I have brown sludge in my radiator and coolant degass bottle. what could this be a indication of? i plan on doing a flush. i noticed this due to radiator change. Thank!
It needs to be flushed, Fleetguard makes a flush kit, and buy a Prestone TEE backflush kit.
The 7.3L engine has 2 plugs on the bottom of the engine, remove the 2 plugs during the flush and the sand and much will flow out the bottom of the block.
Thanks for the replies, mostly the sludge was found in the lower radiator and lower hose. no smell of diesel in the coolant, is there any home natural remedies to use to flush the system? baking soda maybe??? Thanks!
Oil residue would point towards a leaking oil cooler. Diesel would indicate a cracked injector cup. If it's either of those issues, they need to be addressed before or immediately after the flush procedure.
Pull the radiator, turn it upside-down, and blast a garden hose into the outlet until it runs clear. Flip it back, repeat, and keep repeating until it runs clear both directions.
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I bought a bottle of the rust remover made for later diesels to put through that gasser when I get it running again.
I wouldn't add any other chemicals to the cooling system. Read this article.
Well, a cheap radiator is probably lower-quality than the original. But a Ford/MotorCraft radiator would be the same or better. I'd trust a Modine radiator to be as good, but not a 4 Seasons.
But no, I wouldn't replace a radiator that probably still works. Only after I'm sure it doesn't work.
This shows how to pressure-test the cooling system:
The NEXT few show the repairs for minor leaks. The article I linked before explains how to test a radiator for blockage.
Is it possible to have brown sludge from overtreatment with FW16 and equivalent? I've read that too much will cause some residue that can damage water pump seals etc.
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