Neglected cooling system, severe rust

[The motor guy]

I don't know how it got like this, maybe 25 years and never changed, or just ran with straight water? There's like rust flakes inside the thermostat housing. Engine runs great otherwise, no overheating etc. I did several coolant flushes and I guess there isn't really much else to do other than just drive it and consider it a lesson learned buying used cars in the future. Personally I think it's best to just buy a new vehicle and keep it for 15-20 years.

The cooling system is one of those things that's hard to check unless it's dead cold and usually you go look at a car and they already drove it someolwhere or they drove it to work and you're looking at it on their lunch break etc and I'm not about to spray coolant all over someone's engine bay.

 

[JavierH19]

Iron block? a bit expected. Run more coolant than water and use a rust additive like Rmi25.

 

[CarlB]

Scenarios like that. I just run evaporust and water for a week, then flush.

 

[The motor guy]

Scenarios like that. I just run evaporust and water for a week, then flush.

I just drained and refilled until it the coolant looked the same coming out as it did going in. Was afraid to cause a clog using any type of rust remover.

 

[CarlB]

I just drained and refilled until it the coolant looked the same coming out as it did going in. Was afraid to cause a clog using any type of rust remover.

My fear has been leaving any rust in will just contaminate and cause more rust.

 

[The motor guy]

My fear has been leaving any rust in will just contaminate and cause more rust.

I would have thought that fresh coolant would stop any further rust

 

[eljefino]

You did good. I did the same thing on my iron block cutlass ciera. Just ran water for a day, changed it every day, for a week.

It gets caught in the thermostat because that's a tight spot. Your heater core may have similar issues, might consider a back-flush.

 

[The motor guy]

You did good. I did the same thing on my iron block cutlass ciera. Just ran water for a day, changed it every day, for a week.

It gets caught in the thermostat because that's a tight spot. Your heater core may have similar issues, might consider a back-flush.

Yeah the heater smells horrible when you turn the heat on. Smells like antifreeze, but I've never had to add any. Probably just needs a new one

 

[bullwinkle]

Yeah the heater smells horrible when you turn the heat on. Smells like antifreeze, but I've never had to add any. Probably just needs a new one

If steam comes out or coolant leaks on the floor, it's done. Although, ginger root stop leak has stopped leaking heater cores for me in the past (temporarily).

 

[bullwinkle]

I don't know how it got like this, maybe 25 years and never changed, or just ran with straight water? There's like rust flakes inside the thermostat housing. Engine runs great otherwise, no overheating etc. I did several coolant flushes and I guess there isn't really much else to do other than just drive it and consider it a lesson learned buying used cars in the future. Personally I think it's best to just buy a new vehicle and keep it for 15-20 years.

The cooling system is one of those things that's hard to check unless it's dead cold and usually you go look at a car and they already drove it someolwhere or they drove it to work and you're looking at it on their lunch break etc and I'm not about to spray coolant all over someone's engine bay.

Plumbing in a coolant filter between the heater hoses has helped me in the past-my F-450's actually got full of silicate the first couple times I changed it, after I had the radiator boiled out (brass core, severe neglect, no SCAs, etc., etc.)