Brown Gunge

[Gridgway]

whilst doing my normal checks, I found that the transparent header tank had a layer of brown gunge in. It was clear last time I checked which was in May with the previous engine in. I took the top off the tank , put my finger in and it was kind of brown and gungy!

 

Anyone any ideas what this might be?

 

[Gary_C]

Crap, just like everything I type!

 

 

 

Edited by - gary_c on 23 Sep 2001 19:38:38

[Fast Westie]

Oil in your water. Hopefully it was when the new engine went in, if not it is the head gasket. Clean it out and see if it comes back.

 

The car in front is a Westfie1d wink.gif

[Paul McKenzie]

If it's a vauxhall 2.0 XE, you've got one with a porous head.

Paul

 

[clarkey]

My Superlight R has got the same. It drives perfectly and a compression test didn't reveal any problems, so I've chosen to ignore it!!

[kenny.]

My VX has rust coloured residue in expansion tank......I just put this down to never having run anti-freeze, as engine is blob on.

 

Kenny HPC

 

 

[captain chaos]

My Vx suffered from this oily gunge until earlier this year. I can only suggest that it due to the time spent idle. I too thought it was a porous head but my water has stayed blue this year. If it is a porous head, then you need to drain and change/flush the water occasionally, or have it treated. I know a guy who had a problem where his hoses had gone rotten from the inside due to the oil in the water.

[EFA]

Er rust from a steel radiator, pump internals, heater matrix and submarine tube can also turn the coolant brown.

 

 

 

 

 

Fat Arn

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[Tony Martyr]

I have had exactly the same gunge following major work over the winter. I took off the hot header to see if the whole system was coated but there was no sign. The engine runs perfectly to I have ceased to worry - about that

[Paul McKenzie]

Gridgway,

If it's a brown mousse-like emulsion, then you have an oil leak into the cooling system - as I said before if you have a VX 2.0 XE this is from a porous head - been there, got the T-shirt, don't want another!

The discolouration you get from having little or no antifreeze in the system is just suspended rust particles with a cloudy brown non-sticky/non-gungy appearance - if you've got oil going in there, the emulsion gunge you get is unmistakeable.... and from your description, it sound like that's what you have

Paul

 

[Gridgway]

Just to be clear, it's def not emulsion it's a thin layer of rust coloured stuff which seems to have an oily consistency when I put my finger in and rub some off the bottom of the tank.

 

I'll clean it out and see if it comes back.