Thread: Foam in radiator???

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Hey guys I'm stuped on this one...

I have foam in my radiator, and when I shift and the truck comes down on RPM's the water temp goes full tilt (I think it is reading air or gas temp for a split second, then it goes to normal).

It dosn't seem like the water pump because I am not overheating and am still getting flow through the system when the motor comes up to temp (at the same time though I am getting bubbles) I think it Could have somthing to do with the water pump seal or did I loose a head gasket? Also how would I tell the difference between these two sceanarios? and why the hell is my water temp gage going haywire like that

Thanks for any help in advance,

Big John (motor rookie)

Could be you're cavitating (well, not you, the pump). Check your hoses, particularly the lower one, for collapse at rpm. You can't always tell from the outside either, as they are multi layered and will often fail at the inner layers first.

If you suspect a leak in the system, have it pressure tested, that would let you know there.

If you've got foam in your radiator, first you should drain and flush the system and replace with new antifreeze. Then take it from there.

While all the antifreeze is out you might as wel put in new hoses. They are usually cheap and can save a long walk.

Abe

you also can not mix 2 differant colors of anti freeze because this will also cause them to foam and after a while they will clog up your radiator as well.hope this helps kurt

streets; I also I drive Fuel tankers and have been doing this for about 20 years.I dont like to talk about my own stupid acts but I mixed the greenish/yellow stuff with the purplelish/blue stuff and it foamed up and the truck started over heating. the nice men at peterbuilt told me that mixing differant color anti freeze was a big no!no! then they flushed the system and put one color back in and low and behold the truck stoped over heating.I also pulled a portable ice rink around the country. we also pumped glycol or anti freeze thru the rubber tubes in the floor to cool the H2O that we sprayed on the floor with a garden hose that would then turn in to ice.for some reason they did'nt want us to mix anti freeze colors in this 300,000 doller machine.good for me but feel free to do your own testing. or talk to the guys at peterbuilt

Vegas

P.S.loved those women ice skaters.

streets; I'm just passing on what I was told. So don't take it to hard, I mean I am not a chemist or anything.but because of what I was told, I will not mix them now.but Im sure it's not written in stone at least I have not seen it. I did however hear back in the old day's that they ran pure alcohol instead of anti freeze but because of rubber hoses they went to glycol or anti freeze. I had heard that the alohol actually worked better. true or false.I never used it, but I'm hopefully opening someone else's mind to a possibilty of something that just might help them.and that's all I am trying to do.and If I did get it wrong sorry,but Im pretty sure that running one kind of anti freeze won't ruin his radiator or his engine.I also won't run three kinds of oil in my engines either I heard that the additives will some times fight each other,oh no let's not open that can of worms.I'll be here, just trying to help If I can.

Vegas

By the way I heard you were sick, hope you're feeling better. Merry Christmas.

Vegas
aka Kurt

P.S. I stopped writting in all caps after that oil pan incedent my fingers have healed.

I don't know how many of you all read Car and Driver. A while back they had an article on Antifreeze. Must have been between 1 and 2 years ago. But they were talking about a new type of antifreeze that had a different color and a completely different formula. Supposedly used stock on some exotic new cars. I don't remember all the particulars, and my old issues are buried in the closet, so I'm not going to check. But the gist of it was that you can't mix the two colors (ie new and old types) or else something bad will happen. Not sure what it was, something like either your radiatior ruined or messed up something. I think that is what Kurt is thinking of. Someone on here is bound to know the articles I'm talking about. I think Patrick Bedard or something like that wrote them.

Generally the green stuff is "conventional", the orange stuff is "extended life". They use different additive systems which in some cases may be incompatible and precipitate deposits. Not really a big problem, but some people who are concerned will pass on the warning with emphasis. Then there's the ongoing preferences between propylene glycol, and ethylene glycol........so here's a link to the Peak site with some discussion on these and other matters of antifreeze. From the page linked, go to the bottom for the other subject matters discussed.

http://www.peakantifreeze.com/tech/tech_e.html

Hey Streets...!!!...."Sick.??"..... ......A little demented maybe. ........thats why we do what we do....you know....talking about ratios...bores...strokes....colors of antifreeze...I know.!!!..Lets drink some...say...yellow antifreeze.....maybe that will fix our damn knees.!!!!..... ......I cancelled December for both of us bud........And made a real big Xmas wish.........RECOVERY....and early SPRING......We will get thru this man.!!!............................................Ok.. Speaking of antifreeze...Seems the guys in the parts stores are worried about mixing the new synthetic stuff with the green/red/whatever colors....Just like everything else these days....Theres TOO many damn products on the shelves these days.!!!.....Checked out the bread shelf at the local grocery store lately.??.... .....Back to cooling systems.......Ever checked out the can of water pump lube ya buy for an inflated price.??....It's nothing more than water soluble machine oil....The same thing I use in my pin hone...Been using it for years in radiators.....It's also good for ya after eating too many tacos......Flushes ya out nicely I must say......

Originally posted by inlineidiot
Hey Streets...!!!...."Sick.??"..... ......A little demented maybe. ........

a "LITTLE"??????????????????

Originally posted by inlineidiot
.??....It's nothing more than water soluble machine oil....The same thing I use in my pin hone...Been using it for years in radiators.....It's also good for ya after eating too many tacos......Flushes ya out nicely I must say...... ........

rotflmmfao.........you're killing me ....joe

Originally posted by Streets
Joe?? Are yu related to the "IT" that was here a few ago??

hey streets , I'm sorry my friend but thats really hitting below the belt. In somebodies eyes I may be a low life SOB, BUT I will never be in the same catagory as that lowlife asshole, "IT" is lower then the slime that under a snails belly...............

...What did I say.??......I meant I was demented...I think....Well ...certain ones keep telling me that.!!..But then again..??....... ....Some guy I have got to know keeps telling me....."The sane people are all locked up ya know."...... ....Not sure what he means.????.....