I have purchased a 1971 V-12 E-Type. It will be delivered to me in a few weeks. I've been told it is running hot, so I do not want to run it. It comes with a brand new aluminum radiator, in the box. My question is, assuming the old radiator is full of silt, what is the proper way to flush the system, to keep anything that may be in the engine, out of the new $1000 radiator?

Is it as simple as removing the old radiator and installing the new one, without flushing the system?

The car has about 42,000 miles on it and has been driven only about 4500 miles in the last 15-20 years, from what I can find out from the previous owner.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Congrats on the "new" XKE! What ever you do, don't install the new radiator without flushing the block and old radiator first. I'd drain, fill with water and a good flush solution (for aluminum!) per the flush solution package directions,and repeat with water till it came out clean. It has to cool before you refill each time, too! Let us know how long it takes you to get it clean.....

 

Thanks XKEFanatic - I'll take a look at it once the car is delivered. The previous Owner said the car overheats and pegs out and boils over within a couple minutes, so I'm thinking the radiator is totally clogged. He has tested the t-stats, which are new, and they work fine, and replaced the radiator cap. He wasn't sure about the electric fans.... I will check the operation of the electric fans to make sure they haven't been wired backwards (running in reverse). My mechanic says the water pump is generally never the culprit in this overheating situation.

I think, if the fans are running as they should, that what I ought to do is to remove the old radiator, have it professionally flushed or "boiled out" - whatever that means, so I do not introduce whatever may be in the radiator to the engine block. Then reinstall it, and at this time, flush the system to rid the block of anything, all prior to installing the new aluminum radiator.

Any thoughts????