Rusty Radiator

**pbcnx** · April 27th, 2009 11:49 PM

Lagi na lang problem ito ng radiator ko. It's not a major problem since stable naman ang temperature niya at di naman nag-ooverheat. it justs pests me off..

Dati, tubig lang na galing sa refilling station ang tubig ng radiator ko. then when i found out about coolants (prestone) 3 months ago, finlush ko yung radiator ko. dun ko nakitang maraming kalawang.

nung ipina-top overhaul ko yung makina last week, finlush ng mechanic ko yung radiator ko. maraming kalawang ulit. then nilagyan na muna namin ng water without coolant to check if there is any problems after namin i-top.

tapos chineck ko ulit yung radiator ko after 2 days. kalawang ulit yung tubig.

ano kaya cause nito? do i need to change my radiator?

**voltscastillo** · April 28th, 2009 08:00 AM

if you don't overheat, no need to do anything expensive like changing the rdiator. the rust may be coming from the block, the radiator, or the waterpump. coolant has anti corrosive properties so it's a good idea to always use it after flushing the rad/block a couple times.

aluminum block engines don't normally rust, but cast iron block engines do. you can also try overhauling the rad, mura lang naman ito. then flush again until the water clears. then put coolant. and when you flush, make sure you disconnect the intake/return hoses from the block to the rad so the water from the block comes out (it will look rusty). don't forget to put them back before you start.

**yebo** · April 28th, 2009 08:40 AM

the rust you are seeing now is the accumulated rust during all those years that you had only plain water in your engine. when you started using coolant additives and when you flushed it, the rust started to flake off from the engine and radiator. that is normal because coolant additives also have a cleaning effect, it will clean the engine of rust. the thing to do is to just continue replacing the coolant until such time that you do not see any more rust, maybe do the change once a month. or you can flush it again. after that make sure you have the right mixture of coolant additive and water to prevent the engine from corroding.

but you said you had stopped using coolant again?

that is wrong. rust will again build up in the engine and pretty soon something will get eaten up, like the radiator.

**oj88** · April 28th, 2009 09:16 AM

Flush it again and then use distilled water + coolant in a 50-50 solution. You can use distilled battery water sold in all gasoline stations.

I did this to my big bike which also have the same problem as you have. My problem was solved.

Tap water directly from the faucet is hard water and the chemicals in it promotes oxidation inside your coolant system, causing rust and other things.

**woohoo** · April 28th, 2009 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by oj88

Flush it again and then use distilled water + coolant in a 50-50 solution. You can use distilled battery water sold in all gasoline stations.

I'd stay away from this so-called distilled battery water if I were you, especially if you won't be using it inside the battery. I hate to think what it will do to your radiator and whole cooling system.

Distilled water is odorless and tasteless. The "distilled" water that gas stations sell seems to contain some kind of electrolyte (maasim, e).

I suggest you buy from reputable brands of distilled water like Wilkins.

My 2 cents.

**ericp** · April 28th, 2009 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by woohoo

I'd stay away from this so-called distilled battery water if I were you, especially if you won't be using it inside the battery. I hate to think what it will do to your radiator and whole cooling system.

Distilled water is odorless and tasteless. The "distilled" water that gas stations sell seems to contain some kind of electrolyte (maasim, e).

I suggest you buy from reputable brands of distilled water like Wilkins.

My 2 cents.

Hmmm....baka nga hindi purong distilled water yung nabili mo....kung maasim, acidic ibig sabihin....baka hindi nahugasan yung lalagyan at nahaluan ng sulfuric acid (battery electrolyte). O baka ang nabili mo eh sulfuric acid solution talaga

Wilkins is fine....also R.O. water (you can ask the refilling station to test it when you buy using their TDS meter.....R.O. water is 0-10 ppm TDS...

**yebo** · April 28th, 2009 11:01 AM

tama, stay away from that distilled water sold in gas stations. besides being of doubtful origin it is also expensive.

try mo wikins distilled water.

**Galactus** · April 28th, 2009 11:27 AM

AFAIK, gasoline stations sell 2 different types of water: the so-called "distilled" and electrolytic water. Magkaiba sila, although doubtful talaga kung distilled nga yung former. The latter naman, if you accidentally get some splashed on your skin, you get an itchy feeling. Parang bumubula pa nga sometimes pag natapon sa concrete floor, hehehe.

Mas mura yung distilled water ng Absolute kesa sa Wilkins, kaya yun ang binibili ko, hehehe.

**oj88** · April 28th, 2009 11:36 AM

I stand corrected. Any source of distilled water will be fine for engine coolant use. Also, as I've mentioned, I used 50-50 solution because that is what's recommended for my bike. Check your owner's manual for the correct proportion.