Low Coolant, Gunk on Radiator Cap - Next Steps Before Panic?

moon22 · Nov 30, 2024

Steelhead Bum said: ↑

Just spitballing here and I’m very much an idiot, so take this with a grain of salt.

Maybe the silicates breaking down and dropping out of the coolant?
Was one of the major failure points for the 6.0 powerstroke.
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No clue either. Records don't specify what coolant they used, but what came out was green-ish..

MGMDesertTaco · Nov 30, 2024

moon22[OP] said: ↑

Spent some time cycling distilled water through today. Must have had an air pocket, couldn't get any heat out of it and the lines weren't very warm; but I pulled the hoses and blew some air through both ways and then dumped water as well with no apparent back pressure through either the core or the lines to the engine. Wound up just looping them at the core area, my last jugs of water finally got them heated up at least (is there any sort of valve on this system that was maybe stuck?).

I was watching pH though after the second round and it was weird; the water I drained was alkaline, 8.5+. I then checked the water going in (store bough steam distilled), which checked in around 5. 2-3 more cycles and I expected it to come down but it just hovered at ~8.5. I then adjusted the "fresh" water down, eventually as low as 3.5-4; same results. I got the same numbers with a color changing dye and a digital meter, wondering if something was off.

Every drain though, I was getting some of this brownish-reddish particulate in the bucket out of both the block drains and radiator. Does this look like anything recognizable?

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Appears to be some kind of salt, pepper and garlic blend.

Steelhead Bum · Nov 30, 2024

MGMDesertTaco said: ↑

Appears to be some kind of salt, pepper and garlic blend.
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For a well seasoned system.

moon22 · Nov 30, 2024

MGMDesertTaco said: ↑

Appears to be some kind of salt, pepper and garlic blend.
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I didn't smoke a single butt this year and I'm so disappointed..even my 1GR-FE is disappointed in me..

lynlan1819 · Nov 30, 2024

moon22[OP] said: ↑

Thanks for the input. I was going to skip the no-spill, but antifreeze is right up there with brake fluid for me on the spectrum of "fluids I hate dealing with," but maybe I'll not mind coolant service so much if I have the right stuff to make it less of a mess (also: I can use my dog's safety as an excuse to enable my tool buying addiction - anything for the children!!).

I did go ahead and spring for a pressure tester as well, I initially didn't think it would actually tell me much since if it's still had enough coolant to be fine over several thousand miles it might not be something I can see in a day or two. But, air will leak faster than coolant, so maybe not! My radiator also showed up with a hole in the box from the inlet poking out, but otherwise looks totally unscathed somehow, so just to be sure, I can use it to bench test that before installation as well.
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Drain all the old fluid out and put fresh Pink Asian fluid in it with a new radiator cap,and see how it runs.

MGMDesertTaco · Nov 30, 2024

Yeah, just flush it the best you can and put fresh coolant in. That's all you can do.

lynlan1819 · Nov 30, 2024

moon22[OP] said: ↑

No clue either. Records don't specify what coolant they used, but what came out was green-ish..
Click to expand...

Wrong fluid,Asian cars and trucks take the pink Asian fluid.

moon22 · Nov 30, 2024

lynlan1819 said: ↑

Wrong fluid,Asian cars and trucks take the pink Asian fluid.
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Yeah, I have ELLC ready to go but can't help what was done in the past unfortunately..

Dm93 · Nov 30, 2024

moon22[OP] said: ↑

Spent some time cycling distilled water through today. Must have had an air pocket, couldn't get any heat out of it and the lines weren't very warm; but I pulled the hoses and blew some air through both ways and then dumped water as well with no apparent back pressure through either the core or the lines to the engine. Wound up just looping them at the core area, my last jugs of water finally got them heated up at least (is there any sort of valve on this system that was maybe stuck?).

I was watching pH though after the second round and it was weird; the water I drained was alkaline, 8.5+. I then checked the water going in (store bough steam distilled), which checked in around 5. 2-3 more cycles and I expected it to come down but it just hovered at ~8.5. I then adjusted the "fresh" water down, eventually as low as 3.5-4; same results. I got the same numbers with a color changing dye and a digital meter, wondering if something was off.

Every drain though, I was getting some of this brownish-reddish particulate in the bucket out of both the block drains and radiator. Does this look like anything recognizable?

Click to expand...

Certainly looks like some kind of leak sealer but it could be rust/corrosion particles from neglect/incorrect coolant.

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Low Coolant, Gunk on Radiator Cap - Next Steps Before Panic?

#21
moon22 [OP] :-|

#22
MGMDesertTaco Come on, live a little...

#23
Steelhead Bum Well-Known Member

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moon22 [OP] :-|

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MGMDesertTaco Come on, live a little...

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Dm93 Test Don't Guess

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Low Coolant, Gunk on Radiator Cap - Next Steps Before Panic?

#21 moon22 [OP] :-|

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#24 moon22 [OP] :-|

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#26 MGMDesertTaco Come on, live a little...

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#28 moon22 [OP] :-|

#29 Dm93 Test Don't Guess

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#21
moon22 [OP] :-|

#22
MGMDesertTaco Come on, live a little...

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#24
moon22 [OP] :-|

#25
lynlan1819 Well-Known Member

#26
MGMDesertTaco Come on, live a little...

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#28
moon22 [OP] :-|

#29
Dm93 Test Don't Guess

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