Rust in coolant

Are new sleeves readily available?

JT

 

Are new sleeves readily available?

JT

 

No, and they're not water jacket sleeves either. That's why the "rust in
the radiator from overheating" story doesn't make sense.

Earle

 

No, and they're not water jacket sleeves either. That's why the "rust in
the radiator from overheating" story doesn't make sense.

Earle

 

This is interesting. Guess the example I saw was dirty engough I couldn't
tell there were two different metals in there. This explains the factory-
specified max bore-out tolerance being a micro-thin .010".

 

This is interesting. Guess the example I saw was dirty engough I couldn't
tell there were two different metals in there. This explains the factory-
specified max bore-out tolerance being a micro-thin .010".

 

I don't think it's rust. I think it's discolored coolant.

 

I don't think it's rust. I think it's discolored coolant.

 

I am sure it is. Use Honda Genuine Coolant, every time the owner's manual
calls for it, and you won't be sorry. It used to be you could leave the
coolant in there for the life of the car, but those days are long gone.
More and more non-ferrous metals are being used every year, and the coolant
formulation changes all the time to make the tree-huggers happy. Some of
them, according to a chemist I know, are downright incompatible.

Earle

 

I am sure it is. Use Honda Genuine Coolant, every time the owner's manual
calls for it, and you won't be sorry. It used to be you could leave the
coolant in there for the life of the car, but those days are long gone.
More and more non-ferrous metals are being used every year, and the coolant
formulation changes all the time to make the tree-huggers happy. Some of
them, according to a chemist I know, are downright incompatible.

Earle

 

Ab-so-lootely! OEM all the way, baby. I like OEM (can you tell?).

Earle, you never could do that. In fact, newer antifreeze formulations
offer longer life than ever before.

The change interval used to be two years. Now you can go as long as five
years (under the right conditions!).

The myth of permanent antifreeze was the source of many a corroded block
in the old days.

 

Ab-so-lootely! OEM all the way, baby. I like OEM (can you tell?).

Earle, you never could do that. In fact, newer antifreeze formulations
offer longer life than ever before.

The change interval used to be two years. Now you can go as long as five
years (under the right conditions!).

The myth of permanent antifreeze was the source of many a corroded block
in the old days.

 

Ethylene glycol (and even the ancient propylene and alcohol mixes) turned
corrosive in and of themselves far faster then than now, tap water or
distilled.

 

Ethylene glycol (and even the ancient propylene and alcohol mixes) turned
corrosive in and of themselves far faster then than now, tap water or
distilled.

 

....

I tend to think that it was indiscriminate use of tap water, but who can
tell? One thing I am sure of, is that aluminum cannot take the sort of
abuse that cast iron and brass can.

Earle

 

....

I tend to think that it was indiscriminate use of tap water, but who can
tell? One thing I am sure of, is that aluminum cannot take the sort of
abuse that cast iron and brass can.

Earle

 

I met a body shop owner in 1976 who had the original coolant in his 1952 GMC
wrecker. I have the original coolant in my eleven year old Jeep, which I
drive every day. One of these days I will get around to changing it. The
heater core is the first to go, if you wait too long. The Civic gets better
treatment, because the engine block is aluminum and the cooling system takes
less than a gallon to refill. I changed it after seven years. Funny thing,
the original coolant was green, and the new stuff is blue.

If I believed what people in newsgroups tell me, I would be changing the oil
at 3,000 miles without fail and the coolant every two years. There are more
fun things to do.

Earle

 

I met a body shop owner in 1976 who had the original coolant in his 1952 GMC
wrecker. I have the original coolant in my eleven year old Jeep, which I
drive every day. One of these days I will get around to changing it. The
heater core is the first to go, if you wait too long. The Civic gets better
treatment, because the engine block is aluminum and the cooling system takes
less than a gallon to refill. I changed it after seven years. Funny thing,
the original coolant was green, and the new stuff is blue.

If I believed what people in newsgroups tell me, I would be changing the oil
at 3,000 miles without fail and the coolant every two years. There are more
fun things to do.

Earle

 

TeG, I'd like to think it's discolored coolant too, but would
discolored coolant leave a deposit when it dries? I took a "sample" and
looked at it carefully. There seems to be an orange-brownish powder,
which leads me to believe that whatever it is, it's not simply coolant.

I also tested the radiator, block etc with a magnet, and you're right,
none of them were magnetic.

I flushed the coolant four times, as thoroughly as I can, but when I
refilled for the fifth time, there was *still* some "rusty" powder
that's visible in the radiator. For flushing, should I use a "coolant
flush" product, instead of plain water?

Also, the coolant seems to be leaking out somehow; I have to refill the
reservoir every 50 miles or so, which didn't happen before this "rust"
problem. But there's no leak as far as I can see. Will check more
thoroughly and post back..

 

TeG, I'd like to think it's discolored coolant too, but would
discolored coolant leave a deposit when it dries? I took a "sample" and
looked at it carefully. There seems to be an orange-brownish powder,
which leads me to believe that whatever it is, it's not simply coolant.

I also tested the radiator, block etc with a magnet, and you're right,
none of them were magnetic.

I flushed the coolant four times, as thoroughly as I can, but when I
refilled for the fifth time, there was *still* some "rusty" powder
that's visible in the radiator. For flushing, should I use a "coolant
flush" product, instead of plain water?

Also, the coolant seems to be leaking out somehow; I have to refill the
reservoir every 50 miles or so, which didn't happen before this "rust"
problem. But there's no leak as far as I can see. Will check more
thoroughly and post back..