Rust Behind Water Pump

[bps4]

Doing TB job, found rust behind Water Pump. The PO put the wrong type of coolant in the car, not sure if that is the cause. Is this something to worry much about?

[handyvorb]

The wrong coolant is the cause. If your heater core isn't clogged then just proceed, fill with the correct coolant (factory coolant). Then I would change your coolant again with more factory stuff in a month or so, and you should be good.

[KNaudi]

The wrong coolant is the cause. If your heater core isn't clogged then just proceed, fill with the correct coolant (factory coolant). Then I would change your coolant again with more factory stuff in a month or so, and you should be good.

2x. a couple full flushes with the correct coolant would probably do the trick.

[The_Jerbel]

This is what happens when people use the wrong coolant.

I would probably use an SOS pad or something and just clean up the loose rust before re-assembling everything.

[MacDaddy]

This is what happens when people use the wrong coolant.

I would probably use an SOS pad or something and just clean up the loose rust before re-assembling everything.

that would have as much of an impact as a mouse farting on it, keep in mind this rust is going to be throughout the engine and not just around the water pump, scrubbing with an SOS pad is just going to get bits of steel wool in the cooling system as well as introduce a bunch of cleaning chemicals which who knows what they do when they mix with coolant.

I would assemble the car, fill with water and run it untill the engine warms up, then drain the water and fill it with G12 coolant (alot of those mix with everything coolants actually don't mix with G12 if you read the label on the back so make sure its the right stuff) no point in buying G12 and then dumping it out a month later if you don't have to.

[orttauq]

This isn't necessarily a cause of wrong coolant. Rather, wrong water.

Happens all the time when using regular tap water as opposed to distilled water for coolant mixture.

[The_Jerbel]

that would have as much of an impact as a mouse farting on it, keep in mind this rust is going to be throughout the engine and not just around the water pump, scrubbing with an SOS pad is just going to get bits of steel wool in the cooling system as well as introduce a bunch of cleaning chemicals which who knows what they do when they mix with coolant.

I would assemble the car, fill with water and run it untill the engine warms up, then drain the water and fill it with G12 coolant (alot of those mix with everything coolants actually don't mix with G12 if you read the label on the back so make sure its the right stuff) no point in buying G12 and then dumping it out a month later if you don't have to.

SOS pads aren't made of steel wool, and wouldn't leave any debris. I would just scrub it down because I would rather look at a nice shiny surface where the pump impeller meets the block, so as to ensure good contact and as good of a seal as possible for maximum coolant flow. I understand that the rust is throughout the engine- the point of my suggestion was not to remove the rust from the engine, but to clean up the pump to block junction.

[handyvorb]

I would assemble the car, fill with water and run it untill the engine warms up, then drain the water and fill it with G12 coolant (alot of those mix with everything coolants actually don't mix with G12 if you read the label on the back so make sure its the right stuff) no point in buying G12 and then dumping it out a month later if you don't have to.

You will find that your new coolant will turn brownish after are while even after flushing the majority of bad stuff with water. The brown sludge stuff takes time to dissolve in the nooks and crannys that don't see much coolant circulation.

This isn't necessarily a cause of wrong coolant. Rather, wrong water.

Happens all the time when using regular tap water as opposed to distilled water for coolant mixture.

Mineral content in tap water is insignificant, G12 protects the cooling system from rust, it is a big myth that you need distilled water (check the popular coolant manufacturers websites). Mineral deposits from water will also appear white in color inside the cooling system (so does dried up G12). I've seen 15+ year old engines run all the coolant throughout their life with properly mixed G12 using tap water, with NO mineral deposits in the engine.

Now, THERE IS a TSB stating the brown, damaging coolant is a result of non-factory coolant contaminating the system.

[orttauq]

You will find that your new coolant will turn brownish after are while even after flushing the majority of bad stuff with water. The brown sludge stuff takes time to dissolve in the nooks and crannys that don't see much coolant circulation.



Mineral content in tap water is insignificant, G12 protects the cooling system from rust, it is a big myth that you need distilled water (check the popular coolant manufacturers websites). Mineral deposits from water will also appear white in color inside the cooling system (so does dried up G12). I've seen 15+ year old engines run all the coolant throughout their life with properly mixed G12 using tap water, with NO mineral deposits in the engine.

Now, THERE IS a TSB stating the brown, damaging coolant is a result of non-factory coolant contaminating the system.

It doesn't take a TSB to know that brown coolant is a result of non factory coolant, although it would mean it was either mixed with another type of coolant or mixed with oil.

While I'm sure it's fine to use non distilled water in a cooling system as probably 95% are doing so, non distilled water can cause corrosion particularly on iron.

[MacDaddy]

SOS pads aren't made of steel wool, and wouldn't leave any debris. I would just scrub it down because I would rather look at a nice shiny surface where the pump impeller meets the block, so as to ensure good contact and as good of a seal as possible for maximum coolant flow. I understand that the rust is throughout the engine- the point of my suggestion was not to remove the rust from the engine, but to clean up the pump to block junction.

well unless they recently changed, the last time i used one it was a steel wool scrubbing pad covered with a blue cleaning chemical that looked like comet kitchen cleaner.
if you want to do it for cosmetics sure, I would just make sure the gasket has a clean surface to be on.

as far as the water, city water is fine, but if your on a natural spring (like i am) its better to use distilled since spring water has a high mineral content. if there are brown deposits in the block it might be a good idea to run a cooling flush additive through the block before filling with G12, just make sure you get all that stuff out before you fill it with coolant (might want to drain and fill with water a few times)

[The_Jerbel]

Sorry, let me be more clear. I would use the interwoven plastic abrasive sponge-type things (whatever you call it), and I would get off all the rust where the pump impeller comes into close contact with the block surface, so as to maximize the pumps flow by ensuring as good a mating surface as possible. Obviously the gasket surface also needs to be clean (and I even use a little skiff of RTV when installing it).

[MacDaddy]

Sorry, let me be more clear. I would use the interwoven plastic abrasive sponge-type things (whatever you call it), and I would get off all the rust where the pump impeller comes into close contact with the block surface, so as to maximize the pumps flow by ensuring as good a mating surface as possible. Obviously the gasket surface also needs to be clean (and I even use a little skiff of RTV when installing it).

are you serious? plastic isn't going to clean off rust and the rust that is there isn't going to cause any cooling issues or impede coolant flow.

[The_Jerbel]

LOL. A plastic abrasive pad will certainly get rid of any loose rust. It won't sand down to bare metal, obviously.

You're better safe than sorry when it comes to this stuff. There may not be any issues if you just left it alone, but it can only be a good thing to get the best mating surface possible between the pump impeller and the block. People often complain about inadequate cooling with these cars, so you should do everything you can to optimize how the cooling system is running.

I'm still trying to figure out what your issue is with this. You just feeling a little argumentative today?