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engine coolant flushing
Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 7:08 am
by dalgrae
Advice please I have just removed the front grille/radiator to install the new timing chain but came accross the the same problem for the 3rd time, when I opened the radiator drain tap the coolant was a dark brown colour , yet I have twice flushed the engine and back flushed it with a hose until it ran clear, I have done the same with the radiator but I keep getting this dark rusty coloured water I use an antifreeze that says it has rust inhibitors in it .What else can I do, I have thought of using some cheap Cola in the radiator leaving it for a couple of days and the flushing with water as I have used this method before on certain items .When the head was off some time ago I made sure all the waterways were clear ,I flushed the block through the water passsages until it ran clear.
Any advice would be most welcome
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 8:12 am
by bmcecosse
First advice - never use the drain tap - it may break off! This is general advice for others - your's seems to work ok, at the moment. Just flush with hose - by all means try the cola - but unless you have an overheating problem, don't worry too much about the water colour!
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 11:04 am
by dalgrae
Thanks for the advice I am happy about using the drain taps as I have had them completly apart and lubricated them , I intend to try and find some Bluecol antifreeze unless something else is better that you know of
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2013 6:05 pm
by bmcecosse
I just put in some cheap stuff about 3 years ago... For many years I just had water in there - but it was cold enough then to add a pint of a/freeze.... The secret is to leave the same fluid in if possible - all the dissolved oxygen gets pushed out and the fluid left is nice and neutral..
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:58 am
by dalgrae
Thanks for the advice which I will take up
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:46 am
by M25VAN
and don't buy the readymixed, buy concentrate. You will be paying for them to dilute it for you....
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 1:19 pm
by dalgrae
Thanks for all the advice I now know what to do
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 11:47 am
by David53
Running a hose through doesn't always clear all the crud, even if the water runs clear after a while. Run the engine up to temp for twenty minutes or so with a coolant flushing agent in the system, then drain and run the hose through and if necessary use a flushing agent again. I did this on one of my cars recently and it took two run throughs before it was thoroughly cleaned. Now stays nice and green

Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 6:46 pm
by bmcecosse
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:11 am
by dalgrae
Thanks Roy for the info I had already decided to use Carlite Bonding and not Readymix
Re: engine coolant flushing
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:27 am
by bmcecosse