this "advice" I will give you is only based on my other experiences
with strong bases and aluminium, and not meant to pooh pooh draino
advice, but be careful with draino, its lye, sodium hydroxide, and
strong solutions will eat the aluminium up lickety split.

I'd be very very careful.

alistair

On 15-May-10, at 8:55 AM, Zoltan wrote:

Aha, Draino.  That sounds like something that unclogs stuff.
Zoltan
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: VWBrain@aol.com
   To: thewestyman@GMAIL.COM ; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
   Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2010 8:35 AM
   Subject: Re: What to soak radiator in to dissolve slime

   In a message dated 5/14/2010 7:12:24 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
thewestyman@GMAIL.COM writes:
     am trying to find a way to get the radiator soaked into
something that would lift the slime from the inside of it, so I can
just blast it out with water and compressed air.  I have a copper
radiator and an aluminium one.  They are both loaded with slime.
     I know, I can buy a new one.  That's not the question now.
There are many of us on the list who would like to know this.  And
maybe it is a good practice to rinse it sometimes, I guess.  It can
be done while still in the car.  Then we would not have to replace it.
     I think of something acid or alkali kind.  Maybe there is one
that is already being used long time and I just don't know of.  One
maybe for aluminum one for others.
     Anyone?
   hey guys  we have used draino on these and heater cores without
any problems.  normally we let them soak for a couple of days.  these
were done this way because the customers couldn't afford to fix them
right.    So far none of them that was fixed this way have had any
problems  later  mark dearing