orange coolant "hiding" in heater core?

[worb4me]

1998 GP gt

 

While redoing these damned plastics c coolant elbows, I noticed orange coolant leaking out of the serpentine tensioner assembly while flushing the thing out with water. The former owner started putting green coolant, probably not much, I put 1/2 gallon of water before driving it home, put a whole gallon of green subsequently. So how was any orange coolant left unmixwd? And the heat was on quite a bit.

[rich_e777]

It happens, I`d recommend taking it to a Valvoline and have them do a cooling system flush, its about $75 but it will get all the old stuff out and refill it with new coolant also flushing and bleeding and pressure testing the system.

[Schurkey]

It happens, I`d recommend taking it to a Valvoline and have them do a cooling system flush, its about $75 but it will get all the old stuff out and refill it with new coolant also flushing and bleeding and pressure testing the system.

Or buy a $5 Flush 'n' Fill kit, some "pure" antifreeze, a gallon or two of "pure" water, (reverse-osmosis or distilled, about a dollar a gallon at any supermarket in the country) and do it in your driveway.  Be prepared to pop the block drain on the firewall side of the engine block, and whatever is screwed-into the coolant drain port on the radiator side of the engine.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Prestone-AF-KIT-Flush-Fill-Kit/dp/B000CCFY5W?ie=UTF8&keywords=flush%20and%20fill%20kit&qid=1462676365&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

[worb4me]

well what I had been doing was disconnecting the upper radiator hose, stick a garden hose in the radiator, start the car, then wait for it to run clear.

 

But I still don't understand how there could be any unmixed antifreeze anywhere in the car. I've ran it for 2 hours at least (in intervals) with the heat on. Doesn't make sense.

[Schurkey]

well what I had been doing was disconnecting the upper radiator hose, stick a garden hose in the radiator, start the car, then wait for it to run clear.

Not a great plan.  All the clean water you're adding to the rad-cap opening runs out the radiator side of the upper hose opening.  Until the thermostat opens, the clean water isn't circulating through the engine very well.  It would take forever to flush the engine that way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, if you're flushing an engine, be sure to open the radiator AND THE BLOCK DRAINS when you're done.  A few engines don't have block drains (fukkin' Buick) but most do.

[worb4me]

I take the thermostat out. But with this car I can't do that, not now, cuz someone puttied the housing to the manifold. Until i rectify that situation, I'll have to buy that prestone kit.

[GabsOlds]

Sounds like you should prepare to buy a replacement manifold. What would removing that putty reveal? A crack? Broken chunk? Start scouting the junkyards for availability. Once you locate one, uncover the putty. I bet there's more to it.

[ron350]

With out pictures this is a confusing thread.

 

What kind of Putty is on the T-stat housing?

[Galaxie500XL]

Are we certain the orange coolant is Dexcool, and not simply rusty old coolant?

[worb4me]

Are we certain the orange coolant is Dexcool, and not simply rusty old coolant?

Looked like Dex. Car was on Craig's for 500. When I looked at it, she tells me they replaced depleted coolant with green, and that coolant was gelling. The reason coolant was low was cracked elbow. Well went home and googled gelling coolant and clearly one of the possibilities could be mixing colors, but another was bad lim gaskets. So I said forget it. She doesn't hear from me, txts and says I can have it for 300$. I say what the hey. Of course she never told me about other issues, loud roaring when exceeding 25mph, likely bad wheel bearings. And leaking valve cover gasskaet. And who knows ...

[worb4me]

With out pictures this is a confusing thread.

 

What kind of Putty is on the T-stat housing?

Nudda thread a bit down the forum "yet another horror...". Had to crop photo a lot to get it to upload.

[Imp558]

A few engines don't have block drains (fukkin' Buick) but most do.

I wanted to comment on this when I read it but I decided to be absolutely certain before I did. At one time ripping an l36 down I thought I remembered coolant coming out of the knock sensor ports. Today like literally 5 minutes ago I started an LED on the end of some wire and fished it up in both knock sensor holes on an l67 I have in front of me and light came out of the coolant passages and was visible all the way at the water pump. Buick engines DO certainly have coolant drains in the block they were just smart enough to recycle the holes for the knock sensors, giving them an A+ for engineering on that one.

[Schurkey]

I wanted to comment on this when I read it but I decided to be absolutely certain before I did. At one time ripping an l36 down I thought I remembered coolant coming out of the knock sensor ports. Today like literally 5 minutes ago I started an LED on the end of some wire and fished it up in both knock sensor holes on an l67 I have in front of me and light came out of the coolant passages and was visible all the way at the water pump. Buick engines DO certainly have coolant drains in the block they were just smart enough to recycle the holes for the knock sensors, giving them an A+ for engineering on that one.

