Help, Orange Sludge In Radiator!

[flashback87]

hey guys,

i have been able to drive my car twice with the new/used explore engine it it. both times i have fround orange sludge in the radiator. the first time there was not much but the second time there was more. i just took the pics and this was after the second drive. i have only driven it twice, so the t stat has only opened those 2 times. the car runs at about 205 on the temp gauage. i did not change the tstat so i don't know what the explorer t stat is set at to open.

do you think this is rust or something else?

what, are my options? if a radiator flush, does anyone have good instructions on how to perform?

the explorer block is out of a 2000. i did not remove the heads when i put it in but i replaced lower intake gasket, valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, timin cover gasket, upper intake gasket, header gasket

thanks,

 

[Noobz347]

That looks like a mixture of two incompatible anti-freeze types.

Drain and flush it. Then flush it some more. Then flush it some more. Then flush it again.

After that, get some radiator flush from the parts store and guess what? Follow the instructions on the can for flushing.

Refill with 50/50 GREEN. Not the cheapo parts store brand... Use a name brand, and stick with that name brand. Always ensure that you're using the correct fluid. You can't go by just the color of it anymore because there are jackass companies out there that don't like to follow the color code.

It's usually the generic parts store brands that cause these kinds of problems. I've seen green Dex-Cool and orange anti-freeze and even bottles of crap that say right on the bottle that they're compatible with all.

When you mix Dex-Cool and the regular stuff, it gels like what you have in your pics there.

 

[flashback87]

That looks like a mixture of two incompatible anti-freeze types.

Drain and flush it. Then flush it some more. Then flush it some more. Then flush it again.

After that, get some radiator flush from the parts store and guess what? Follow the instructions on the can for flushing.

Refill with 50/50 GREEN. Not the cheapo parts store brand... Use a name brand, and stick with that name brand. Always ensure that you're using the correct fluid. You can't go by just the color of it anymore because there are jackass companies out there that don't like to follow the color code.

It's usually the generic parts store brands that cause these kinds of problems. I've seen green Dex-Cool and orange anti-freeze and even bottles of crap that say right on the bottle that they're compatible with all.

When you mix Dex-Cool and the regular stuff, it gels like what you have in your pics there.

thanks, before i b.put the motor in i am pretty sure all the coolant was out of the block. i used 50/50 prestone green anti freeze to fill it when i put the explorer mottor in the engine bay. i used 2 jugs of that. i then topped it off with the cooland i drained from my radiator before i pulled my old mustang motor. that was also 50/50 green prestone.

so i don't think any different types and brands of antifreeze mixed?

do you think it is oil? my oil looks fine

thanks!

 

[Noobz347]

If that's oil, there sure is an awful lot of it.

...and you got more problems than a drain and flush.

 

[tca7291]

That looks pretty bad. I would deff drain, pull the thermostat out, break out the garden hose and start flushing and draining until it starts coming out clean. I would start by pulling your lower radiator hose off and flushing the radiator, then go through the upper to force the clean water through the block. BTW, make sure your engine is cold when you do this!!!! After that, replace hoses, leave the t-stat out, fill with plain water, run engine, drain and repeat until everything looks clean. At that point drain, install new t-stat (your old one is probably gummed up from the looks of it) and refill with your 50/50. It's summertime, so you don't have to worry about the plain water freezing!

 

[tca7291]

Oh yeah, with the new block, there could have been sludge build up from a number of things stuck in the water galleys. A good flush should get it good. Don't think it's oil, that usually looks really milky when mixed with water.

 

[flashback87]

Thanks! Hopefully I can do the flush tonight. I sure hope its not oil.
Should I use one of those flush kits to help clean it out?

I appreciate the help

 

[7991LXnSHO]

A flush kit makes things easier on cars with a straight length of heater hose. Does anyone know of a kit for radiator hose or lines like on the fuel injected 5.0? It seems the twisted hose lines might be a pain to get the T hooked up to.

 

[flashback87]

ok, so i took out the t stat, removed the lower rad hose completly and took the upper off at the radiator but kept it connected at the t stat houseing. i took my garden hose and dumped wahter throgh the upper rad hose. do you think this got the water through the block. i filled up about 3/4 of a large plastic storage bin and it is finally a little clearer but still has a dirty tint to it. How long does it normally take to get it completely flushed out?

also, how can i dispose of all this nasty water?

one more thing, my heater hoses near the firewall were too long and kinking. so i removed the clamp and tried pulling the hose off and the heater hard line came with it out of the firewall so i cut a short piece of hose and connected it to both ends of the hard heater line on the lower intake and secured it with clamps. will this work? i have never had heat before so i don't really care about that. i just don't want coolant spraying everywhere. is there a better way to do this beside replacing the whole heater core?

thanks and i apreciate the help.

