 needs flushed, but I have a hole in my heater core. If I use a sealant and?

Question

drive for a while to let the sealant stick, when would it-if at all- be safe to have the radiator flushed?

Also, is their a Radiator sealant that is better than the others?

Answer 1

all that sealant stuff does is plug things up in all your coolant lines, just change the heater core or take it out and repair it and then flush out your system.

Answer 2

My luck with radiator sealant has always been bad luck. They do not seem to perform as the adds suggest. Probably that is good because if they did, the sealant would likely plug the cores and really foul things.

I suggest that you remove the heater and have a shop that reconditions them clean it and fix it so that you know it is in good shape. If the radiator has any leaks you may wish to have the same done with it. These costs are fairly small and you will have a solid performing system after that.

Answer 3

Depends on the size of the hole in the heater core. Does your interior smell fishy? This is a sign that the heater core is leaking old coolant inside the car. If that is the case, you are better off replacing the heater core and then flushing the system.

If you add sealant, and run the car with the heater on full blast, it may or may not seal the leak in the heater core. You can take your chances, or be safe and replace the heater core.

In any case, definitely get the radiator flushed. Bad coolant leads to corrosion and more holes in heater core and radiator...

Good luck!

Answer 4

Dear F150-

STOP! don't use that SNAKEOIL!

Here is what you can do until you can get the heater core replaced. You can bypass it.

What you will need to do is locate the two hoses for the heater core in your engine compartment.

Remove the two hoses and connect them together using small piece of PVC Pipe or metal pipe.

This is only a temporary fix until you can get it repaired. This will leave you without heat in your car until its repaired, but it will not effect engine function, nor should it cause overheating.

That GUNK that you are talking about is really bad stuff. That material can plug water passages in your cylinder heads and block, not to mention your radiator. That stuff can end up costing you more money in un-necessary engine repairs, then you are going to be really upset.

When you have the heater core replaced, have the system flushed and refilled, then pressure checked for any additional leaks or problems. While you are at it, also replace the radiator cap with a new one. They are normally only a couple bucks, and can prevent overheating issues later.

I hope that helped you out!

Answer 5

I have to fix my own vehicle's when they brake, and I have tried all the sealant's and they do not work so don't waste your money. They are all gimmicks like the traveling medicine man in the old western movies. Take the money and repair the problem yourself, you can buy a repair manual for a few extra dollar's and have the problem fixed in a few hour's yourself.