sludge in the radiator/not on dipstick though

[tuoser]

hey all
new to the forum but love reading it..
i have a vu's'2 ute..
was losing water a lot so i changed the heater tap and water leak has stopped but i have this sludge in the radiator now..
i'm tipping it's not the head gasket ??
rocker cover gaskets need replacing though which i'll be doing soon..
any ideas r.e sludge???

thanks heaps
tuoser

[tuoser]

just read an old thread and the coolant stick is sludgy as well..
so i assume its the inlet manifold gasket..!!
are they hard to change??
thanks

[Killr6]

does holden service your cooling system? if those they use these pellet things that make the coolant dirty.

my radiator cap has sludge on it and so does the dipstick but ive had my inlet manifold gasket tested and it was fine, so im also unsure on the problem in my car.

[Defected]

Sounds like it could be inlet manifold

inlet manifold is pretty easy if you know your way around the motor. Just taking off the plenum and manifold ( and all accessories) just make sure all your surfaces are cleaned properly, i spent around 2 hours on each my old VN and mums VX cleaning all surfaces. makes a difference.

There is a guide on here i think, Just search for it, if not grab a commodore manual from an auto shop

Also, make sure you flush your entire cooling system to get all the crap out or you'll have gunk under your radiator cap again

[bricat]

I think you need to change the oil too as water will get down the gallies?

[VR38]

Did you fluch the heater and cooling system when you replaced the heater tap?

[Anglosaxon]

One other thing it can be, if its an auto, trans fluid, I got a crack in one of the trans coolers in my radiator and all my trans fluid ended up in my cooling system, took me ages to flush it all out, thankfully no water ended up in trans but,,

[tuoser]

Did you fluch the heater and cooling system when you replaced the heater tap?

yeah..i flushed it properly
car overheated today and all the sludge was pouring out of the overflow...engine had used oil as well..
i filled it with water again and replaced oil..
dipstick oil was still clear of any sludge though..
i think it might be time to replace inlet manifold and rocker cover gaskets now..
rocker cover gaskets definitely leaking and i guess it is the inlet manifold gasket as well..
i will then give cooling system a huge clean/flush..
any advice to get it all done quicker/easier is very welcome..
thanks

[Killr6]

if the sludge is a creamy brown colour its the inlet manifold gasket, save yourself and buy a MACE inlet set will last a lifetime.

if its a redish colour your radiator has shit itself , and it leaking tranny fluid into the system.

[tuoser]

if the sludge is a creamy brown colour its the inlet manifold gasket, save yourself and buy a MACE inlet set will last a lifetime.

if its a redish colour your radiator has shit itself , and it leaking tranny fluid into the system.

Ok..it's creamy brown.. I am selling the car once it's fixed, so do you think I just get the gaskets from supacheap and do them..
Thanks

[tuoser]

Ok..it's creamy brown.. I am selling the car once it's fixed, so do you think I just get the gaskets from supacheap and do them..
Thanks

The sludge problem only started after changing the heater tap if that gives any clues..!?

[Killr6]

hmmmm nah i wouldn't buy the gaskets from supercheap contact steve from MACE and buy an aluminium set.

but did you change all of the heater tap hoses when you changed the heater tap? and you might need to re flush the system.

[tuoser]

hmmmm nah i wouldn't buy the gaskets from supercheap contact steve from MACE and buy an aluminium set.

but did you change all of the heater tap hoses when you changed the heater tap? and you might need to re flush the system.

No,didn't change any of the hoses..rocker cover gaskets are definitely leaking..oil is getting spat around the engine bay by the fans too..thought I might as well do the intake manifold gasket also..I presume it can fix the problem..there is sludge in the coolant reservoir too..was going to give it a major flush after the gaskets..am I on the right track ?!
Thanks

[Killr6]

yeah well it does sound more like you intake gasket so change that, change the rocker cover gaskets while your at it, clean the engine up while you have it apart, clean the TB and intake etc.

while you have the coolant dropped should look into changing the heater tap hoses also because if the heater tap was screwed the hoses wont be far off. they are cheap to replace.

when changing a intake manifold gasket you also need to drop the oil.

[Full Spectrum]

Is it hard?.

Answer. Unless you some skills working with cars engine parts in the past i wouldn't bother trying it. I have small car working skills i've done plenty of brakes suspension parts etc. but even the mace spacers were trouble for me.





With the mace gasket it's wonderful. But there are a few bits missing, so don't get told you need a full holden kit. they don't actually sell it as a kit. you can buy the extra parts needed from Holden all separate like i did. Off the top of my head i can't recall all of them, o ring????.

[TI3VOM]

READ THIS THREAD: Brown slime on my radiator cap This thread was started by Parabola and he has said it was NOT his manifold inlet gasket.

Have a good look at the pictures I have uploaded in that thread, once they are in your radiator they go a real smiley sludgy brown colour, they make everything where the coolant go brown and slimey.

[tuoser]

ok
did a complete cooling system flush today and got rid of heaps of sludge..had engine cover off and rocker gaskets definitely gone..i'm fine to give the gaskets a go,might take a while but good to do myself..
i wonder if the auto trans cooling line seals need to be done, didn't even think of that..could explain the oil getting thrown around by the fans also ???
that is something else i would need to learn how to do..!!
thanks

[Killr6]

if its the auto trans seals, you would just need a new radiator as it leaks internally and causes redish dots to float in your coolant, and also cause a sludge.

as stated i also still have the same problem, still havent fixed it. my problem also came after i changed my heater tap and water pump which was weird, ive got a gasket inlet set to install, because my car is old and it probs needs it.

and if that doesn't fix it, then il change my radiator and if its still there il drive it off a cliff.

but my sludge takes months and months to build back up so its a slow leak somewhere.

[tuoser]

Yeah..I will do the gaskets and if it still sludges I will change the radiator..if that fails I too will see you at the cliff
Thanks

[TI3VOM]

if its the auto trans seals, you would just need a new radiator as it leaks internally and causes redish dots to float in your coolant, and also cause a sludge.

as stated i also still have the same problem, still havent fixed it. my problem also came after i changed my heater tap and water pump which was weird, ive got a gasket inlet set to install, because my car is old and it probs needs it.

and if that doesn't fix it, then il change my radiator and if its still there il drive it off a cliff.

but my sludge takes months and months to build back up so its a slow leak somewhere.

Are you sure when it builds up, that it's not just leftover crap from inside the engine?

[Killr6]

Are you sure when it builds up, that it's not just leftover crap from inside the engine?

im not 100% sure, the dipstick builds up fast, but the radiator cap takes its time.

[tuoser]

Well I'm doing inlet man and rocker cover gaskets fri/sat...also doing front castor bushes..big weekend..anyone know where I can get fuel line disconnector tool? Also do I definitely need to drop the oil before I start?
Thanks guys

[itsaholdennotachevymate]

you can make a tool to disconnect the fuel line by cutting a pen top in half and then lengthways
then place the cap over the fuel pipe and push it into the quick connector to release the hose
if you have a car manual it should say it in the plenum chamber section

[Mick1988]

You can buy a complete valve regrind kit for like $140 on eBay and sell the head gaskets.

[FstStig]

First of all, If he is only going to sell it after doing the work, then normal inlet manifold gaskets will be fine. Why waste money on something you aren't going to see the end to?
Fuel line dis connectors can be purchased from Super Cheap Auto for about $10 - $20. If you can get yourself a Handbook like a Gregories or Haynes, then you will be able to learn a lot more from it. In the end it will pay for its self. Oil and Oil filter change is a MUST after doing it. Any questions give us a yell, have done heaps of them

FstStig