not sure if picture link works, anyway it's a piece of the hose that runs from bottom of radiator to heater core with what looks like cat crap coming out of it. leftover sand from the casting, maybe? I'm starting to doubt the PO's reassurances about maintaining the SCA levels. at 375k miles, should I be worried? What, if anything do I need to do to get all the kitty litter out of my block?

 

Some kinda stop leak?

 

I've never used any and I've drained, flushed(not very well evidently), and filled my coolant twice

 

Ewww, that makes me want to do the coolant filter install even sooner....

 

someone filled the engine up with stop leak at one time.
do a good forward and reverse flush of the engine, radiator, and heater core and you should be good to go.

 

Also remove the drains in the block if you can get them out. I did and a lot of crud came out them.

 

I've never seen or experienced it in person but I'm told that mixing some forms of coolant can create a sludge like that.

 

a friend of mine NEVER uses a chemical flush in his coolant systems primarily for this reason. He claims flushing the coolant system with chemicals (as opposed to just plain water) just allows for the extracted gunk to accumulate in hard to reach areas. I never believed him (he's a bit paranoid), but maybe this is some evidence of that.

 

This was in another members engine https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post14017963

 

Whoa, that's gross. I just finished the mounting bracket for my coolant filter, should have it mounted this weekend.

 

stop leak for sure, if you use a chem flush you will find what was leaking as it will likely start leaking again. coolant filter is a good idea, but you will not ever b able to use a stop leak product as the filter will remove it, till it plugs up.

 

Thats a good thing, stop leak is a "omg I'm in the middle of nowhere and this is the only thing I have mixed in with the rest of my junk til I can get back to civiliation and fix it properly" kinda deal

Even then it would still be a last resort

 

I have never seen this before but it sounds like the sludge the coolant tech, from the coolant company, spoke of when mixing SCA's with the wrong kind of engine coolant. The tech I spoke with said if I was not positive which coolant I had in my system I should remove the radiator fluid and start over fresh.

Additionally, most of the SCA charged coolant will only work with up to approximately 25% compatible non SCA coolant (Check the directions).

Why does your radiator hose originate from the bottom of the radiator?

 

^^This, I'm wondering the same about the hose to, well heater not radiator hose.

 

So your water pump doesn't have to pump coolant up through your radiator.


I had this stuff in my heater core one time I just put the garden hose on one end on full blast one side and let it run until it was clear coming out the other end. heater worked better after.