Cooling Sludge

[jcope]

Hi, all. Flush time for the Land Cruiser I've had for a month. Wanted to check with you on the "sludge" I keep reading about. What I see is not grey but yellow-white. See pics. I assume this indicates that it's time to have the cooling system cleaned out by professionals. But hopefully it's nothing else. Seem right?

What's in the bottom of the overflow tank looks more grey.

Sorry for the mis-spelling in the title.

 

[BlackLS1]

is that oil in the cooling system i see? i hope its not a headgasket issue.

 

[half k cruiser]

That does look strangely like coolant/oil mix. Better look under your oil filler cap. Also when you get done flushing the system you may want to try adding some extra grounds to your system, this may be a problem with electrolysis.

 

[jcope]

is that oil in the cooling system i see? i hope its not a headgasket issue.

Maybe you're seeing a shadow. I didn't see any oil in the coolant I drained out. No sheen. Not to say there is none there, but I was watching for oil and didn't see any.

 

[jcope]

There's nothing under the filler cap except oil.

 

[maat]

Head gasket, sorry

 

[half k cruiser]

Maybe you're seeing a shadow. I didn't see any oil in the coolant I drained out. No sheen. Not to say there is none there, but I was watching for oil and didn't see any.

When coolant and oil mix it looks almost identical to what you had on your finger there. They don't really separate out like oil and water do. You may want to rent a test kit from the parts store before you spend a bunch of money on flush and new coolant.

 

[jcope]

Thanks guys. I'm now researching the head gasket thing.

I honestly don't think that's it though. My oil is clear on the dipstick and under the cap. Exhaust smells fine. When I drained the coolant there was no oil in it. The running temperature has been fine, the engine runs great. I've lost no coolant in driving. Haven't burnt any oil that I've noticed.

Maybe I'm just wishing. There are other tests, of course.

The white stuff on my finger wasn't the coolant, but the scale that had settled on the top fins. It's pasty and not the least bit oily. It's kind of like clay or like corn starch when you get it wet.

Everyone has described it as gray, but I've got a white color.

 

[94SRUNNER]

From what you describe, it doesn't sound like the HG. You need to start by thoroughly flushing your coolant system. You may even want to have the radiator cleaned professonally if not completely replacing it depending on its overall condition.

 

[jcope]

From what you describe, it doesn't sound like the HG. You need to start by thoroughly flushing your coolant system. You may even want to have the radiator cleaned professonally if not completely replacing it depending on its overall condition.

I have my fingers crossed on the head gasket.

That pasty stuff is what was left behind after I did my own flush. I pretty sure home water pressure is not going to clean that stuff out.

So my plan is this:
1) Finish the damn PHH job tomorrow. The upper clamp is hugged up against the engine so I can't get a grip on it.
2) Fill the cooling system with distilled water. Leave the red coolant out.
3) Get it to a radiator shop for a real cleaning, this week hopefully, and let them put the red stuff in.
4) Start checking more carefully for head gasket indicators

I don't think a few miles of running on straight water should cause any problems, should it?

 

[western flyer]

Corrosion starts setting up pretty fast with straight distilled water. I would not leave it in there for more than a few hours (not days). I killed a radiator this way a couple decades ago.

 

[Tools R Us]

Looks like old, neglected coolant to me. How long did you flush it, did you use full hose pressure, reverse flush the radiator so water is coming out the cap hole? I have been acid flushing any radiators that I have had out, does a great job of cleaning that stuff up.

 

[jcope]

I'm getting the impression the previous owner wasn't big on maintenance. Or he thought he had a maintenance proof vehicle. He didn't drive it hard, I'm pretty sure. Everything is intact, but it's all just been allowed to age.

So yeah, just like all the hoses and belts were original, I wouldn't be surprised if the coolant was pretty old. Not sure it could be original though.

I backflushed it, but not full pressure. Trying not to flood the garage. Now that I have the hoses changed, I can do it again outside. I kept flushing it until it ran clear. Maybe I should give it another run before I button it up.

 

[jcope]

So I finished the F*****G PHH, buttoned things back up, and flushed the system again, this time with full water pressure.

I'm happy to report that seemed to scour all that stuff out of the radiator, and looking down into the top it was perfectly clean, free of deposits, no kind of discoloration. I felt like sticking a straw down in there and having a drink, because it was freaking hot today.

Now that I can't see any sludge in that one tiny spot, I feel confident concluding that there is none anywhere else in the system. Out of sight, out of mind.

Actually I do feel the urgency is off the professional radiator cleaning now. It will have to be done sometime, I guess, but I need to get a few other baseline jobs done in the weeks to come.

Wish I was a more practiced mechanic. These things are taking me so much time. On the other hand, I'm getting more intimate with the Land Cruiser than I have most of my girlfriends, which give me a lot of confidence driving it.