Some Buicks have block drains...some don't.  I haven't figured out which do and which don't, except it seems to be the small-blocks and the V-6 that sometimes don't, the 400/430/455 always seem to have them, and I don't see enough Nailheads to know.

 

Using block-drain holes for the knock sensor is common as dirt.

[worb4me]

Not a great plan.  All the clean water you're adding to the rad-cap opening runs out the radiator side of the upper hose opening.  Until the thermostat opens, the clean water isn't circulating through the engine very well.  It would take forever to flush the engine that way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, if you're flushing an engine, be sure to open the radiator AND THE BLOCK DRAINS when you're done.  A few engines don't have block drains (fukkin' Buick) but most do.

Just wanted to be clear. I remove the upper hose, driver's side usually, put garden hose in radiator there, not radiator cap opening, that was left closed, and let the stuff pour out of the upper hose. With tbe thermostat removed. If it makes a difference, i wasn't sticking hose in radiator cap opening.

[Schurkey]

I remove the upper hose, driver's side usually, put garden hose in radiator there, not radiator cap opening, that was left closed, and let the stuff pour out of the upper hose. With tbe thermostat removed. If it makes a difference, i wasn't sticking hose in radiator cap opening.

That can work "ok".  You'd still want to drain the block (if possible) and the radiator with the draincock/plug(s) when you're done flushing.  If you install the flush 'n' fill tee, you could vice-grip the heater hose to force flush water backwards through the heater core.  Sometimes reverse-flushing helps.

[pitzel]

And the heat was on quite a bit.

 

 

 

The nature of the heating system in these cars is such that it doesn't matter if the heat is on or off -- fluid still flows through the heater core regardless.  Yes, there's literally blazing hot heating coils almost right next to the AC evaporator coils.  Only an electrically actuated 'door' differentiates between sending a stream of air over the AC coils, versus the heater coils.  Or in the case of defogger operation, both. 

 

All the heat thus contained in the airbox, after engine shutdown, rapidly de-ices the evaporator coils. 

[worb4me]

The nature of the heating system in these cars is such that it doesn't matter if the heat is on or off -- fluid still flows through the heater core regardless.  Yes, there's literally blazing hot heating coils almost right next to the AC evaporator coils.  Only an electrically actuated 'door' differentiates between sending a stream of air over the AC coils, versus the heater coils.  Or in the case of defogger operation, both. 

 

All the heat thus contained in the airbox, after engine shutdown, rapidly de-ices the evaporator coils.

 

Tell me about it. When driving it 2 days ago, the passenger half was blowing 1/2 way decent a/c to my uttet surprise, the driver side was billowing heat. I guess reading the manual may help, not sure what the problem could be. I thought I specified a/c on both

[ron350]

The heat on the drivers dide is probably caused by a bad drivers side blend door actuator motor.

[worb4me]

okay, bought one of the flush and fill kits, but am deciding I really have no business cutting heater hoses to create a possible failure point. Don't mean to be contentious, I just think I'll do it my old way. Or just keep emptying coolant from rad and replace w/water. I will have to fix my little "horror", shouldn't be too bad (the actual therm housing is siliconed to the manifold, only jb or putty is where the bolt is, or rather was/should be). Assuming no hidden horrors ... I could always just jb weld the thing back on LOL.

 I had thought coolant was coming out from underneath the valve cover (front), smells like it, not burning oil (a common problem w/these engines as we all know). But it don't make sense. Would that indicate a lim gasket problem? I could swear what's burning and steaming is coolant. It's bubbly, doesn't seem like oil. I guess I have to clean that whole area with fantastic/scrubbing bubbles and get a better gander.

 

 I'll be riding pretty before long, you watch me. Pretty to me, despite all the freaking dents. The hood is sooo banged up. She said she hit a dear, but I think she lied. Maybe a herd. I think she loaned it to her little brother for an extended period. Scrapes and dents all over the car. Paint is still so nice though.

[ron350]

Worb4me if you have dark fluid pooling around bolt # 2 (see picture below) your lower intake gaskets are shot. Bolt #1 and bolt #2 are directly above the coolant cross over ports and when the plastic gasket cracks coolant will climb up the bolt and ooze out in the pocket around the bolt hole.

 

 I have replaced my lower L36  intake gaskets and pulled three lower intakes from the scrap yard and all of them had cracked lower gaskets and corrosion on bolts #1 and #2.

 

Forum will not let me upload picture will try photobucket.

 

 

 

 

 

[worb4me]

Thanks partner. I have a small pool of oil, I'll need tontake photos later. Don't think it's where you specified though.