Pro Flush alternative to Rydlyme

[davidmh]

I am planning to flush out the waterways on my Bukh 20 this winter. Rydlyme seems to be the usual stuff to use but it is almost impossible to get at the moment, some UK retailers have been waiting 7 months for supplies and still no promises. Wessex chemicals have created a new product to do the job, said to be based on the Rydlyme product. Wessex have some good products and it is available from Force 4 etc. Anyone tried it or any chemists like to an give an opinion on the ingredients.
David MH

 

[Skylark]

To flush the cooling system in an old car I use Soda Crystals, available from most supermarkets for <£1.

Approx a cup full mixed with water. Drain the system and refill with mix. Drive car for an hour or so. Drain and repeat. The last time I did it I left the mixture in the engine for about a week (due to other commitments). At the end of the season, the visible coolant in the top of the radiator remains clear. Engine runs cooler according to the temp gauge and no longer approaches overheating when in standing traffic.

 

[Rhylsailer99]

barnacle buster would do the job.

https://www.amazon.com/STAR-BRITE-0...eywords=barnacle+buster&qid=1663156884&sr=8-3

 

[neil_s]

I use Fernox DS3 in my Bukh.

 

[VicS]

I am planning to flush out the waterways on my Bukh 20 this winter. Rydlyme seems to be the usual stuff to use but it is almost impossible to get at the moment, some UK retailers have been waiting 7 months for supplies and still no promises. Wessex chemicals have created a new product to do the job, said to be based on the Rydlyme product. Wessex have some good products and it is available from Force 4 etc. Anyone tried it or any chemists like to an give an opinion on the ingredients.
David MH

I wish I knew what the ingredients of Rydlyme are. It's a pity I did not get some into the analytical chemistry lab while I was still working. All I know is that is hydrochloric acid based, but the quantity of calcium carbonate scale they claim it will remove is considerably more than the declared concentration of HCl will remove.
I usually suggest Fernox DS3 (which is based on sulfamic acid)
Washing soda (sodium carbonate) may well clean up a mucky car or freshwater cooled marine engine but it won't remove calcium carbonate scale from a seawater cooled engine.

I've not yet found out what the Starbrite Marine Descaler or the Pro Flush contains.

Edit: Pro Flush contains phosphoric acid , some citric acid and a little sulfamic acid.
Starbrite Marine Descaler contains phosphoric acid

 

[peteK]

To flush the cooling system in an old car I use Soda Crystals, available from most supermarkets for <£1.

Approx a cup full mixed with water. Drain the system and refill with mix. Drive car for an hour or so. Drain and repeat. The last time I did it I left the mixture in the engine for about a week (due to other commitments). At the end of the season, the visible coolant in the top of the radiator remains clear. Engine runs cooler according to the temp gauge and no longer approaches overheating when in standing traffic.

I thought about using soda crystals but on the packet it says don't allow it to come into contact with aluminium,some engines use aluminium heat exchanger.

 

[VicS]

I thought about using soda crystals but on the packet it says don't allow it to come into contact with aluminium,some engines use aluminium heat exchanger.

Modern car radiators are aluminium

 

[Sianna]

Great timing, I used Pro Flush last weekend on my KAD43, I made up a kit using a bilge pump pipe and pipe reducers to fit the engines pipework, it all worked well, the colour change indicator was useful, it took 3 hours to complete followed by a prolonged flushing through, yet to test at speed to see if my odd temp alarm at WOT has gone but I did get a fair bit of crap left in the bucket so feeling hopeful.

 

[davidmh]

Tanks for your experience Flip, What bilge pump did you use. I don't know your engine but assume it is indirect cooling and you were flushing out the raw water heat exchanger circuit.

David MH

 

[Sianna]

Tanks for your experience Flip, What bilge pump did you use. I don't know your engine but assume it is indirect cooling and you were flushing out the raw water heat exchanger circuit.

David MH

Hi David the KAD43 is a 3.6ltr 6 cylinder turbo and supercharged Volvo Penta diesel. It uses a raw water heat exchanger to cool the closed circuit engine cooling system. it's a little more powerful than your Bukh 20, rated at 230bhp.

The bilge pump I used was this one and it worked perfectly,

SEAFLO 12v x 500GPH SUBMERSIBLE MARINE BILGE PUMP boat yacht | eBay.

this video will give you a guide as to how I did mine;

 

[Rhylsailer99]

de scaling a bukh engine using a bilge pump video i made. I warm the engine up 1st and use hot water mixed with the fernox solution. I then start the bilge pump,
this method is better than running the engine as there is no chance the water can enter exhaust valves.

 

[morgandlm]

I used Proflush on my DV10 last winter for the first time. I made up a circulation system using an old central heating pump, bucket, flexible hoses etc and had removed the thermostat. It worked really well and removed an amazing amount of crud. Go for it!
David Morgan

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Modern car radiators are aluminium

And in case no-one gets the point, Aluminium dissolves in alkalis like soda!

I use hydrochloric acid, diluted from lab concentrated hydrochloric acid to about 10%.

 

[VicS]

And in case no-one gets the point, Aluminium dissolves in alkalis like soda!

I use hydrochloric acid, diluted from lab concentrated hydrochloric acid to about 10%.

Is that diluted to 10% HCl or a 10times dilution of the conc acid.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Is that diluted to 10% HCl or a 10times dilution of the conc acid.

The latter

 

[Poey50]

I used Proflush on my DV10 last winter for the first time. I made up a circulation system using an old central heating pump, bucket, flexible hoses etc and had removed the thermostat. It worked really well and removed an amazing amount of crud. Go for it!
David Morgan

I can't get the Proflush instructions so unclear on the dilution. Is a 1 litre bottle sufficient?

 

[Sianna]

I can't get the Proflush instructions so unclear on the dilution. Is a 1 litre bottle sufficient?

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE Set up flow system for the engine coolant waterway. Proflush Marine is red in colour and as it is neutralised by the scale, the colour of the liquid will change from red to orange. For economy, add Proflush Marine to your water reservoir in increments until the return solution remains red. This indicates that there is no more scale to be neutralised. Proflush Marine can be used with any engine descaling equipment or a low-cost submersible pump with the correct attachments.

The answer is it depends on how calcified your engine is, I started with about 2 ltrs diluted with fresh water and added more pro flush as the colour change indicated, I ended up using 5ltrs for my 3.6ltr KAD43, the whole process took about 3 1/2 hours

 

[davidmh]

Speak to Wessex chamicals the manufacturer direct they are very helpful.
David MH

 

[Poey50]

I started with about 2 ltrs diluted with fresh water ...

What is the recommended starting point for dilution with fresh water? (The Wessex website is considered 'dangerous' by my browser for some reason otherwise I'd get their instructions.)

 

[Sianna]

What is the recommended starting point for dilution with fresh water? (The Wessex website is considered 'dangerous' by my browser for some reason otherwise I'd get their instructions.)

I started with 5ltrs of fresh water to 2ltrs of proflush, then added more pro flush as the colour change indicated it had been neutralised by calcium absorption. reverse flush it so your flow is from the rear of the heat exchanger to the front, I did get a fair bit of barnacle shell and grit out that way