Well guys after blasting up and down northern roads for my summer holidays, I put nearly 3000km's on the truck and took out probably half of the bug population. I got them cleaned off the outside of the truck, but the radiator is FULL of them. How do I clean out the rad without damaging the cooling fins and all that? I'm worried about overheating issues with that much clogging the airflow passages. Thank you!

 

you should be able to take a hose and just spray it right out. if you do this just make sure you use a piece of cardboard or something to make sure water doesnt splatter all over the engine.

 

you sure you arent looking at the condensor?

 

hah yeah probably, but they're in literally everything... oil cooler, tranny cooler, every airflow grill type thing possible. it wouldn't surprise me if they got through the condenser and into the rad too. it's actually insane how many bugs there are up here.

 

A water hose and a soft bristled brush is all you should use on the radiator and condenser fins.

 

i agree with quintin, you might also let some bug/tar remover soak for 5-10 minutes before you get after it.

Also wear some gloves b.c the fins can be hell on your knuckles

 

right on guys, thanks for the help. i guess i'll have to take that plastic guard under the hood off to get at the condenser. that space between the grill and rad is enclosed, but from what i see it should be easy to get that piece off, i've just never done it before.

 

yea thats easy, remember to do it on a cool radiator/condenser metal wont be as soft, and you wont burn yourself

there are things that look like plastic pins and screws in the top of that cover. hold the outside ring with two fingers, and gently, i mean barely enough pressure to hold the screw driver upright, back out the screws about 3/4". then you can pull the pin out.
(any major pressure on the screw when you try to back it out and you will strip out the entire pin and you will either have to pry the screw out or cut the whole clip off.)

 

After every wash I take my chamois & lightly rub up & down & remove all the bugs, I could not imagine letting them accumulate, to the point that they are a big mess!

 

i use a coarse bristle tire brush on mine. and a mild degreaser.