Can I use the MS for flushing? A/C flush is about $14/qt here while MS ae about $1.15/qt (by gallon)...

Will I need to come back with real flush then lots of compressed air to finish up properly?

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I have used mineral spirits and can tell you it will not work as well as real flush. There must be something in the flush chemical that breaks surface tension or acts as a detergent, because I have followed up with flush AFTER using mineral spirits and gotten lots of debris. Just my $.02 - go with the real thing.

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08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

No, and no...
The R-12 system is not made to tolerate this contamination...

Mineral spirits leaves behind contamination that will degrade performance, and can wreck the system..






Have a great day.

__________________
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Dynamometer.
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1985 300SD
1983 300D
2003 Volvo V70

https://www.boldegoist.com/

Crap, do I need to replace my condensor then?

I ran some MS through it... and plan to run a few quarts of actual flush through it later today.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

I recall now (it has been a year since I did any flushing work) that mineral spirits leaves a residue, if I'm not mistaken. For instance, you are not to tack wipe body work with mineral spirits before painting, as the residue will cause interference.

I would not be comfortable reinstalling a condenser that has been flushed with MS. That residue is just going to circulate through the whole system.

__________________
08 W251 R350
97 W210 E320
91 W124 300E
86 W126 560SEL
85 W126 380SE Silver
85 W126 380SE Cranberry
79 W123 250
78 W123 280E
75 W114 280

Here is a thread you need to read.

to flush or not to flush?
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/120649-flush-not-flush-c-post863356.html

The condenser can still be cleaned by flushing with Acetone.

Go here: http://acsource.net/acforum/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=56f46515d37de19a161bfb3d13630d08

or here: http://www.autoacforum.com/categories.cfm?catid=2

and type in the search; you'll find many of the "old pros" use/used mineral spirits followed by a more volatile flush. On big systems I know HVAC techs who use it, followed by a dedicated, but more expensive, HVAC flush.

Here's a good one: http://store.lenzdist.com/product.php?xProd=299 and one of the most cost effective, I've found.

__________________
The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

I don't do R12, but I have read that mineral spirits leaves mineral oil on the surfaces when the rest evaporates, making it safe for R12 system flushing.

I buy the $45/gallon AC flush. It is much more expensive than any alternative, but it is safe for the paint and supposedly non-toxic. The last part is hard to believe given the smell, but that's what it says on the bottle.

Old thread guys!

I have rebuilt a few systems now, with success, using Acetone. Next time I'm buying something like this -

http://www.ackits.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=01&Product_Code=PULSATOR-KIT&Category_Code=Flush

I have enough vehicles to make this worth my while.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

Boy has the price risen since I bought one. Still worth the money though. It works very well.

I buy HVAC stuff in the wrong seasons... heater parts in the summer, A/C in the winter. Prices are FAR less then as the scramble/rush is gone.

Maybe I will find a used one. Doubtful, but after having to flush my SD for such a long time to come clean, I will never do it that way again.

__________________
I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

The key to using Mineral Spirits is to use it as an initial flush to get most of the oil out of the system. Then blow it out THOROUGHLY and flush that out with a/c flush or Brake Cleaner.

I personally CAN NOT use Acetone. When in the Army we used some really nasty chemicals to clean electric connectors and such. At that time my sinuses developed a sensitivity that is triggered by some chemicals. Acetone is the worst of them. If I'm even in the same room with open Acetone I stand a REALLY GOOD chance of developing sinus swelling that results in a headache that feels like I have an ice pick stuck behind my eyeball.

If you use the regular a/c flush wisely witih a rubber tipped flush gun, it will go a long way, making it more affordable.

My $0.02,