Sludge in radiator cap
#11
06-20-2019, 12:44 PM
It's been a couple hundred miles since I filled up my radiator and well, I guess there wasn't a leak - the gauge reads cool and coolant level is holding steady.
Nevertheless I bought four gallons of distilled water to flush and get the sludgy stuff out. I found the petcock, white plastic thing but couldn't turn it. Read here it was better anyway to pull the lower hose off the radiator, but could not get at the clamp so that was the end of that project. Later I read you have buy a clamp tool and then remove the battery and maybe the battery tray(?) to get the tool on the clamp. To fully flush you have to do this removal/replacement 3-4 times, running the car in between each time.
Tell me there is a better way!
Nevertheless I bought four gallons of distilled water to flush and get the sludgy stuff out. I found the petcock, white plastic thing but couldn't turn it. Read here it was better anyway to pull the lower hose off the radiator, but could not get at the clamp so that was the end of that project. Later I read you have buy a clamp tool and then remove the battery and maybe the battery tray(?) to get the tool on the clamp. To fully flush you have to do this removal/replacement 3-4 times, running the car in between each time.
Tell me there is a better way!
If You cannot access the clamp neither from top nor bottom, You may cut it with a dremel tool (be careful not to damage the hose itself, and then apply a new one.
Last edited by Mike.308; 06-20-2019 at 12:46 PM.
Remove the upper part of the fan shroud.
#16
03-13-2020, 04:34 PM
Despite all the great ideas I did no flushing. After six months I saw the temp needle back at 230 deg so I added water to the radiator, maybe a quart or more. Everything went fine till I checked last month and the radiator took a pint or more. I ran the heater and looked underneath but no dripping,
I don't mind adding a quart of water every six months but not if it's going into the oil. I bought a case of synthetic and I'd like to replace the dino but not if the water is going down there, As of today the dip stick oil looks nice and clean and golden but I'm not sure if that's a large enough sample to test. What is a way to get better assurance that my oil is still 100% oil?
I don't mind adding a quart of water every six months but not if it's going into the oil. I bought a case of synthetic and I'd like to replace the dino but not if the water is going down there, As of today the dip stick oil looks nice and clean and golden but I'm not sure if that's a large enough sample to test. What is a way to get better assurance that my oil is still 100% oil?
#18
03-14-2020, 03:04 AM
I'd drop the content of the oil pan to a transparent vessel. Water is heavier than oil so it either develop the layers or you will see that thick matter of mixing oil and water.
The main concern is that the heads are flat and the head gaskets / LIM gaskets are not leaking. If it looses via the fitting, let it be....
The main concern is that the heads are flat and the head gaskets / LIM gaskets are not leaking. If it looses via the fitting, let it be....
