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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 10:27:21 GMT -5
Guys I got a car question It will be hard to diagnose over the computer But I’ve asked a lots of folks and haven’t got an answer
Its 93’ Celica. I got it used about 3 years ago. Nice car. The car was parked for 5 years. Low mileage. The radiator was sludge when I got it. & I flushed it out.
After 6 months with the car I had to have the freeze plugs replaced. They were rusted through. Major job. I figured then that the coolant system was clean. Wrong!
Over the course of the next 1 1/2 years I’ve had the radiator flushed at least 2 more times for rust. It never sleeps!
Well this time I’m doing the flush. I’ve just ran 2 cans of Prestone flush through it over the course of 4 days. 1 can then flush. Then I added another can of Prestone flush. I run the car with the heater on. The heater doesn’t work. Anyway both flushes still indicate rust. But I to call it quits add the anti- freeze and button it up. Its obviously pretty clean.
My question is: Where is this rust coming from? My guess is the heater core. any other ideas?
Rust never sleeps mostly
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spiritstone
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2014
Posts: 2,061
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 27, 2014 10:44:36 GMT -5
Are you or have you ever found any water mixed in with the oil after a change.
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 11:13:31 GMT -5
good question spiritstone ! luckily I don't have that problem!
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spiritstone
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Member since August 2014
Posts: 2,061
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 27, 2014 11:26:01 GMT -5
Do you have a thermostat and when was it changed last? I had thought maybe a crack in the engine block, but no water. That eliminates this idea. What mix ratio are you running in the cooling system. May not be enough of a antifreeze mix-rust inhibitor.
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 11:44:16 GMT -5
right on spiritstonethe thermostat was changed when the freeze plugs were replaced about 2 years ago about a year later ( 9 months ago) that thermostat went bad from rust again. The car over heated at am inopportune time. I was planning on going to rock show about 200 miles away Anyway I got that thermostat replaced and the system flushed. Here its is 9 months later and still full of rust Anyway I think I got the rust slowed way down ! Waiting for the car to cool down, flush & add anti freeze. That is if it the flush runs clean If not… I might do another can of Prestone flush...
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spiritstone
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2014
Posts: 2,061
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 27, 2014 11:54:39 GMT -5
Try running a mixture of what we keep in them up north it wont hurt them. At least a min for -30 Celcius. That may stop the rust.
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 12:31:04 GMT -5
well I buttoned it up pretty mild winters in Phoenix so I don't expect a problem by summer - which comes very quick- I may have to do it agrin
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 27, 2014 12:44:18 GMT -5
Sounds like your engine is eating itself up from the inside out. 2 things you can try. 1st, there are zinc pieces that can be installed in the cooling system. Electrolytic action will eat the zinc, instead of cast iron engine block. 2nd thing to try is using distilled water in your cooling system. There may be enough minerals in your local water to cause a chemical reaction with the iron & steel parts of your engine.
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 12:48:24 GMT -5
great idea on both account Don ! I really like electrolytic action idea ! some guy told me to ground my radiator to the battery it didn't make a lot a sense to me being that its an aluminum radiator
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2014 12:50:50 GMT -5
once there is rust, a flush will never flush 100% of the rust out. In fact, the harsh chemicals in the flush must be rinsed out maybe two or three times to make sure they dont eat your radiator out.
Don't worry about the rust and try a radiator fluid called "water wetter". It is better at cooling than "antifreeze" and seems to hold back the rust. "anti-freeze" is really meant for northern climes but inexpclicably became the norm for the entire nation.
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bhiatt
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2012
Posts: 1,532
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Post by bhiatt on Oct 27, 2014 12:55:33 GMT -5
A few things come to mind. The sludge has built up most likely at the bottom because it is heavier and hardened to the inside of the radiator which you may not be able to get off. You cant see inside the radiator but I bet it is still there. The sludge is broken down fluid. Rust and sludge are buddies when it comes to radiators. You can check the the heater core lines with one of them digital thermometers that you point the red beam at. You can tell if heat is cycling through or not.
You can flush the heater core lines just with a water hose but in some cases it may not work if to far gone. That sludge and rust in radiator damages more than just the radiator. If your radiator is full of rust you will be able to flush only the surface flakes and the rust still will be in there when you flush again later down the road.
Keeping the radiator filled to the top is a big deal. Once you get that void in there, steam is created and damage done. Then the rust flakes off and into your heater core. Another headache.
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 12:56:36 GMT -5
right on Scott I want some of the that 'water wetter' for my cabbing machine
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 13:04:35 GMT -5
A few things come to mind. The sludge has built up most likely at the bottom because it is heavier and hardened to the inside of the radiator which you may not be able to get off. You cant see inside the radiator but I bet it is still there. The sludge is broken down fluid. Rust and sludge are buddies when it comes to radiators. You can check the the heater core lines with one of them digital thermometers that you point the red beam at. You can tell if heat is cycling through or not. You can flush the heater core lines just with a water hose but in some cases it may not work if to far gone. That sludge and rust in radiator damages more than just the radiator. If your radiator is full of rust you will be able to flush only the surface flakes and the rust still will be in there when you flush again later down the road. Keeping the radiator filled to the top is a big deal. Once you get that void in there, steam is created and damage done. Then the rust flakes off and into your heater core. Another headache. that makes the most sense dude ! I probably need a new radiator I like the idea of flushing out the heater core I recall 40 years ago hooking up a water hose to the heater core hoses and flushing it out on my 71 Mustang It was endless stream of major rust it was pretty simple set up on that car getting to the heater core lines are a bit more difficult on this car. thanks for the input !!!
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 13:11:29 GMT -5
and what I keep thinking is going to happen disturb the rust and spring a leak somewhere ha ha the guy told me at the auto parts store to think positive but experience teaches that positive & negative only works on battery its a 50/50 chance with the odds usually not in my favor 93% of the time mostly
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bhiatt
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2012
Posts: 1,532
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Post by bhiatt on Oct 27, 2014 13:33:15 GMT -5
yeah the older generation of cars are much easier to do self maintenance on than newer generation. Ive gotten pretty good with the newer stuff. Biggest thing I have learned is to check the simple stuff first like the sensors. There are I think nine sensors to a engine.
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 14:20:15 GMT -5
yep allot could be done with set of sockets, screwdriver and hammer on those older cars lots of room to work under the hood in hindsight
with the advent of technology and front wheel drive placement engines that's what really throws me everything is so well packed in there
one time I just cleaned a wire for a fuel/ air mixture electronic devise on a 2000 Le Sabre
that saved me big time bucks if I had brought it to the shop we got the error code from stepping on the brake pedal and counting the number of blinker flashes something like that from a Haynes book found the part and cleaned the wire made a huge difference
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,680
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 27, 2014 15:10:08 GMT -5
Also remember if your heater core is shot,you will smell coolant inside the car...Those boogers now days are hell to change out too!!! Thumbs down.. Yes sir try a new radiator............
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,680
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 27, 2014 15:13:43 GMT -5
If you want to go used first to make sure it is the radiator,try these guys out..They are in your area and are honest and top notch in my book!!!!! They will answer questions too.....Been dealing with these guys forever.. www.dvap.com/
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Post by mohs on Oct 27, 2014 16:20:54 GMT -5
Hey Mike ! Deer Valley cool I do lots rock hounding out there there is a radiator shop at 59 Ave & Glendale been there for 40 years at least their sign states:
Best Place in Town to Take a Leak been meaning to take a picture
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 28, 2014 22:25:44 GMT -5
Best place to steal a mirror?
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