sludge in radiator

[alfa82]

Hi everyone i'm new to the forum. I have a problem with my 82 alfa gtv were the raditor bottle is full of white sludge.
My diagnosis is that there is oil getting in there but there is no water mixing in with the engine oil in the motor. Is this another
case where a head gasket has failed or could it be something else. Your help would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Storm_X]

try dumping all the coolent overflow,motor and radiartor. then you can go get it flushed if you like but just top it all back up with new coolant and drive it around for awile and see how it goes then.

might just b old mabye ?

[MD]

Get a pressure test done on the cooling system. It may show some defects with the head gasket.

Simple rules to ensure your alfa motor never has cooling related issues:-

Never use tap water.
Never use creek water
Never use rainwater (it has a pH around 6.5 )
Never use premixed coolant as you dont know if tap water is used in the mix (unless the label says it uses distilled water).

Always use distilled water
Always make your own coolant mix by using a concentrate and distilled water
Always only top up with your own mix.


I have lost count how many good alloy engines I have seen ruined by failing to follow the above simple rules.


Recycling tip. If you run a domestic air conditioner, save the evaporator's water condensate. It has no minerals, and suitable for this application and it's free !!

[Joey]

Get a pressure test done on the cooling system. It may show some defects with the head gasket.

Simple rules to ensure your alfa motor never has cooling related issues:-

Never use tap water.
Never use creek water
Never use rainwater (it has a pH around 6.5 )
Never use premixed coolant as you dont know if tap water is used in the mix (unless the label says it uses distilled water).

Always use distilled water
Always make your own coolant mix by using a concentrate and distilled water
Always only top up with your own mix.


I have lost count how many good alloy engines I have seen ruined by failing to follow the above simple rules.


Recycling tip. If you run a domestic air conditioner, save the evaporator's water condensate. It has no minerals, and suitable for this application and it's free !!

Slightly off topic, but the pre mixed coolant I used in my engine states that it is suitable for older alloy head engines and that it is a corrosion inhibitor. SCA 'Type B'
It doesn't mention anything on the label about using distilled water.
Do I need to be in a hurry to change it?
Joey.

[MD]

Joey,

These are the basics :-

The distilled water is the "vehicle" that transports the other chemicals around your cooling plumbing
The chemicals are usually in combination.
The combination comprises :-

• A corrosion inhibitor
  An anti-boil and
  Anti-freeze

When you make your own coolant mix and follow the manufacurer's instructions, you will typically wind up with a 33% mixture of additives and distilled water. This will protect you radiator from splitting if you go to the snow country and will raise the boiling point of the radiator. The corrosion inhibitor will do its part to minimse corrosion of the alloy in the head and block.

Yes the premixed stuff will suffice for now to do the corrosion protection particularly if the car is just being stored. In fact one of the prescribed methods for storing spare engines is to fill the block with a corrosion inhibited coolant before storing away.

The reason you should always use distilled water is to eliminate the minerals in water coming out of solution and hardening onto  engine and radiator interiors designed to scrub heat out of the system but this stuff acts like an insulation wrap to reduce the efficiency of this process and can eventually cause the engine to overheat if the depositon is too great.

I hope this clarifies it for you.

[/list]