What are these gelatinous chunks?

[2NABOT]

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...

 

[Tanama]

I say those jelly chunks are silicate dropout. A good flush should solve your problem.

 

[JD4440]

Classic dex/conventional gelling I'd say

 

[gregk24]

That looks like barf. Good thing you changed it out.

 

[901Memphis]

Silicate dropout.

 

[spasm3]

Its residual dexcool reacting with conventional green coolant as others have said.

 

[artificialist]

There could also be oil contamination. Does your radiator also have a transmission fluid cooler? If the ATF cooler develops a leak, you might end up with some of that garbage.

You say you installed cylinder heads recently? That may explain small amounts of oil contamination.

 

[2NABOT]

Yes I recently installed the heads, could well have gotten oil n the coolant passages in the process.

I'm going to flush the radiator, as well as the block while I've got the radiator out.

Thanks for the advice! Silicate dropout - learn something new every day...

 

[Kira]

Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words.

Would that precipitate swirl about, possibly dissolve and, during normal operations, be able to inhibit corrosion as intended? Kira

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: JD4440
Classic dex/conventional gelling I'd say


+1. You used all makes which is a dex clone, and then went to green. This is what one sees when they do that...

Id do a proper citric acid flush of the engine.

 

[2NABOT]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: JD4440
Classic dex/conventional gelling I'd say


+1. You used all makes which is a dex clone, and then went to green. This is what one sees when they do that...

Id do a proper citric acid flush of the engine.


Ok, how do I do a proper citric acid flush?

 

[demarpaint]

I miss the days of buying Prestone green, doing a flush and fill with the proper mix and calling it a day. These new coolants, metals, and solder used can cause all sorts of problems it seems.

 

[DaHen]

I agree. One size fits all............

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: 2NABOT
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: JD4440
Classic dex/conventional gelling I'd say


+1. You used all makes which is a dex clone, and then went to green. This is what one sees when they do that...

Id do a proper citric acid flush of the engine.


Ok, how do I do a proper citric acid flush?


This is how I do it:

http://dieselgiant.com/mercedes_citrus_flush.htm

Pretty consistent with the MB FSM.

All my Mercedes cars have had complete original cooling systems at the 30+ year point and >>200k using this process.

 

[2NABOT]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
This is how I do it:

http://dieselgiant.com/mercedes_citrus_flush.htm

Pretty consistent with the MB FSM.

All my Mercedes cars have had complete original cooling systems at the 30+ year point and >>200k using this process.


Just got done doing that, thanks for the lead! I was able to use 150* hot water straight from a heater, made it a lot faster. Still took me about 2 hours start-to-finish.

Got a good deal more of the gelatinous chunks out, along with a surprising amount of what looks and feels like sand (40-year-old casting sand?)

Flush, flush, flush, then flush again for Mama...

Here's a pic of what was in the bottom of the catch bucket after the Citrus Acid and flushes, 99% of this came out with the Citric Acid.

This weekend I'll be pulling the radiator and changing out the water pump, I'll run some more water through the rad and block at that time. If there's anything left inside there then...

 

[JHZR2]

Glad it worked out. Where did you get the citric acid? I haven't bought any for a few years from the MB dealer.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

This is how I do it:

http://dieselgiant.com/mercedes_citrus_flush.htm

Pretty consistent with the MB FSM.

All my Mercedes cars have had complete original cooling systems at the 30+ year point and >>200k using this process.


Whoa, that's awesome. Thanks for the link! For a car with an aluminum block/head that's been maintained since new, I think this would be unnecessary, but for my new project car I'm all over this!

So, from the looks of it, it's just powdered citric acid? So, this should work?: http://www.amazon.com/Citric-Acid-Grade-Organic.

I like my cooling system to free of GMO and all...

 

[2NABOT]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Glad it worked out. Where did you get the citric acid? I haven't bought any for a few years from the MB dealer.


JOD, I'd think that'd be fine, from what I gathered it's pretty much all the same powdered.

I got my CA from a local Snow-Cone flavor supplier, it's made by the Drafft Root Beer Co. I could get powdered CA from a local Natural Foods Grocery, but it was something like $8 for 4oz and this was $13 for a gallon. I couldn't find info to determine its acidity to compare to the MB 10% mix, but this stuff has ZING - don't get it in a cut finger...

 

[2NABOT]

After the Citrus Acid wash and with the new water pump, the temps are rock-solid at 180* where the t-stat is rated, even idling at stop lights after highway runs in 90* weather.