radiator dirt

[even_u]

Had an overheating issue recently, and the fluid that came out were bronze colored. Opening the cap revealed this paste-like consistency (molycote like) dirt at the top of the radiator shown on the picture.
Was worried that a head gasket could be damaged, but there is no water in the oil.

I flushed the radiator yesterday and drove about 10km and when opening the radiator today, the same dirt is present again.
Anyone seen something similar?

[six-tee-nine]

Never seen stuff like that.

Mostly brown stuff  comes from rust from the engine block. Oil and water dont mix so it wont form a paste like that in a cooling system.
I can imagine that your rad is clogged up with that goop in it.

If I were you, id be pulling all hoses, pump and other things to flush the engine block with for instance a garden hose.
Get your rad boiled out or take it to a radiator repair centre to see what they can do about it to try and save it.

If your block is gooped up like that you arent done yet. might need to pull the heads to get that stuff out of the channels.

Sorry for the bad news but better fix it right now before you ruin your engine because it cant cool right.

[even_u]

Thanks for reply

The engine was rebuildt last year. Block was dipped in acid so that was clean.
Better pull the radiator out to check it thoroughly. Then maybe replace it.

When flushing, the water was flowing easliy through the radiator. So guess it cant be that clogged up?

[tan top]

Never seen stuff like that.

Mostly brown stuff  comes from rust from the engine block. Oil and water dont mix so it wont form a paste like that in a cooling system.
I can imagine that your rad is clogged up with that goop in it.

If I were you, id be pulling all hoses, pump and other things to flush the engine block with for instance a garden hose.
Get your rad boiled out or take it to a radiator repair centre to see what they can do about it to try and save it.

If your block is gooped up like that you arent done yet. might need to pull the heads to get that stuff out of the channels.

Sorry for the bad news but better fix it right now before you ruin your engine because it cant cool right.

that stuff don't necessarily mean head gasket & you don't have to have oil in water either to have a blown head gasket

I've seen that before lots of times ,  on poorly maintained cooling systems ,   & or   used engine blocks that have sat around empty with the water ways going rusty & or previously over heated block with  unmaintained cooling system  ,its the rust turns in to a powered / dust ,   sometimes  owners get all the machining done , but cut corners & don't get it  chemically hot tanked first ,  soon as your cooling system is filled , power becomes paste , & blocks radiators heater cores  etc ,

[Pete in NH]

Hi,

WOW! That sure looks like a load of rust in there and a good example of why you should never run plain water in a cooling system. A 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze keeps that kind of thing from happening.

Many years ago my dad bought a 2 year old 65 Chrysler Newport that some one had run plain water in and the cooling system was filled with muddy brown water. We flushed and cleaning but never got it back to normal. It was cleaner but never clean. One thing that did help if they still make it was a two part acid and neutralizer cooling system flush. But I have to say that even that Newport didn't look anywhere near as rusty as the pictures you posted. As others have posted that kind of rust is going to clog up the heater core and radiator as well as really limit the heat transfer out of the engine until you get most of it out of there. That stuff is likely coming off all the internal block surfaces of the cooling passages, I'm not sure how you can clean that up. Which was the same issue we had with that old Newport.

[Paul G]

If an automatic trans check your trans fluid. Make sure the tranny cooler in the rad is not leaking.

[A383Wing]

don't care if the engine was rebuilt yesterday...all that goop is in yer engine & heater core as well....you better flush it all out

[JB400]

I'm shocked.  Hasn't anyone seen a radiator with that much stop leak in it?  I go to car auctions quite a bit, and that is what they use to fix Cadillacs.

You're best bet is to pull the radiator, pull your hoses and thermostat housing and flush everything out.

[Cooter]

Got one like that in the shop right now. See it all the time. People just don't think about servicing the cooling system till too late. You might get all that out and you might not.

[Dmichels]

Prestone used to make a cleaner

It was also sold under Prestone P/N AS100 Heavy Duty Cooling System Cleaner

This was the good 2 part cleaner that worked

It is not made anymore but these are the components.

9 dry oz of Oxalic Acid (DAP Wood Bleach)
2 dry oz of Sodium Carbonate (Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda)

Drain the old anti freeze out
fill with water and the Oxalic Acid (carfull bad stuf so not breath dust)
run car for an hour or so with the heat on
drain fill with water again and put in the sodium carbonate to  nertrilize any remaining acid
drain again and refill with antifreeze

This works great but it may open up other problems
Dave

[ws23rt]

Prestone used to make a cleaner

It was also sold under Prestone P/N AS100 Heavy Duty Cooling System Cleaner

This was the good 2 part cleaner that worked

It is not made anymore but these are the components.

9 dry oz of Oxalic Acid (DAP Wood Bleach)
2 dry oz of Sodium Carbonate (Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda)

This works great but it may open up other problems
Dave

I am always interested in old school stuff that worked well and was do it yourself.  The green meanies took a lot of that stuff off the market to save us from ourselves.

The other problems that it may open up have been addressed on this topic. Such as a plug in the system by gunk that may be opened by the cleaning effort

My interest is in getting the crap out and if it opens a weak point in the system so be it. (I want to know)

Also It would be good to know if a follow up neutralizing  flush of something would be advised to X out the aggressive cleaning of the first process?

[A383Wing]

the old Prestone flush was a 2 part system....part 1 to flush it all out, hopefully.....step 2 was the after-flush or neutralizer portion.....it really did work well back in the day...I used it often on cars when you could find it

[ws23rt]

the old Prestone flush was a 2 part system....part 1 to flush it all out, hopefully.....step 2 was the after-flush or neutralizer portion.....it really did work well back in the day...I used it often on cars when you could find it

Thanks that helps

[Dmichels]

Prestone used to make a cleaner

It was also sold under Prestone P/N AS100 Heavy Duty Cooling System Cleaner

This was the good 2 part cleaner that worked

It is not made anymore but these are the components.

9 dry oz of Oxalic Acid (DAP Wood Bleach)
2 dry oz of Sodium Carbonate (Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda)

This works great but it may open up other problems
Dave

I am always interested in old school stuff that worked well and was do it yourself.  The green meanies took a lot of that stuff off the market to save us from ourselves.

The other problems that it may open up have been addressed on this topic. Such as a plug in the system by gunk that may be opened by the cleaning effort

My interest is in getting the crap out and if it opens a weak point in the system so be it. (I want to know)

Also It would be good to know if a follow up neutralizing  flush of something would be advised to X out the aggressive cleaning of the first process?

I should have also gave you the instructions
Drain the old anti freeze out
fill with water and the Oxalic Acid (carfull bad stuf so not breath dust)
run car for an hour or so with the heat on
drain fill with water again and put in the sodium carbonate to  nertrilize any remaining acid
drain again and refill with antifreeze
The BB Chrysler cooling system is quote large you may want to double up Just keep the ratio the same.
I imagine yours is going to take a few treatmants

[six-tee-nine]

What I see all the time in the industrial equipment buisiness is the fact that instead of reporting coolant leaks to us so we can fix them they just add water.
No they dont add coolant liquid, just plain water. just had a qlient recently with a fully clogged up radiator from chalk. only from adding many gallons of water into the system all the time. The radiator flowed freely so it seemed. Under light engine load it ran fine, but when the engine was pushed to the max for over 15 mins it overheated.

Too many people think that when a cooling system is leakfree and the engine does'nt run hot its maintenace free.....