OTC 6043 Blast-Vac Multipurpose Cleaning Gun

Customer Reviews

• S. t. E.

  Blast it clear

  I drive a 2000 Jeep XJ Cherokee. Anybody familiar with them will tell you they have cooling issues that if left unchecked will destroy the cylinder head and ultimately the engine. Mine began running hot (gauge lied to me) so corrective measures were in order. The coolant was... well it didn't look like coolant anymore. In fact, I saw a lot of rust colored mush. If this wasn't THE problem, it certainly was A problem. Getting the mush out might happen with chemicals. It might not. I'd planned to back flush my heater core since I lost heat during the winter so I thought this might be my best first course. Along with potentially replacing water pump since that's the only thing that hadn't been replaced a few years earlier.While searching out the stuff I'd need, I came across this tool. I'd never seen anything like it and for $55 or so, I thought it worth it. Yes, I could likely make something for less money. But I don't have the time to spend seeking the components. So, this is what I bought.You'll want to get a fitting for your air compressor, and if you don't have a pressure regulator on it, you should get one of them too. I will say I forgot to get a regulator and don't appear to have suffered ill effects, but time will tell.After connecting it up, the first thing I noticed was I couldn't use the attached water shut off. I didn't mess with trying a pliers on it since my hose had a shut off. I'll fiddle with that aspect later.That valve is what controls water flow, turn it on and water comes running out at line pressure. Add air and it is obviously a lot more forceful. While the water isn't concentrated to a point like a pressure washer would be, it can serve to do some cleaning.The trigger controls air flow. You can modulate air pressure if you're careful, it's not just on/off.The business end has graduated steps increasing in diameter to match most cooling system hose sizes. There are ribs to help keep yoru hose in place under pressure.After draining the coolant, I removed the thermostat to prevent it from stopping water flow. I'll install a new one later.I did the job in sections. Starting with the heater, I connected the tool to the heater output. First thing I discovered is you need to insure the hose is fully seated. I also suggest tightening your hose clamps. Otherwise, you may blow the hose off and get a bath.I ran my hose without any pressure for a bit and then started adding pressure. In bursts and some sustained periods. Once the water ran clear for a while I moved on to the next step.I disconnected both upper and lower radiator hoses. The location of the lower one really didn't allow for running water from that end so i flushed from the top down by connecting the tool to the upper hose. Lots more brown stuff came out. I kept the cap on the radiator while flushing so the water would all go down.After it ran clear, I reconnected the lower hose plus the heater hoses and repeated flushing from the upper radiator hose. Again, lots of nasty brown gunk came flowing out. Even without the pressure, this method would help. When flushing in this direction, water is going to come out of the upper coolant neck. On my Jeep, it meant water was going to come shooting out the side. A more prepared me would have had something to control the water coming out. Instead my neighbors got the sight of a geyser shooting out from under my hood.Once the water ran clear, I placed the tool into the coolant neck and flushed water in the opposite direction to what I had just done. I couldn't really see what came out as easily but it didn't seem discolored.I used the tool to fill the cooling system with water and put it all back together. I also gave the engine bay a sort of cleaning.Keeping in mind there's no thermostat in it right now, I fired it up and allowed the engine to come up in temp. Even given our current heat, it took a while to heat up due to the missing thermostat. Took the Jeep for a ride through the countryside to see what it did. In addition to the dash gauge, I am monitoring temps through the OBD port. Extended idling with the AC on produced temps around 210 where before it was pushing 250, air temp is around 90. Cruising, the temps dropped down to 195 or lower. Previously, I was lucky to drop below 230 while cruising.All in all, so far it's a success. I'll replace the thermostat and put actual coolant in it after I've run it for a while. One thing I'd do differently is use a short length of hose to bypass the heater while flushing the engine. No need to push stuff back into the heater core.

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• m. g.

  Blast out nasty garbage

  Well first of all I was on the fence about buying this but turned out to be a good investment. I read many reviews and some said it was not genuine otc. Mine definitely was,came in a sealed box so no complaints there. Also by reading reviews I knew it wasn't coming with a air hose end so I ordered one with it. I'd take half a star off for that if I could. But that being said I got it all hooked up and ready to roll. Was happy with the overall quality of it. Make sure you have the drain open to relieve pressure and let the garbage out. I had tried 3 separate times to drain and used radiator flush (prestone) and it was still coming out filthy. A good blasting and there was all kinds of rust and chunks coming out that the liquid cleaner wasn't going to touch. Still need to do the heater core though. I've read the gun doesn't fit in there but we'll see I guess. Probably depends on the make and model. One other note looking at the pictures I would have guessed the nozzle end to be a flexible rubber that would expand with pressure but its not. Its a hard plastic so you have to really get the nozzle seated in good to seal the water pressure. Overall was very pleased with the product at the price point. Still going to take it to the dealership to have them flush and refill it but that's cause I'm super anal about proper maintenance and correct fluids. But they said it was extra for a deep flush which I really think I would have needed. At 100+ an hour this should get me on the regular price one I'd think. And I keep it for future use.

