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Rust in coolant area of engine, what to do?
- Thread starter RyanBez
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Remember, you're looking at a 50-year-old engine. It's not gonna be perfect.
I'd just use some kind of product for flushing the cooling system (lots of these at your local auto store), which may or may not remove some of the scale, and then just make sure it has a good, high-quality coolant afterward. If it doesn't overheat, don't worry about it. There isn't much more you can do, short of pulling it all apart and hot-tanking the block.
I'd just use some kind of product for flushing the cooling system (lots of these at your local auto store), which may or may not remove some of the scale, and then just make sure it has a good, high-quality coolant afterward. If it doesn't overheat, don't worry about it. There isn't much more you can do, short of pulling it all apart and hot-tanking the block.
V
vagt6
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FWIW, my 1275 engine was completely rebuilt in 1996 and now has about 14,000, very well-maintained miles on it. I took the heater valve off recently and saw some rust, not quite as bad as yours.
It's normal. Just be sure to use the right mix of anitfreeze and always use only distilled water in the cooling system. Drain and flush periodically.
Then, just drive.
It's normal. Just be sure to use the right mix of anitfreeze and always use only distilled water in the cooling system. Drain and flush periodically.
Then, just drive.
jlaird
Great Pumpkin
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For sure, hot dip the block. That build up will not hurt anything but will cause poor heat transfer from the block to the coolent.
Clean keeps an engine running at the proper temp durning the hot weather.
Miss Agatha, for example, even in temps of 100 degrees on the flat never goes over 180 degrees. Hasn't yet anyway.
Clean keeps an engine running at the proper temp durning the hot weather.
Miss Agatha, for example, even in temps of 100 degrees on the flat never goes over 180 degrees. Hasn't yet anyway.
Alright thanks guys. I guess my main concern was rust flakes clogging the lines and causing damage. I was hoping not to rebuild the engine since everything else is great condition (and I trust the previous owner).
I guess if it isn't too much of a concern I'll just do the best I can and leave it at that. Just wanted to make sure this wasn't a common fault that would come to bite me later. This is the first engine I've worked on that wasn't aluminium.
I guess if it isn't too much of a concern I'll just do the best I can and leave it at that. Just wanted to make sure this wasn't a common fault that would come to bite me later. This is the first engine I've worked on that wasn't aluminium.
regularman
Yoda
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The thing is that if you use a real radiator cleaner, then you must use a neutralizer or it cleans expensive bits that you need :wink: Engine block can be clean as a whistle and rust over night, that is just how iron is. I wouldn't worry about that rust in there.
If youre not going to do a complete tear down and hot tank the block I'd take a piece of suitable wire, smash the end with a hammer then bend the end 90 degrees. Use that to scrape as much loose, nasty stuff as you can from the back of the block where it tends to accumulate. Also use a drill bit to clean out passages between head and block. Do head as well.
Ive done this before and I'm sure it helped. The BMC B series will end up with the rear cylinder almost completely surrounded with scale.
Hot tank would be best though. On overheating MGA's boiling the head is a necessity.
Kurt.
Ive done this before and I'm sure it helped. The BMC B series will end up with the rear cylinder almost completely surrounded with scale.
Hot tank would be best though. On overheating MGA's boiling the head is a necessity.
Kurt.
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Any acid will take off rust. Muriatic acid is fine, but of course you need to dilute it; 10:1 or so isn't too weak. You won't get it spotless, but you might get a lot of the loose stuff out. I'd rinse it well, and use a mildly alkaline wash to be sure all the acid is gone. A little drain cleaner in water will do that.
If you can find some phosphoric acid, which is the main component in a lot of rust removers, that's better than muriatic acid. It creates an iron phosphate coating which will prevent re-rusting for a while--long enough to get the engine put back together.
But I do understand the concern. A certain amount of rust in the engine is inevitable, but there's always the concern that, if there's a lot of rust flakes, it might come loose and clog the radiator.
If you can find some phosphoric acid, which is the main component in a lot of rust removers, that's better than muriatic acid. It creates an iron phosphate coating which will prevent re-rusting for a while--long enough to get the engine put back together.
But I do understand the concern. A certain amount of rust in the engine is inevitable, but there's always the concern that, if there's a lot of rust flakes, it might come loose and clog the radiator.