jensenracing77

Here are some pictures from inside the thermostat neck and inside the intake. The antifreeze has crystallized inside the engine. This is from our 4 speed car and has sit since 1974. There is a real good chance this is the original 62 antifreeze but I can't be sure of that. I do know for sure it has not been changed since 1970. What causes this? Is this the affects of old antifreeze and aluminum or is it just old antifreeze? There is alot of corrosion in areas but on the inside where this stuff is has very little corrosion. This is going to be very difficult to flush out. I want to clean it good enough to start the car up and check things out before I pull the engine apart.

On a good note, I changed oil and filter then pulled the distributor to prime the oil. The oil primed up very well and did not leak anywhere yet. Through the distributor hole I can poke the timing chain and it is still very tight and very clean inside that area. I have not pulled the valve covers. I am trying to decide if I should. I poured two quarts into both sides and one quart into the distributor hole. I need to pull the plugs also. I want to look inside the cylinders with a video scope and spray just a little oil in them.

droldsmorland

Tap water, no SCAs,(supplemental coolant additives), incompatible antifreezes mixed and the fact the engine hasn't seen any heat in decades. Its likely silicate gelation caused by the above including using tap water and severe lack of maintenance. Its basically the coolant breaking down. Good lesson why a cooling system needs regular and correct maintenance.

Larry/car

I would clean the crud that you can get at. Take out the engine block drain plugs and pour hot water in the radiator allowing the water to drain from the block. Monitor the fluid and when it flows clear install the plugs. Add a cooling system cleaner (follow directions). Add coolant and start the engine to circulate and heat the product hopefully dislodging dirt and other debris. Monitor the fluid's circulation looking in the radiator filler neck. Drain the system again, determine condition of fluid, repeat process until satisfied that the system is satisfactory. Don't forget the heater core. Replace system components and hoses and necessary.

joe_padavano

Jeeze! My coronary arteries looked like that - thus the quintuple bypass!

jensenracing77

lol, I sure didn't expect to see this. The turbo system needs rebuilt anyway but I am sure the turbo and throttle body will be full of this stuff also. I just hope to get it running at least a little before I pull it all apart.

oldcutlass

I got away with a stint. I wonder how much of that is soluble and how it will react to a good flushing.

MDchanic

I have no direct experience with this, but it seems to me that since antifreeze is an alcohol compound (propylene glycol or ethylene glycol generally), you best bet may be to get a few gallons of denatured alcohol or methanol and try to dissolve it with that.

Since you have such a generous amount of that crud, I would gather a few handfuls and see how it dissolves in cold water, hot water, and alcohol, and then use the one that dissolves it the best.

- Eric

jaunty75

Really? Where? Huntsville? How long were you in? Paroled, or did you finish your time?


Stent.

MDchanic

... Beats an appointment with Ol' Sparky any day.

- Eric

Tedd Thompson

Had this happen in a 53 Hudson (aluminum head )could not get the head off the block without fear of breaking it. White crud glued itself from the iron block to the aluminum head. It eventually cleaned it's self out using vinegar.I don't know if your crud is the same as what I had but it looks the same... Tedd

Koda

I'd spin the oil pump before turning the engine over to get oil under the bearings.

oldolds88

he did that

oldolds88

would the new style anti freeze be of any benifit when it gets cleaned out. just wondering seeing how it compatible with aluminum?

MDchanic

It would very definitely be a benefit, for exactly that reason - it reduces the galvanic reaction between the aluminum and the iron.

In modern engines, even if they have iron heads and blocks, they have aluminum radiators, and the modern antifreezes protect them from destruction.

- Eric

oldcutlass

Thanks for the correction Jaunty... Yeah, one of those.

redoldsman

I would find a good radiator shop and take these parts to them and see what they say.

jensenracing77

I did some more testing this morning. Hot water dissolves it pretty well and cold water is much slower but also dissolves it. What I found dissolves it very quick is more antifreeze. I will likely just flush hot water through it from our water heater this spring. I pulled the radiator and a couple more hoses off that go to the turbo and throttle body. At this point it looks to be isolated to the intake manifold. The antifreeze was low enough that there was none in the intake. I still wonder if this was a reaction to the aluminum and old antifreeze because it is only in the aluminum areas above the water level. There was antifreeze in the inlet to the water pump and looks good inside there. I am going to pull the water pump and have a look inside there also.

My442

Put in a Prestone Flush and Fill kit, and hook it up to a hot water spigot, and let it run.

Then, once the engine can be started, pour in 2 bottles of radiator flush, and let it run for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Repeat the hot water flush.

MDchanic

See what denatured alcohol does, too.

Could be a fill and soak with alcohol, followed by a good flush, followed by a fill and soak with a vinegar solution, would make it clean as a whistle.

- Eric

stuartradge

I've just pulled apart a 1989 Toyota Corolla 4afc engine that has been sitting covered outside for 15-20 years and it looks the exact same - everything above the iron block is gunked with the same whitish/blue stiff powder/muck: blocked head, thermostat, waterpump, inlet, etc. I too suspect the antifreeze may over years react with the aluminium head = crystalizing. It's a bugger to scrape out (especially in the small head channels to even create a path for anything to flush it out.
I'll try the suggested alcohol (methylated spirits) first and if that fails, anti-freeze and as a last option vinegar.
Thanks for the pics as they've confirmed what I suspected it was and I can now tackle treating it.

jensenracing77

Just check your heads good. This stuff ate through the intake cooling passages into the intake passages. I had to replace the intake manifold. Luckily my heads were good.

Schurkey

Wouldn't be a bad idea to verify the radiator voltage once you get it running.

rocketraider

Eric, I didn't see this thread when it was current, but Olds sent out a service bulletin in mid 60s that said not to use Peak brand coolant in the aluminum engines. Apparently even back then, when they were fairly new, corrosion was an issue with these engines.

'Yota guy, glad our experience helped you with your similar problem.