 

[91TwighlightGT]

Check your local laws to see about disposal. Some municipalities allow it to be disposed of in the sewer, but not all. Don't dump it in the sewer unless you are sure.

 

[tca7291]

Yeah, sorry, didn't really think about disposal, I grew up in the boonies and that wasn't an issue. Our best bet back then was a tree stump that we didn't want to grow back. As far as your heater core, just connect the inlet and outlet hoses to bypass it, pull the hose off the lower part of the core so it doesn't leak into your interior, and so it can leak any residual coolant out on the outside of your firewall. Yes, flushing through the upper hose and draining through the bottom will flush the whole block, you might at times while flushing make a restriction (kink the lower rad hose) to make sure the the rearward water galleys get flushed well also, really depends on water pressure. As far as time, it really depends on how much build up is in there. At this point I would go ahead and flush the radiator real well also, reconnect everything, leave the t-stat out, and start running the engine with plain water in the cooling system and start draining and refilling every few days until it starts looking clear coming out. At that point, reinstall t-stat and fill with your 50/50.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

DUDE,! sorry to hear about the heater core! That can be really bad news if you do ever want heat. My 4 eyes core would fall out in the passenger's lap after a few screws, but not so on factory AC or later models. Where you spiced the lines is where I'd put the commercially available flush kit and have it drain out of the top of the radiator to power flush it. If you are not happy with the professional radiator flushing chemical product result, How about running some "water wetter" product designed to eliminate corrosion and increase water contact after you flush and flush? It goes by many names, but tractors used it to keep cool for years and Royal Purple has the same type of stuff now. But around here, running around with the tap water only would be asking for major electrolysis and calciul deposits.

 

[flashback87]

Ibought a flush kit and would still like to use it. Is there anywhere else I can hook the T fitting up? What about where the hose fom the water pump goes into the heater hardline on top of lower intake? Or in the loop I made to bypass the heater core at the end of the heater hard lines on the lower intaketoward the firewall? Or anywhere else u guys can think of?

Thanks for all th insight and advice. You guys rock!

 

[Noobz347]

Yeah.... you can enlarge and use that bypass loop you made for your heater core. That would work nicely. Just put the short hose back in when you're done or come up with a more permanent solution.

 

[flashback87]

Ok, I flushed it with the kit and car running twice. Water started looking cleaner so I put T stat and gasket on.
Can I fill the system with straight water and drive it a little? I am having doubts this was caused by rust and crud in the block. I am still nervous its oil. I would hate to put brand new coolant in the car just to pollute it again. If its safe I would like to run straight water for a week or so to see if it pollutes again.

Is this ok or will it ruin something?

Thanks!

 

[tca7291]

You can run straight water for a little bit, just not very long. If you run it in there for a while you will start getting mineral deposits in your radiator, but it would be fine to run it in there for a week or so to help flush the gunk out. I still doubt that it is oil b/c oil doesn't show up orange, it shows up as a milky grey/brown sludge in the radiator. I'm thinking it is what Noobz said, incompatible coolants, i.e. the new block had orange coolant in it, and it had some residual left after the swap. Also, if you're getting oil in the water, then you are probably getting water in the oil also (more common due to blown head gasket).

 

[88LX5.Oh]

Water and oil looks like a chocolate milk shake. Pull the dipstick, if it looks like it was dipped in a milk shake, then maybe you have problems. But I doubt it.

 

[flashback87]

ok , so i have been drive my mustang more (I am quite pleased with the explorer 5.0 swap) and this is what i have been doing after the 2 coolant flushes. i was running straight water and i would run it for a few ride then drain the radiator through the lower hose and then refill. i repeated this process 4-5 times. the water kept getting clearer and on the last time it looked pretty good. so yesterday i put 50/50 prestone green anti freeze in it, i got it up to operating temp once yesterday and twice today. when i took off the radiator cap the orange/brown sludge is back.

i definetly think it is incompatible coolants because i have not lost any oil. I don't know what else i can do to get this stuff out? i flushed it with the car running and t-fitting installed in the heater hose with hose connected twice., then i ran it with straight water draining and refilling multiple times. I am just nervous the person who owned this motor before use that Dexcool stuff and after some research it seem it can do some damage. Or do you think it is just the stock ford coolant that is incompatible with the prestone 50/50? When driving the car it runs good and stays steady at 198 degrees. Can i just keep driving it and clean out the top of the radiator periodically?

sorry to bring this back and the lengthy update. i thought i was good to go after running straight water but the coolant brought back the orange sludge.

thanks for the help!

 

[jibloni]

Sounds like rust maybe in your water jacket but just a possibility.

 

[flashback87]

i thought it was rust until i put the coolant back in. when i ran straight water for the few weeks the water was getting clearer and clearer after i would drain and refill. once i put the cooland back in the sludge appeared again so it seems the cooland is the issue.