Going full circle

[Roert42]

Looks like rust to me

Either that or dexcool sludge

 

[Josh B]

I've never heard of Dexcool, guess I might have gotten some without knowing. I have hardly been in the radiator for quite some time now

 

[Roert42]

Dexcool is a type of coolant that GM used for a long while, not sure if they still do. I know ford used it for some of its engines as well. It’s orange.

Tends to turn to sludge if it’s mixed with regular green coolant or if the system isn’t kept full.

Supposedly it’s more efficient but you need to keep up the maintenance reliability or you get issues.

 

[Ranger850]

Bars Stop-Leak will do that too

 

[RobbieD]

I've never heard of Dexcool, guess I might have gotten some without knowing. I have hardly been in the radiator for quite some time now

Wouldn't hurt to flush the system and get some new green antifreeze in there (what a '93 used).

I used to not keep up with coolant, unless we were getting a real bad cold snap. Now I've seen the error of my ways, and change it every two years.

Makes a difference and well worth the trouble.

 

[Josh B]

Dexcool is a type of coolant that GM used for a long while, not sure if they still do. I know ford used it for some of its engines as well. It’s orange.

Tends to turn to sludge if it’s mixed with regular green coolant or if the system isn’t kept full.

Supposedly it’s more efficient but you need to keep up the maintenance reliability or you get issues.

I may have gotten some of that in a wmart jug marked as "extended life", not certain, but otherwise I don't know where the red color might have come from, that was first time I had seen it looking red, also I think the light from the flash and sometimes the flashlight makes it redder.
I went to Sherman tx today, appz a 100 mile drive, but before leaving I took the truck down the road a 1/4 mile or so and drained the radiator right in the 5 ft deep dirt and gravel road, just before three semi tractor trailers came by to pick up a neighbors cattle, that must have given it a good welcome. I refilled it with plain filtered water before leaving home.
I kept a good eye on the temp gauge, it seemed to ride a bit higher, but I was pushing it a bit due to traffic on the highway. It never got high enough to greatly concern me tho, stayed basically about straight up and down, maybe even a bit left of that.

A lot of stop and go through the town there, and although I have known the town fairly well for a long time, it is currently under construction, from one end to the other, on both sides, and everywhere in between, on both ends, on both sides, there is not a part of that town that is not wreaking in total confusion.

I clocked 270 miles today, I am certain at least the 70 was due to their construction nightmare, I dubbed it "total insanity"

After getting home and letting it cool and rest I pulled the cap and it looked a bit different, tho I also believe the light has a large effect on it's color

I'm hoping to begin getting those motors swapped in the next few weeks, and I saved the green antifreeze from the new Explorer radiator (wish it would fit the Ranger :/ ) to use in the new setup

I was not too far from being in friendly territory when I decided to make a U and grab a photo. There used to be an entire field of old planes there but they moved them all but this one. I'm not certain what it is. I think they just weren't able to fly it out when they closed the field
I flew in an Air West (A Hughes Airline) in 71, from Crescent City CA to San Francisco, it was a twin prop. Then a Delta Airline to Dallas

 

[sgtsandman]

The color looks a lot better. A good flush might be a good idea just to make sure all the junk is out of the system but I think you are good.

If you are using a concentrate mix, make sure to to use distilled water. You can get it in gallon jugs at the grocery store. I prefer premixed 50/50 because it’s convenient and I doubt the concentrate is significantly cheaper after it’s all said and done.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I use concentrate because it's $12 a gallon where premix is $9 a gallon and distilled water is $1 a gallon so the concentrate is now $6.50 a gallon instead of $9, but it's kinda splitting hairs, $3 ain't much anymore when you only need two gallons per engine...

 

[James Morse]

But aside from the price, if you get the concentrate and find out the mix is weak it's easier to even it out.
Like if you flushed the system completely you will have water remaining in it so when you add 50/50 it gets diluted.
What I'm saying is, if the spec says x quarts needed, you will never be able to actually put in that number it will be something less than that. Same with oil of course.
One time I took oil to a dealer shop to change it out on a Saab, got the car back, it was wtf over max. I asked them why did you put in so much oil they said you gave us (whatever it was) so we put it in. I had them drain some out to get it in range. To me that says the guys working there didn't have a clue as to even the most basic thing you do on a vehicle.

 

[Ranger850]

But aside from the price, if you get the concentrate and find out the mix is weak it's easier to even it out.
Like if you flushed the system completely you will have water remaining in it so when you add 50/50 it gets diluted.
What I'm saying is, if the spec says x quarts needed, you will never be able to actually put in that number it will be something less than that. Same with oil of course.
One time I took oil to a dealer shop to change it out on a Saab, got the car back, it was wtf over max. I asked them why did you put in so much oil they said you gave us (whatever it was) so we put it in. I had them drain some out to get it in range. To me that says the guys working there didn't have a clue as to even the most basic thing you do on a vehicle.

My Nissan takes 4.5 quarts of oil per the manual. I changed the filter from the one they say use to a larger one, now I use the whole 5 quarts with no issues at all.

Outside Diameter is larger, but the gasket diameter is the same. I've had 0 issues since I've made this switch.

 

[Josh B]

The color looks a lot better. A good flush might be a good idea just to make sure all the junk is out of the system but I think you are good.

If you are using a concentrate mix, make sure to to use distilled water. You can get it in gallon jugs at the grocery store. I prefer premixed 50/50 because it’s convenient and I doubt the concentrate is significantly cheaper after it’s all said and done.

I just put pure water in it before leaving on the trip, hoping it would free up anything inside and will likely wait till the motor's swapped out to put the green stuff in that I've been saving from the Explorer

 

[Josh B]

I been looking at this stuff so long I coulda tore down a battleship. (when we really shoulda been building the hek out of em :/ )
How do you get this stuff apart without just taking a sawzall to it? I really wouldn't mind doing that but see no need in wasting it if it can be used elsewhere

Looks like the AC lines are mostly just crimped but a sawzall is all I can see to use on that

The power steering I can only think to unbolt it and then let hang

Not sure I'd ever need them both but who knows, or maybe somebody else could

 

[RobbieD]

AC fittings are Spring-Lock, like fuel lines. It'll use the same tool that wraps around the line and then is used to push into the fitting to back the spring off to uncouple the fitting.

 

[Josh B]

This is what I got and couldn't get it to work on my fuel lines, they said another type worked better but I never got one.

Is this it or does the other one work best on these too?

 

[Ranger850]

This is what I got and couldn't get it to work on my fuel lines, they said another type worked better but I never got one.

Is this it or does the other one work best on these too?

The othere ones look like liitle top hats with a slice on one side. IMO, much easier to work with.

37000 Air Conditioning / Fuel Line Disconnect Tool Set

Easily Disconnects Air Conditioning Lines and Quick Connect Fuel Lines.

www.lislecorp.com