Chunky chocolate milk anyone? (1 Viewer)

[Jgunner]

Noticed my reservoir was low so i popped my cap.

I put in red/orange coolant and prob still had some green in it, but is this all that is going on or something else?

 

[scottryana]

Looks like a mix of severely neglected coolant, rust, and mixed coolant. You are going to need to do a lot of flushing to clean things up.

 

[ZackR]

Disconnect the lower radiator hose and start flushing!

Cover the hose opening with your hand (assuming its cold), let the radiator fill up with the garden hose, then pull your hand off so it can drain out. Keep doing this until the water that comes out is clean. This isn't a complete flush yet but will get you started by cleaning out the bigger chunks.

Don't bother with distilled water and antifreeze until its totally flushed. Once clean flush again with distilled, then do a final 50/50 mix to finalize.

Here's some more info on flushing, including how to drain the engine block. Its going to take some heat cycles, etc to get all of that crud out. Once all of the big chunks are out you can use the radiator drain petcock instead of disconnecting the lower hose.

1FZ-FE engine block drain plug location

 

[BILT4ME]

I opened mine like that, then stuffed a garden hose in every water opening (including the heater cores both directions) and it took 20 minutes with a garden hose to start running clear.

Then I ran (6) distilled water flushes (one per day for 6 consecutive days, driving to work) until it was a clean drain. THEN I added my coolant back to it.

You have the classic red/green mix coolant!

PS: I pulled my thermostat for my flushes as well. I suggest you do the same in order to get out all the chunks!

 

[BILT4ME]

Also, get a new Toyota radiator cap. Mine was so full of crap behind it (all from the PO) that it didn't relieve when needed and it exploded the entire top of the radiator.

 

[Jgunner]

Thanks guys. It had a flush, all of it except the rear heat. Musta been enough leaking through even though ive never used it. I have a delete hose but never put it on. Guess i will be tonight!!

 

[ppc]

Flush? I would not think it was flushed, more likely just a drain and fill. I would be asking for a refund from whom ever did that job.

 

[baldilocks]

Holy mud!!!! Will flushing clear that much crud out?? I had rust in the cooling system of my 93 when I bought it 3 years ago but not quite that thick. After completely over hauling the cooling system and two flushes a couple months apart with blue devil, rust persisted and showed up on my cap and in the recovery tank. Last summer I replaced the copper radiator, that I never should have installed, with oem and did another flush but this time I used Napa brand Mac’s coolant system flush. After putting it in and filling the system with water I ran it at 1500rpm for a couple hours and drove for about one hour then drained and flushed again with distilled water. I filled it with distilled water and yellow long life coolant. That was several months ago and today the recovery tank remains clean and there was a very slight hint of rust particles on the inside of the cap.

My issue was mild compared to the pics you posted and it took a lot to clean it out and it still isn’t perfect, which is why I will flush it with Mac’s again in the spring. Good luck with that mess. Doesn’t it make you want to go back to the PO and have man to man discussion?

 

[FJP971]

Once all of the big chunks are out you can use the radiator drain petcock instead of disconnecting the lower hose.

1FZ-FE engine block drain plug location

OP, good luck with the flush. Now's a good time to refresh hoses too. Zack, am I the only one that has a hell of a time reaching my petcock valve? Is there some kind of trick to it? Mine is located on the driver's side and there are smaller lines, I think ps lines, that are in the way. Sorry for hijack.

 

[OffRoadScott]

@Jgunner and I are local to each other and we were talking about this earlier. What does everyone think of using the vinegar approach to cleaning things up in the radiator too?

I haven't done the vinegar method myself but have read helps cleaning the radiator out. Has anyone else heard the same or anything differently?

 

[scottryana]

I am not sure I would use vinegar but I would use something like the Peak brand flush, but depending on condition you might need to wait for summer since you leave that in with water and run if for sometime and I don't think it has any freeze protection.

@Jgunner and I are local to each other and we were talking about this earlier. What does everyone think of using the vinegar approach to cleaning things up in the radiator too?

I haven't done the vinegar method myself but have read helps cleaning the radiator out. Has anyone else heard the same or anything differently?

 

[Jgunner]

Here is the LL coolant. The cap had the most gunk, the rest seems decent. Getting a flush or two and all new hoses anyways. I replaced the thermostat when i got it and flushed it except rear heat(realized after) so it was flushed, but prob not as good as i should have.

 

[OffRoadScott]

I am not sure I would use vinegar but I would use something like the Peak brand flush, but depending on condition you might need to wait for summer since you leave that in with water and run if for sometime and I don't think it has any freeze protection.

Well, it has been getting cold here in AZ but not to the point where I think @Jgunner would have to worry about his cooling system freezing.

 

[Jgunner]

Im actually going north this weekend in it, i will for sure need freeze protection.

 

[Jgunner]

Flushed the system, it was pretty clean. All new hoses, rear heat delete(thank you to lcp!!!!) new radiator cap(s***s and giggles) and took her wheelin! Sycamore creek was flowing and was muddy, but i had fun. Temp never changed, but it is winter.