After Rad flush, still brown...

[Chrisssssssss]

Hey all,

I am still having a problem here. I am trying to flush my rad, but can't seem to get it a nice green color like it should be. Here's what I did. I took out the thermostat and drained the rad. Then I shoved a hose in down where my rad cap is and started the car. I left the butterfly valve open on the bottom of the rad, and also left the bottom bolt off of the thermostat housing so that some of the pressure would run off the bottom there also. I ran the car for about 5 mins and the water was looking really clean going through the system, then I decided to fill it with water and coolant and bars leak (to stop a bit of leaking on my rad) and after I got the system back up to pressure it was brown again.

Now here's the funny part. I was putting in the bars leak, and as soon as that stuff came in contact with the water and coolant from my car, the stuff turned a milky white color. Is this supposed to happen? It almost looks like headgasket milkshake that you would get if the it was blown, but I cannot see this being the problem. The engine oil is perfect and the only problem that I have is the coolant. Is it remotely possible that my headgasket is gone? Like I said, the oil is clean and no milkshake there. Also the coolant is not milkshaky, just browny. Is there a better way to flush the system?

Thanks

 

[olympic]

There are 2 drain plugs for the block. One on the front to the passsenger side of the oil filter(kinda hidden), and one in plain view on the rear. Remove those and flush some water through the thermostat housing to clean the block out.

The brown color is probably caused by the Barrs Leak stuff. I reccomend that you flush that stuff out right away. It'll plug up the rad and heater core and eat the seals on the water pump.

 

[pete c]

chrissss,

head gaskets can blow in a number of ways. If it is a combustion chamber to coolant leak, you'll get the milkshake from bubbles blowing into the coolant as well as steam in the exhaust. If you have a oil to coolant leak, you'll get oil in coolant and or coolant in oil. I would take olympics advice and get rid of the bars leak stuff if you want to keep the car for awhile.