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• A. P.

  It worked to unclog a 2003 VW Passat heater core. The tool quality isn't great.

  The media could not be loaded.  This tool saved me a lot of money and time. I used it at 50 psi for about an hour on just my heater core to unclog it. I hooked the tool to the heater core's outlet to force the water out the inlet because I had read it is easier to flush the heater core by reversing the flow. I rated the tool 3 stars because of the tool quality but if I had to do it again I definitely would.Below is a way way too long review but it walks through the problems I had and why I did it the way I did. If you don't have time for all that just watch the video I attached.Like other reviewers the tool I received looks exactly like Private Brand Tools' coolant flush gun model 70801A. No brass. Everything is OTC branded and both the manual and box had professional printing. The pictures in the manual matched what I received. The manual said there's an attachment for vacuum mode but it wasn't included. My guess is OTC and PBT are the same company or one is manufacturing for the other.You'll need an air fitting that is 1/4" NPT. I used type V fittings (hi-flow) to a 3/8" air hose to a Husky 4.5 gal air compressor rated for 4 SCFM at 40 psi, but I'm not sure if any of that is necessary.The manual says don't exceed 100 psi. I tested the tool at 80 psi unconnected to water or the car, just to see how it would function. Rarely as the compressor tank would refill the gun would randomly turn itself back on full throttle even when the trigger wasn't pressed. When that happened the trigger would not work to stop it. I would have to disconnect and then reconnect at a lower psi like 60 and then momentarily pressed the trigger. If the psi was too low (like 20) it would also randomly turn on but not full throttle. At pressures in the middle like 30 to 60 it leaked very slightly like almost inaudible. I think there's a diaphragm or something that is not well built inside of it.It also leaked around the area of the air plug threads. Not the threads themselves but where the plastic female threaded piece that you thread the 1/4" NPT plug into meets the tool. I gently twist a bit back and forth until it stops. Rotating it fully makes no difference. It's a recurring issue.The threads on the quick connect are too tight, as another reviewer noted. Initially when I connected the water it leaked through the threads. I had to use two channel lock pliers to really tighten it down a little at a time until it stopped leaking. A lot of torque was required and I was worried I would break the plastic or deform the garden hose threads. Fortunately the quick connect never came undone like other reviewers warned but also I really didn't use a lot of water pressure. I think the other reviewers' advice to buy a brass quick connect is for the best.The water switch on the tool leaked as well whenever I had it turned all the way off but it was a minor leak.I drained a little coolant from the car and then disconnected the heater core hoses by using a hose removal tool which looks like a metal hook with a barb on the end. I had to work the barb between the hose and nipple to break the bond because they kind of bond themselves on after a while. I connected a 3/4" ID hose from the tool outlet to the outlet of my clogged heater core (NOT the inlet, I read somewhere to reverse core flow direction) and an exhaust hose from the core inlet to a bucket. Since I already knew the heater core was the problem I thought it was best to attack it directly rather than flush the entire system, which may not have been as effective and also which seemed kind of complicated since the manual says remove the thermostat to do that.I used the tool in short bursts. I used minimal water pressure but I don't know how much. You can see in the video it took a few seconds for the core to refill with water after each burst. I settled on 50 psi air based on my dry testing of the tool to see how it provided the best bursts with the least amount of air leaking. I had read of some successful reports on Passats at 60 psi but I had also read that is way too much psi and to use the normal coolant pressure of 20 psi. Who's right, I don't know. When I would depress the trigger I could see the gauge drop to 40 psi so it was probably effectively bursts between 40 and 50 going through the core. The exhaust hose would whip around due to the pressure bursts so it had to be held in place in the bucket. Not on video: I did some faster bursts towards the end, where instead of waiting for the water to refill the core after each burst I would wait just until some water went in the hose going into the core.The first bucket contained a little coolant so I bottled it to recycle as coolant. Every bucket after that was clear water that went down the drain. After a few buckets I switched to a larger tub and then I would put the bucket into it and take out some water to drain. The hoses I used were clear and I never saw anything other than clear water come out. At the end when I was done and drained the water remaining in the tub I wiped up what looked like sand at the bottom. Like half a handful of beach sand but it wasn't beach sand it was from the heater core. I had no idea what came out until I was done because it all settled spread out at the bottom.I poured some distilled water into the heater core to remove the tap water and then topped off and burped the coolant system. I used a laser thermometer pointed inside my car vents and they're now 160 degrees after the car warms up. I went from no heat to all heat. Hopefully it lasts through the winter.

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• A. C.

  Worked like it should.

  Works like it should.

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• N.

  Not as pictured

  Not as pictured cheap plastic trigger not the one pictured. Seems to be a trend with Bolo lately. Pictures don't represent what you actually get. This is the cheap piece of junk they send not the one they advertised

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