Help, Orange Sludge In Radiator!

Ok dude. From here I think its just junk in the block. Whether it be rust or old coolant rust combo. Either way I don't think its oil. Most times if it is oil or auto trans fluid it makes the hoses all greasy on the outside. I think the coolant is breaking the crap loose in the coolant passages of the block. You will NEVER get it all or even most with water. Run some cooling system flush from the auto parts with some coolant/water mix. Run it for more than a few minutes. A few days. Open the drain and put your garden hose in the radiator fill hole. Run clean water in while the engine is running and let the drain open while you do it. SO engine running, cap off water going in, drain open. Do this for a bit. Shut it down, drain it and fill it with flush and coolant/water mix again. Run a few more days. Flush it again with water and add coolant/water mix without flush kit. Drive it and forget about it. It will almost never be pretty again but it wont be sludge.

Now I know this is from a GM TSB, but it has worked for me in the past. If you use Wood Bleach and Washing Soda ( NOT BAKING SODA). Do a google search for 99-06-02-012D, it's a GM service procedure for fixing the sludgy/coagulated coolant problem caused by their DexCool crap I used in my Cadillac for years. The flush they call for is no longer widely available, but powdered wood bleach (available at some Ace hardware stores, and probably other places) and washing soda (I found Arm & Hammer brand) are the ingredients they call for. Dunno if they still sell it under "GM Heavy Duty Cooling System Cleaner (P/N: 88861344)"

You can also try to flush it with some dishwasher soap-Cascade Powered Electric Dish washing detergent- (NOT dish washing soap, you understand, but non-sudsy soap that goes in the dishwasher) first to take out any oils and let the acid flush work. Take about 3 cups of Cascade powered dishwasher detergent and dilute this in distilled water. Pour the mixture into the radiator and fill it until it is full....start the engine with the cap off the radiator and continue filling the radiator as the air leave the system. Then drain this mixture the next morning....again via the lower radiator hose, and you would be amazed at the sludge and crud that comes out. The last rinse is a fill of distilled water and run it for a day to rinse the system.


Good Luck.