Guess what i found in my Radiator!!

[alghamedGT]

Hi folks
recently i replaced my old radiator with a brand new one
so today because im curious and because i had nothing to do i opened the old one

i was supriesed
it was very nasty and full of stop leak that i added in winter time
almost all tubes are blocked with this crap
and now im worried about heater cores condition

so todays lesson
dont ever never use a stop leak product its gonna ruine your cooling system and your heater core
always fix the problem and do not think to try any product

Companies knows that cars owners are lazy so they keep making and selling us ..
magic products now are every where
oil stop leak
ac stop leak
coolant stop leak
stop lifter noise
and some products that can restore magicaly your worn engine to its factory condition

friends i tried alot of this products but nothin works
dont trust this products and always fix the problems
sorry for my very bad english

[Father Of Giants]

I have wasp nests attached to mine.

[dkr]

It can also block coolant ports on the head of your engine.

I wouldn't use stop leak, unless I was trying to get the last few miles out of the vehicle before junking it.

Dkr.

[BillGrissom]

Would have to be jugs of stop leak. Looks more like corrosion.

[Diseasel300]

Corrosion x2. This is the same crap that was in my SDL's original radiator. Corrosion like that comes from lack of maintenance, coolant that was left in there WAY too long and the corrosion inhibitors broke down and quit doing their job.

No wonder this radiator was so much heavier than the new one. Probably about a 50% weight gain from all the extra crap it's carrying around in the tubes.

[97 SL320]

Put a magnet on it and see if some sticks.

There are only a few additives that actually work. This is based on decades of actual in the car repair business experience.

Coolant: "Bars Leaks" brand tablets , these are also branded by AC Delco ( GM ) and likely other car makers. This sealer is stealth, won't clog heater cores and is great for those small seepy leaks, it won't work on something that is pouring.

Coolant: "Blue Devil" head gasket sealer. This actually works surprisingly well. I consider it emergency use only not a lasting repair. It contains Sodium Silicate ( Water Glass ) it remains in suspension in liquid but when flowing through a leak the glass fibers bond together forming a seal. It won't clog heater cores.

Fuel: "Chevron" brand " Techron" this cleans carbon from the backs of intake valves and injectors. specified by BMW in the 90's when they had huge trouble with carbon on valves.

Automatic transmission: "Lube Guard" brand " Shudder fix " , this is a friction modifier to eliminate the slip / stick - shudder sometimes found on lock up torque converters. Similar in function to limited slip differential additive. It won't fix any other ills.

Rear axle: " Limited Slip Additive " , many brands. This is a friction modifier that eliminates the growl / shudder when making very slow tight turns. Similar to " Shudder Fix "

Oil leak: Any type of oil fluid. I don't use these but they do sort of work by softening / swelling rubber seals. They more or less contain regular brake fluid.

[alghamedGT]

yes i know my radiator was very rusty because i never cleaned it but the majority of crap that you see is stop leak im sure
the product i used looks like dirt and rust
i dont remember the name but i still remember what is look like
im very satisfied with the new radiator even with its cheap quality
now with 45°C outside i get 80°C with ac on in highway and 90°C in city

any ideas guys for cleaning the heater core? i dont want to freeze in winter
a friend told me to use HCL

[Mxfrank]

If it ain't broke don't fix it. Your friend isn't a friend. HCL will finish the heater core, the engine and the new radiator.

[124126140]

Vinegar works well and is gentle
get some clear plastic tubing on both ends
a funnel and pour in diluted vinegar
let sit then verbal back and forth
by pressurizing with mouth be gentle
wash rinse repeat

[Squiggle Dog]

Citric acid or oxalic acid (wood bleach) should work, but I don't know the mixing ratios. You can Google it, though. Oxalic acid also makes a great rust remover that's cheaper than Evaporust.

[Zulfiqar]

I experienced that in another car of mine, stop leak made very fine mud in the coolant and was killing the waterpump.

Powercleaned everything and installed new radiator along with waterpump. Its been years now and everything is perfect.

Never put anything called stop leak in the cooling system. Its a giant pain.