Vae Victus
Posting more than I know
Here's the solution after running for about 36 hours.
Little help: flushing coolant / engine block...
- Thread starter crimsonaudio
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GA Architect
SILVER Star
You know, I didn't even think about the benefits of what you are doing, flushing out the "hot dipped" engine block. You'ze a smart one Mr. V!!!!
Below is what the antifreeze looked like after about 50 miles on my new rebuilt engine, once I got it back home. I was none to pleased either, that a good flush wasn't done first, but I'll digress. At 52 miles I had it flushed, and flushed many times, till the water ran clear....Now it has the high dollar Toyota red stuff in it, and it is still red.
Is the Toyota red stuff "OAT" or "HOAT"?
According to these folks only "IAT" is compatible with copper/brass components:
What are the Different Types of Antifreeze and Can I Mix Them?
According to these folks only "IAT" is compatible with copper/brass components:
What are the Different Types of Antifreeze and Can I Mix Them?
Vae Victus
Posting more than I know
Well thanks for the compliment @GA Architect , but I assure you it's not from experience that I felt the necessity to do this. It was just a "That sure is rusty in there!" kind-of-thought.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day, as they say.
I am shocked at how easy it all came together however.
Oh, and that's some nasty looking antifreeze for 50 miles.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day, as they say.
I am shocked at how easy it all came together however.
Oh, and that's some nasty looking antifreeze for 50 miles.
A few years back I thought I'd switch to the same GM orange antifreeze I use in my Sierra. I got my jugs mixed up and grabbed one I'd been using for old motor oil, paint thinner, glue and who knows what else. It was a disaster. I flushed over and over and refilled with the orange but it was too late. That junk mixed with that orange antifreeze and formed a whole new tar like compound that nothing would flush out. I had the radiator rodded out and the shop guys said "WTF was that"? So I put on my flushing system and ran Muriatic acid, scale dissolver and even lacquer thinner but I found nothing would dissolve those tar balls. I finally got the sludge moving with the air and water header I made. I alternated blasts of water then air (180 psi). 2-3 seconds of water then air till the water cleared. It was a quite a violent churning action in there. I literally did this for two 8 hour days. I'd get clear water for 2 to 4 blasts then a few more tar balls would shoot out and hit in my spaghetti strainer catcher. I kept alternating the inlet and two outlets of the three openings to work stuff loose.
Very unusual circumstances but thought I'd share.
Very unusual circumstances but thought I'd share.
40LandCruising
Anderson
All of these posts are real helpful, if I can't get the crud cleaned out of my 40 via the freeze plugs and drain plug, then I'm going to have to make a pump setup like one of yalls.
C6H12O6
SILVER Star
I tried a low-tech version of the fancy @Steamer set up to clean out the engine on my 40. It has been sitting for 20+ years and when I got it, the radiator was empty, and there was a rusty, damp, watery solution of some sort inside the low spots of the block and head. I pulled the water pump, thermostat and housing, and all the hoses and there was quite a bit of rust. Big, chunky pieces of rust in the head and mostly just scaly surface rust in the block.
I hooked up the hose to the heater port at the top of the head and let it the water run out of the front of the engine. I felt like I was making progress until I opened the block drain. Nothing. I finally broke through with a screwdriver and got black sludge. Looks like the PO used some stop leak at some point. I had used compressed air aimed into the front of the head and block while the water was flowing and it seemed to agitate the water quite a bit, so I thought I'd try the shooting the air into the block drain port. Yuck. Black sludge, even after the water had finally started to run clean again. With the air, I'd knocked all sorts of crap out of there. I got a solid few minutes of black-then-grey water pouring out of the front of the block, then it got clean again. Remembering Steamer's on-and-off air treatment, I started aiming the air briefly into the block drain, then away. If I timed it right, I could get big, forceful sloshes of water out of both of the front holes in the engine. With the water came more chunks of rust (some pretty large) and more black sludge. I kept this up until the rusty pieces got small and infrequent and the water stayed clear.
Only question for the experts: how long to I keep this up? It seems there is no end to the rust in there. I have a new water pump, radiator, hoses, heater valve and freshly cleaned everything else. Short of pulling the motor, I think I'm about as close to flushed as I can be, but I'm worried about putting all the new parts in and getting the radiator all plugged up. Any thoughts about when the flush is good enough?
I hooked up the hose to the heater port at the top of the head and let it the water run out of the front of the engine. I felt like I was making progress until I opened the block drain. Nothing. I finally broke through with a screwdriver and got black sludge. Looks like the PO used some stop leak at some point. I had used compressed air aimed into the front of the head and block while the water was flowing and it seemed to agitate the water quite a bit, so I thought I'd try the shooting the air into the block drain port. Yuck. Black sludge, even after the water had finally started to run clean again. With the air, I'd knocked all sorts of crap out of there. I got a solid few minutes of black-then-grey water pouring out of the front of the block, then it got clean again. Remembering Steamer's on-and-off air treatment, I started aiming the air briefly into the block drain, then away. If I timed it right, I could get big, forceful sloshes of water out of both of the front holes in the engine. With the water came more chunks of rust (some pretty large) and more black sludge. I kept this up until the rusty pieces got small and infrequent and the water stayed clear.
Only question for the experts: how long to I keep this up? It seems there is no end to the rust in there. I have a new water pump, radiator, hoses, heater valve and freshly cleaned everything else. Short of pulling the motor, I think I'm about as close to flushed as I can be, but I'm worried about putting all the new parts in and getting the radiator all plugged up. Any thoughts about when the flush is good enough?
Vae Victus
Posting more than I know
Just wanted to say hello to a fellow ham. KE4RUJ here. Not an active hammer at this point but keep 2 Yaesu handhelds charged all the time.
I'll wait for the experts to speak up on this. My one time experience was that you can keep getting rust out forever. I would recommend using straight vinegar and let it sit for several days, or cycle it with a little pump. Other have done a muriatic acid / water mix. But I chose not to do that because it's so toxic.
- Thread starter
- #49
I ran the muriatic acid for about 20 minutes, iirc - at that point the water would run clear when I flushed it. I'm sure there is still some rust in there, but the cooling system has been working flawlessly ever since then.
C6H12O6
SILVER Star
Thanks. I ran a bit of straight vinegar into the head and let it sit for a while, but it wasn't very much and wasn't very long. I should go get a big jug or two and let it go to work, but I agree that I could keep getting rust out forever. I think the size of pieces I'm getting out at this point warrant putting it all back together with the new parts. Short of building some fancy flush plates, I think I'm about as flushed as I'm going to get with the motor all opened up like it is.
After doing a flush, install a Gano filter into the upper radiator hose. Gano Auto Coolant Filter Company I replaced the block on my GM 6.5 diesel a few years ago, and since I had no idea of the cleanliness of the cooling system of the short block I installed a Gano filter. If you get the Gano made from a clear tube you can see the filter screen (the clear tube has held up for at least three years). With the clear tube you can somewhat see the filter screen, depending on the type of anti-freeze you use. The Gano is real good insurance for a cooling system when you have questions about how clean it is. I think somebody on here is why I have this info.
Don
Don
