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Head gasket issue or rust ?

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jason6989

Probationary Member
24
1
Apr 21, 2013
Manama, Arizona
Could anyone tell me if this is a head gasket issue or is it rust?


i took the radiator for flushing to a garage and i think it got clogged after that , but the water inside the engine, upper and lower radiator hose was all clean water which i used for testing,,, and from my radiator it looks like this... and i shook up some water in the reserve and poured it out
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Totally rust! Hook a garden hose up to the top of the radiator and blast that crap out! Would be advantageous to take it out of the car so you can shake it, rotate it and such.
Then you want to clear all the passage ways in the block as well, all that gunk is in your system! Once you piss just clean water, refill with proper fluids and add in a anti - rust inhibitor additive to your cooling system.

Repeat this process about a month later, you will get more junk out, keep doing it till it's clean, and keep adding the rust inhibitor!

Or you can just get a new radiator, and clean water ways in the block a few times, which is the more expensive route. But don't forget the anti-rust inhibitor, or your work will be in vein!
 
@rough im going to refurbish my radiator, i can also upgrade but i dont want that for now since there is alot of rust and it would clog the new one too so theres no point in investing, i might change the head gasket along with that

thanks for the anti rust tip! but im not too sure if we have that stuff here in Bahrain
 
Agreed, no hg unless needed you might have to have the head decked. I've talked to different mechanics and machinists most say cast iron block with alum head= warped head. Different rates of thermal expansion and contraction I guess. Either way you are supposed to check the deck with a machinists straight edge, which is round not like a ruler and feeler gauges. If you suspect your hg, rent a cylinder leak down tester if possible or have it done.
 
ive been working on my cooling system for a while now, cant seem to find the issue...when i give it WOT my temps hit 239F and when i idle it cools down better then when im crusising, when i cruise it goes up to 219-220F

So im assuming there was no proper circulation of fluid..
 
True tap water is horrible on cooling systems. All kinds of deposits and build up, so flushing it is imperative. If the system was plugged that would explain high temps. If during your block flushing, it's circulating ok you may want to rent a coolant system pressure tester. Is it low at all? Could def be a t stat, check the inlet and outlet hoses from the radiator. Inlet hot, outlet warm/cooler. Let it get up to operation temp and check them. Air in the system can cause problems too. Let us know your what you find out.
 
I've never had any issues arise from using tap water to clean out the cooling system provided you add in the anti rust inhibitor when you refill with 50/50.
If you are well off and can afford a true cooling flushing system, or trust a shop to do it right, more power to ya :)

I bought a 88 camaro, the whole cooling system was just like OP's, maybe thicker, I let that motor run while I had a garden hose running full blast, after about 15 minutes of idle, and random revs to boost the junk removal and stir things up, the water was clear, I do recommend having a pyrometer while doing this, as the cold water will throw your temps off and if the exhaust is getting to hot, the engine is not properly cooling, which is a indication of a clog or not enough water being pushed through the engine. I did this on the intake manifold, as well as with all the lines and radiator as well, replaced T stat "rust likes to hide here"" refilled with 60% coolant/ 40% water and added anti rust inhibitor, did the 60/40 in case any water might remain in the system.

A month later I drained the system again, and it was pretty darn clean! A few floaters here and there, but not new rust! Just emptied and refilled coolant, added another thing of anti rust, 6 months later.. Perfect cooling system! Never overheated, 6 months later full drain, no rust!

Even if you follow the no tap water rule, you will always get calcium and water deposits with enough time, as there will always be a bubble or two in the cooling system allowing solidification. With time coolant breaks down as well.

Biggest cause of rust or buildup is Air/dry areas in the cooling system.
 
@Eclipsedriver1981 i did a heater core delete.. would it still work if i have my heater knob turned up ?

@mercaholik i have swapped the thermostat with a new mitsubishi one although i think the new one is faulty too, i will check with that, or i will swap back to my old thermostat .,.ive tested the old one at home and it opens up fine.

@rough i will try that good info ..

Thanks everyone!
 
I was only refering to using it in the coolant your supposed to use distilled water IF you arent using pre mixed coolant. I have only used tap to flush, so does every shop ive worked at. No reason not to, its only a problem if used for years with no maintenance in the cooling system and i have seen the hard water deposits first hand. It depends on where you live too, but if you flush it as much as rough does you'll be golden. Ok to purge cooling system of air. Open radiator cap with engine cold and off, top it off then start engine. Let it get up to o.t. and cooling fan should come on and you should be watching and filling when needed. Also make sure the front of the car is higher than the back.
 
@Eclipsedriver1981 i did a heater core delete.. would it still work if i have my heater knob turned up ?

@mercaholik i have swapped the thermostat with a new mitsubishi one although i think the new one is faulty too, i will check with that, or i will swap back to my old thermostat .,.ive tested the old one at home and it opens up fine.

@rough i will try that good info ..

Thanks everyone!

Removing the heater core shouldn't affect your temp. All cooling is done pretty much by the radiator.

Is this thermostat one of the fail safe's? I went through 4 all wouldn't work properly, I had enough and put a oem one in.

If the thermostat overheats it will stick open, so on a cold day you will be warm at an idle, but once you start moving your temp drops to cold.
 
@rough i mean if i dont have a heater core plugged in would it make a difference if my heat knob is turned up ?

im not sure what thermostat im running but its a mitsu one.. i think im going to change the thermostat and see what happens
 
I wouldn't replace the thermostat until you get all the crap out of the system..if you get large particles in the system it could affect the performance of the thermostat.. plus if you have it out you dont have to wait for it to get warm enough to open
 
Adjusting the heater knob will do nothing since you don't have a heater core.
The heater core is pretty much covered by a flap, so when you put it to warm, it opens that flap allowing air to pass through that heater core into your car warming it.

Defiantly make sure you decrap the system like driver1981 said before putting in that new T-stat! The rust is the problem, as it's not as efficient at all at cooling as water/coolant.

Clean that system like a mad man and new T-stat, if that doesn't fix the problem, you might be running to rich/lean ect, but take care of that cooling system first! Get R dun before it gets cold out!
 
I agree with all who say flush her. You have to get all of that crap out or you'll just clog a new thermostat, and be right back to having cooling problems. Get the cooling problem fixed before you worry about the hg. If it isn't warped, but you let it get too hot, you may cause it.
 
I currently work at autozone and I can't count how many times customers would come in with water pumps completely rusted, and trash rusted radiators, all with one thing in common. TAP WATER. After you are done flushing I would dump some rusty treatment / preventative in there that coats everything to prevent it from happening again, then buy pure anti freeze, and a gallon of distilled water and make your own 50/50 (cheaper route) good luck!
 
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