Green "kidney stones" in radiator and t'stat?
#2929565
06/02/21 05:58 PM
06/02/21 05:58 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,545 Albany, NY
67SATisfaction
OP
The member whose name is actually Art
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OP
The member whose name is actually Art
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,545
Albany, NY
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Hey guys,
Would anyone know what is causing my radiator tubes and t'stat housing to get gunked up with small pale-green mineral deposits?
I didn't find answers online. From the looks of it, the deposits are a copper-mineral accretion, could be from minerals in our water and copper from the radiator? I tend to use distilled water and Glycol, but I know I've also used tap water on occasion. Time flies so it doesn't seem long ago, but that radiator was last recored around 2002, so it's been in service some 19 years, same thing with the t'stat and housing. .. and I'm embarrassed how rusty and gross my engine looks in the photos.. It'll be garaged and worked on over the winter.
Is this a familiar problem for anyone, or is it just a normal service-life issue and time to have it all flushed out and restored, new hoses, etc?
Thanks, - Art
65 Satellite hardtop 361/4bbl console 727 2.76 67 Satellite convert 383/2bbl column 727 3.23 67 Lancia Fulvia Sport 1.3 Zagato. Alloy body, 1.3L V4 DOHC 4-spd 67 Lancia Fulvia Rallye 1.3. Alloy panel, 1.3L V4 DOHC 4-spd 71 Alfa Romeo GT Junior 1300 Zagato, 1.3L 4cyl DOHC hemi 5-spd 82 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5L SOHC hemi V6 5-spd transaxle 75 Maserati Bora US spec 4.9L DOHC hemi V8 5-spd ZF 77 Maserati Khamsin Euro spec 4.9L DOHC hemi V8 5-spd ZF 07 Aston Martin DB9 6.0L DOHC V12 6spd transaxle
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Re: Green "kidney stones" in radiator and t'stat?
[Re: poorboy]
#2935352
06/21/21 04:40 PM
06/21/21 04:40 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,545 Albany, NY
67SATisfaction
OP
The member whose name is actually Art
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OP
The member whose name is actually Art
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,545
Albany, NY
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How many times has it been flushed in the last 19 years? I suspect it hasn't been.
Antifreeze will eat aluminum over time, the results look a lot like what you have. Notice the deuteration of the T stat housing? A flush and refill about every 7-8 years seems to help in that situation. Gene Thanks guys, that is some helpful info. The t-stat neck was surprising crusty - I scraped a lot of mineral deposit salt-like crystals off it all the way around the neck, even filed, rough sanded and scotchbrighted it clean, then gooped it with non-hardening gasket seal and reinstalled the hose which was in good shape. Yeah, the last time I flushed anything, it was a backflush like 4 years ago because the heater core wasn't giving off any heat - plugged up with crud. The backflush got the heater core crud out immediately, and the heat worked fine after that. I am sure I just used plain old garden hose water, and our water here is hard enough to warrant a water softener for the house.. so minerals. I don't recall having done anything else with the radiator or block. So, I'll go ahead and start fresh - flush it out with garden hose water, then see what I can eject with compressed air, and refill it with properly mixed Prestone and distilled water. I have an aluminum engine car and the manual says to drain, flush and replace coolant every 5 years. I'll adopt that interval. Cheers, - Art
65 Satellite hardtop 361/4bbl console 727 2.76 67 Satellite convert 383/2bbl column 727 3.23 67 Lancia Fulvia Sport 1.3 Zagato. Alloy body, 1.3L V4 DOHC 4-spd 67 Lancia Fulvia Rallye 1.3. Alloy panel, 1.3L V4 DOHC 4-spd 71 Alfa Romeo GT Junior 1300 Zagato, 1.3L 4cyl DOHC hemi 5-spd 82 Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5L SOHC hemi V6 5-spd transaxle 75 Maserati Bora US spec 4.9L DOHC hemi V8 5-spd ZF 77 Maserati Khamsin Euro spec 4.9L DOHC hemi V8 5-spd ZF 07 Aston Martin DB9 6.0L DOHC V12 6spd transaxle
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Re: Green "kidney stones" in radiator and t'stat?
[Re: Rhinodart]
#2935472
06/22/21 12:09 AM
06/22/21 12:09 AM
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Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 9,572 Super Spudsville
Mr PotatoHead
Half Baked
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Half Baked
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 9,572
Super Spudsville
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Small debris in the pale they used to add more water?????
Think of all we have done over the past 40 years just to get a mopar home safe.
Or even old casting material from the block.
I still find lil collected areas I chip out even in the oil exposed areas inside some blocks after the hot tank.
STOP POTATO HATE!
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