putting a screen in the upper left radiator inflow

[OriginalOwner]

I had an idea to catch the inevitable junk that floats around the cooling system, so I went to the 99 Cent store and bought a wire strainer. I did some cutting and soldering .... the picture should tell the story:

 

So far, so good, lots of chunks and flakes and whatever caught. Takes just a few minutes to remove the rubber hose, catch the water, remove the screen and wash, re-install screen and hose, and refill the radiator.

Cheers,

Carl

Edited May 4, 2014 by OriginalOwner

[wegweiser]

I LIKE this idea! The F Bomb could use a screen like this. Standard (frequent) coolant flushes haven't yet removed the accumulated 15 yrs of junk in the system. I'd like to preserve my freshly re-cored radiator!

Thanks for the idea! Hopefully it doesn't inhibit flow.

[M3M3]

kinda scary that any cooling system has things in it big enough to need a screen to catch. in all the engines i have worked on or flushed, i have never seen a chunk of anything in the cooling system. actually, the radiator already acts as a "filter". the core of the radiator has very small tubes for the coolant to flow through. smaller than the holes in the screen pictured. anything loose in the cooling system is already trapped in the top of the radiator. screen is not adding any value.

two things to be careful with.

1/ if there are big things in the cooling system and the screen stops them, the screen will clog and restrict or block coolant flow. if you must leave it in, check it often, and if you don't seen anything in the screen after a couple hundred miles, take the screen out.

2/ that screen used has lots of loose and sharp ends on it. i would be worried that either they would tear the hose or small pieces might break/fall off and go through the cooling system....sharp metal in system equals expensive damage.

[FB73tii]

Also with vibration over time that solder could come apart and get into the system. "If it's clean, do not screen!"

Best, Fred '74tii

[wegweiser]

Marshall is right...most of the stuff floating in my cooling system is a fine silica paste type stuff. While I'm normally a big fan of all things Pastie (hello? Otis? You listening?) I've seen it impede the flow of my radiator enough to cause concern.

[OriginalOwner]

As Wegweiser noted, one idea of mine was to keep the junk out of my recently recored radiator and flushed cooling system.

Also, as my screen name indicates, I am the original owner of my 2002tii and the engine has never been out of the car .... what the inside of the cooling system possibly looks like scares me, so the screen is just another personal "security blanket."

I was/am definitely of two minds on the idea, but decided to give it a try since the screen can be removed if/when desired.

One of my minds is that I want the screen, I don't want to use my radiator as the screen, which is to say, I don't want it plugging up over time. A 99 Cent screen is much easier and less expensive to replace than a rodding-out the entire radiator.

The other mind is, YES, I definitely need to remove it on a regular basis and check to see if it is getting clogged.

So far, I am very happy I put it in there, I did collect some gunk and grime that isn't necessary anywhere in the cooling system.

Cheers,

Carl

[TimNC]

You are attacking problem incorrectly in my opinion. If you have stuff in your cooling system as large as you have indicated you probably need to have the entire system flushed. As for the screen, even with prefectly clean coolant (no particals floating around) the screen is restricting the flow in your system by 25% or more...which is probably not a good idea. On top of that, the screen is just a bloackage point waiting to happen. If it was my car I'd get the cooling system professionally flushed...it might take two or three times to get it good and clean...and get rid of the screen, imo. Otherwise, you are going to be checking and cleaning the screen as long as it is in the car.

[kbmb02]

The Gano Filter is a commercially-available screen filter; the clear version allows one to inspect what's being collected (I just put one in the 'new' old V8 in my tow vehicle).
http://ganofilters.com/

A real nice execution, in my opinion. -KB

Edited August 17, 2014 by kbmb02

[OriginalOwner]

I'm liking that Gano Filter .... never seen that, totally awesome !!

OK, an operational update for 05 August 2011, for my 2002tii.

a. the last few days, I've run the car and it's been running "hot" by my standards, which means the temp needle goes above the 1/2 mark, with occasional forays to 3/4. Typically the car "always" runs below the 1/2 mark.

-- each evening I have removed my screen filter and it's had some gunk in it. So, each evening it has been removed and cleaned. Of special note: the coolant drained off while removing the screen has been replaced with only water, nothing else.

-- and of note: each evening there has been less and less chunks and gunks, so the screening action has been effective.

b. Todays's success story. I had to drive the car over to the far side of Ontario, CA: some surface streets, mostly freeway. And I am all excited as I could not get the temp needle to go over the 1/2 mark, regardless of street, freeway, slow traffic, high freeway speed, climbing hills, whatever.

-- that is a monster success story for this car.

-- probably a combination of gunk removal, plus running a more-water-and-less-antifreeze mixture, which runs cooler anyway.

In any event, I am totally stoked on this inlet screen thingie since today I am seeing nothing but positives with my 2002tii.

Cheers,

Carl

[mike472]

You are attacking problem incorrectly in my opinion. If you have stuff in your cooling system as large as you have indicated you probably need to have the entire system flushed. As for the screen, even with prefectly clean coolant (no particals floating around) the screen is restricting the flow in your system by 25% or more...which is probably not a good idea. On top of that, the screen is just a bloackage point waiting to happen. If it was my car I'd get the cooling system professionally flushed...it might take two or three times to get it good and clean...and get rid of the screen, imo. Otherwise, you are going to be checking and cleaning the screen as long as it is in the car.

I agree with Tim. If you had that much gunk in your system like radiator sealers or other stuff maybe from a PO, then a major pro flush from a radiator shop is in order. They have the chemicals and the tools to do it right. These cars were designed with cooling systems work without a filter. I would bet good money someone before you put some heavy duty radiator sealant in it and really gummed things up.

[OriginalOwner]

TimNC,

you mention that "someone before me" may have put sealers and such into the cooling system.

I gotta laugh: there is no one before me, I am the original owner of the car and I am guilty as charged: I did put sealers and such into the system at various times over the past 36-1/2 years. Most recently as January & February 2011 when the heater core sprung a leak and I had to "do something" so I could continue to drive the car.

So some of the crud being collected by my screen is a result of those sealers and such, no doubt about it.

But I remain happy and enthusiastic: I've screened-out lots of crud from the cooling system in the past few days, nothing like success. And today's driving with a coolant temp constantly below the 1/2-mark, I'm ecstatic for that result.

Plus with all the inputs & comments from people here at The Forum, I'm learning valuable info, and I hope others are learning something new too.

Cheers,

Carl

[Skruffy2]

Whatever works!

[TobyB]

http://www.ganofilters.com/ you mean, Ken...  Neat!

 

Hadn't seen that- I have something like it in the oil system to catch chunks if the engine grenades... but it's oil- system sized, not coolant.

 

I have had cars (and trucks) that have had all sorts of shit in the cooling system.  One of the bigger culprits is casting sand in older blocks-

I pulled a pint out of an 82 Toyota 2F.  It had been there from day one...  and then the machinist groused at me that they'd had

to clean out the parts washer filter after they cleaned my block.... which didn't inspire confidence!

 

heh

 

t

[OriginalOwner]

Since this old thread is here, I'll add an update/sitrep.

 

--  after 3 years of use:  I initially screened out some chunks, none since then, no impact whatsoever to cooling system performance.  Works for me !!

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[BLUNT]

I had a radiator built by Curt when he was still with us and this baffled both of us. I installed it and the car immediately overheated.

Long story short there were paper hand towels inside the radiator. It was weird .. I sent Curt pictures and neither of us could come up with an explanation..  I fished them out in chunks and Curt of course offered to replace it but after a few flushes and needle nose pliers pulling chunks out it was fine.  Weird