Clean radiator overflow tube

[SamsFarm]

Anyone have a trick to remove a obstruction from the radiator overflow tube?

Seems as when comming up from the bottom I can get 9" in. Probably to that bend where it takes a left turn from vertical.

From the top only about 1 1/2" in.

Tried the plastic stem from a underground utility locator flag.

And a piece of single strand solid copper wire (probably 10 or 12ga) with both insulation on and off.

Have not tried compressed air yet!

[tst]

the tubes rust together on the inside

[SamsFarm]

the tubes rust together on the inside

I got a little dirt type dust on my wire like a mud dauber climbed up inside it.

I am not saying that it is not rusted internally, but the thing looks too clean on the outside and on the inside up top for me to suspect rust!

I think my biggest problems is getting something to go through all the bends

[muleboss]

Try a piece of small cable like used on garage doors. Twist it as you push lightly and the rough ends might break it lose a little at a time. Might also try squirting some vingator in from the top as you do this. Just a thought.

[Bob McCarty]

String trimmer line, chuck in a drill and turn slowly.

[Jim Becker]

Piano wire or similar. Rotate as you put it in and bump it repeatedly against the obstruction.

[SamsFarm]

Got it!

I used a cable(about 1/8" diameter) (like muleboss suggested), turned it by hand as pushing, marking with a marker to show progress.

Once momentum was lost I grabbed the fence pliers and cut the cable leaving me with about a extra 7 to 9".

Chucked that up in the drill (as Bob McCarty suggested) and used my free hand to guide while giving it the high speed roto rooter with the drill.

(I went slow at first Bob, but once I saw the cable could take it, I went as fast as the drill would go!)

Did not take long and bam it was through.

Flushed it out with water and it was orange (rust just as tst said)!

The cable in the drill was like a flexable mini wire wheel.

Note: if you try this go in the proper direction for your cable so as not to unwind the twist in the cable!