Rusty coolant explosion

[other_shoe]

About two months ago, my thermostat seized and the overflow container puked rusty coolant all over my engine compartment. I've done a light washing of the area, but I'm reluctant to take a soapy sponge or brush to it for fear of provoking electrical problems. However, I just remembered that in the 1980s I regularly used the "engine cleaner" setting at the spray and wash with no problem other than occasionally having to wipe the inside of the distributor cap. I guess that went away with more electronics under the hood.

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on cleaning under the hood in a relatively stock classic.

 

[KStang65B]

Warm up engine.

Wrap and tape any openings that can let water into the engine (carb, breather, dipstick, distributer, etc).

Spray everything down with simple green. Take a big, long handled sloppy brush and brush everything good.

Rinse and repeat where necessary.

 

[j69302]

Be careful, simple green can cause corrosion on aluminum parts.

 

[Bitter]

I'd warm the engine, spray it down with Engine Brite, let it cool, then hose it down. That's what we did back in those days with no ill effects.

 

[other_shoe]

Thanks to both of you.

I've seen what Simple Green and some of the others can do to aluminum and won't be using it for this application since the performer intake is one of the parts that got heavily splattered. I may try Dawn since it is fairly effective on grease and such.

 

[j69302]

Ive used the spray brake cleaner on my intake. works real good but it takes a whole can since you kind of have to sweep it with the spray.. but it gets it nice and clean.. obviously again be careful cause it like to take paint off as well.

 

[Az Pete]

Dawn works good and also, I have tried a product called Awesome.....from the dollar stores. Mixed 50/50, it seems to cut the grease good. Sprayed it on a cold engine and hosed it off and the results of a recent oil leak were gone. I have not tested it on aluminum to see what it does.

 

[Max Power]

While you are in there, flush the cooling system....LOL. You shouldn't have rusty coolant. It's 101, right there with oil changes.

 

[npg3]

Dish soap (Dawn, etc) or Laundry detergent (grease on clothes)...I used to use Tide in the 80's. You need that phosporous or a phosphate group...I phorgot It cuts grease well, but I think it may be banned to use now...environment? Not sure. Simple Green, Awesome, Krud Kutter...dilute solutions work well.

 

[other_shoe]

While you are in there, flush the cooling system....LOL. You shouldn't have rusty coolant. It's 101, right there with oil changes.

It looked nice a green in the aftermarket overflow bottle until it overheated, but it certainly was old enough that the rust inhibitors may have ceased to work with the rust breaking free as the coolant overheated.

I've drained the coolant, but I need to get/find another bypass hose to make the Prestone flush kit work. Right now I don't have the heater in the cooling circuit, and I think it would be better to flush it without running any debris through the heater and new radiator.

I'm changing the oil and transmission fluid too since I can't imagine they benefited from being overheated. The head gaskets appear to have held -- knocks wood.

 

[other_shoe]

Actually, now that I think about it, I don't know or have forgotten how often you should replace the coolant in cars of this vintage.

What is the prevailing wisdom?

 

[Max Power]

Actually, now that I think about it, I don't know or have forgotten how often you should replace the coolant in cars of this vintage.

What is the prevailing wisdom?

Every 2-3 years, depending on use and climate.

Unless you have a sealed system, what is in the overflow is not representative of what is in the rest of the system. It never moves.

Being in the northern rust belt, I have always bought my fun cars out west. If there is anything that is really consistant it's the californians don't pay attention to their cooling systems and often just run water. Every car I ever bought from there had heater core and frost plug issues, and the frost plug that blows is always the one behind the motor mount...LOL!

 

[other_shoe]

Thanks, MP.

It had probably been twice that long. And I certainly got used to thinking about coolant from a default position of a sealed system with my daily driver.

I am just going to keep telling myself that if the plug behind the motor mount blows, it's an opportunity to put in the correct mounts for the 67 convertible and eliminate the ugly tilt to my engine.