Thread: Coolant sludge - why??

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Originally Posted by 34_40

Actually, to make rust, you need AIR. Water alone will not make rust. An example would be deep sea wrecks that are wooden and are still there centuries later. Even wrecks in the great lakes are very well preserved because the water is very cold and deep with low oxygen contents.

I'm assuming that your radiator elevation rises (when hot) and falls (when cold). It's this headspace where the falling coolant can trap air into the coolant which gets left in the block. The air/water combo is what's attacking the bare metal. I'm wondering if the "catch-can" is to low and allowing an air pocket to develop. And now that you mention it, I'm wondering about my own car. I'm not worried as the cast iron will be along time before a catastrophic failure, but still.

Great topic Dave! Now my mind is curious!

What you are describing, Mike, is free oxygen, that is molecules of entrained oxygen(air!) that is not part of the H2O combination. In the case of an automobile cooling system, it's a closed system, opened only when you check the coolant level or boil some of it into the overflow vessel(15psig). It can also happen if the water pump cavitates - but that usually wont happen unless the water level has gotten too low Boiling has happened only once to me - two years ago and that was because I didn't have the fan wired correctly and was fixed immediately after cool down. As far as my overflow/catch can - it's pretty high plus a good size compared to many. I did move it from one side to the other recently, but it's at about the same height.

Another plus with using antifreeze is that it does contain anti corrosives, water wetting agents, raises the boiling point a few degrees.

This is my coolant recovery system:

Originally Posted by IC2

What you are describing, Mike, is free oxygen, that is molecules of entrained oxygen(air!) that is not part of the H2O combination. In the case of an automobile cooling system, it's a closed system, opened only when you check the coolant level or boil some of it into the overflow vessel(15psig). It can also happen if the water pump cavitates - but that usually wont happen unless the water level has gotten too low Boiling has happened only once to me - two years ago and that was because I didn't have the fan wired correctly and was fixed immediately after cool down. As far as my overflow/catch can - it's pretty high plus a good size compared to many. I did move it from one side to the other recently, but it's at about the same height.

Another plus with using antifreeze is that it does contain anti corrosives, water wetting agents, raises the boiling point a few degrees.

This is my coolant recovery system:

Like I said Dave, to make rust, it takes air. Yes, free O2. Not part of the H20. All Tap water contains a level of entrained O2. And yes, the water pump can cause cavitation in the coolant and actually causes the O2 in the coolant to explode. With 25 years in water and wastewater treatment, I know those are the facts! The catch can thought was just that, a HMmmmmm I wonder moment out loud. Fluids seek their own level so I had a thought flash through the brain.

I know on my car the radiator fill is set into the side of the top tank. The very center of the top tank has always made me wonder how full the closed system is. It looks like your radiator is the same.

I'm not really concerned like I said earlier. The cast iron will probably outlive me and most of my family. But like you I'm wondering what's at the bottom of my block and will have to investigate.

Originally Posted by 34_40

. The cast iron will probably outlive me and most of my family. But like you I'm wondering what's at the bottom of my block and will have to investigate.

Might be time to pull those Loc Tite covered pipe plugs and it will be a good time to install petcocks. The drains on a Ford are just below spark plugs 1 and 8.

As far as some space in the radiator tank - I would imagine that there is some built in for heated water expansion as you don't really want to lift that radiator cap every time you shut that iron engine down, putting water/coolant at over the atmospheric boiling point into the recovery tank - it becomes steam and will escape. A 15 psig cap moves the boiling point at sea level to close to 250*F

Originally Posted by IC2

Might be time to pull those Loc Tite covered pipe plugs and it will be a good time to install petcocks. The drains on a Ford are just below spark plugs 1 and 8.

And that's probably what's going to happen! Dependant on what's found inside, I'll decide on what to re-install. I was just thinking that mine had been filled with a 50/50 mix of Peak anti-freeze and well water. I know my well water has a high iron content anyway, HMmmmmm...

Originally Posted by 34_40

And that's probably what's going to happen! Dependant on what's found inside, I'll decide on what to re-install. I was just thinking that mine had been filled with a 50/50 mix of Peak anti-freeze and well water. I know my well water has a high iron content anyway, HMmmmmm...

Distilled water at Wally World is 82 cents a gallon. You will need two gallons. 1/4" npt petcocks at Advance/Auto Zone are $3.48 each. I use the distilled as we had high calcium content water - what it is now from the Hudson instead of the towns wells, no clue.

Originally Posted by IC2

Distilled water at Wally World is 82 cents a gallon. You will need two gallons. 1/4" npt petcocks at Advance/Auto Zone are $3.48 each. I use the distilled as we had high calcium content water - what it is now from the Hudson instead of the towns wells, no clue.

Thanks for the parts list!

Regarding your drinking water, Federal law says your to recieve a water quality report showing what in the water or what's been added to it. Also to be included is any limit violations / exceedences for the previous 12 months.

But then it also says the federal gov't. is to create / implement an annual budget right?

Originally Posted by 34_40

Thanks for the parts list!

Regarding your drinking water, Federal law says your to recieve a water quality report showing what in the water or what's been added to it. Also to be included is any limit violations / exceedences for the previous 12 months.

But then it also says the federal gov't. is to create / implement an annual budget right?

We get the annual report plus it is on-line .

And that US Budget -