What are these gelatinous chunks?
So I just got this '71 Buick 455 back together and running after it sitting with the radiator out for 5 years and the heads off for the last year...
In the process, I put in a brand new aluminum radiator with 2 each, 1" cores that's been sitting in a box for a couple of years. New hoses all around...I used to use the Prestone extended life coolant (the orangeish stuff), but in the new system I went back to good old green basic 2-year antifreeze.
After running the engine a couple of times but not driving the car, I drained the coolant to swap the 160* thermostat for a 180* t-stat, and this is what was in the bottom of the bucket o' coolant after I poured it off into jugs to put back into the car:
Chunks of gelatinous "stuff" that will easily turn into an oily jelly between your fingers, along with some small debris. (The dust/dirt in the bucket is from yesterday's West Texas dust storm, yippee.)
Should I be freaking out or not?
I think I'll pull the radiator back out and backflush it with a water hose, just in case...
So I just got this '71 Buick 455 back together and running after it sitting with the radiator out for 5 years and the heads off for the last year...
In the process, I put in a brand new aluminum radiator with 2 each, 1" cores that's been sitting in a box for a couple of years. New hoses all around...I used to use the Prestone extended life coolant (the orangeish stuff), but in the new system I went back to good old green basic 2-year antifreeze.
After running the engine a couple of times but not driving the car, I drained the coolant to swap the 160* thermostat for a 180* t-stat, and this is what was in the bottom of the bucket o' coolant after I poured it off into jugs to put back into the car:
Chunks of gelatinous "stuff" that will easily turn into an oily jelly between your fingers, along with some small debris. (The dust/dirt in the bucket is from yesterday's West Texas dust storm, yippee.)
Should I be freaking out or not?
I think I'll pull the radiator back out and backflush it with a water hose, just in case...