The Camano Experience

Thanks Frank! We have a number of trees lining the drive to the shop so after crunching the corner of a trailer years ago, I figure anything to help will be worth it.

I had no idea how long I would be dealing with this cooling system cleanout or just how many gallons of distilled water I'd be buying (it's been a LOT).

Last I mentioned, after doing some distilled water flushes I was getting a milky white color. That quickly changed to a yellow paste and there was a lot of it. It wasn't seen until letting the jugs sit overnight to settle. I then drained the liquid out and was left with this clay like substance that easily dissolved. This is just one jug out of who knows how many I've collected that show the stuff at the bottom of them.


Finally decided that if I am getting this stuff out of it, I am just going to do the water hose since it would take a year of distilled flushes to clear it out.
As of tonight I've done two water hose flushes with two distilled cycles after each. I am doing one more distilled cycle and then I am calling it quits no matter what comes out. This fall I'll flush it again and see what I get.

The block and heads aren't the ones that came out of the truck and were bought off Craigslist for the rebuild. Best guess is that this is some stop leak that someone poured in and was loosened up by the Thermacure. Beats me where this much stuff was/is hiding though. I did find some mention of products that use bentonite clay like I've put in ponds so maybe that's what this is.

Makes me glad I still have my new heater core bypassed so at least this stuff isn't getting into it.

What's a little funny is that the truck never was getting hot. Typically ran between the O-R getting to the M if sitting at a light with the A/C on.
Tonight I took the truck to get washed and circulate the distilled water by doing a lap around town which included some highway driving. It never got to the N until I was sitting at a light. So clearing this stuff out has made a noticeable, if unnecessary, difference.
I know it's just running pure water but thinking I need to put the 195 I originally was going to use in. After talking to Scotty he recommended the 180 but this just seems like it's too cool.

Maybe pickup a 192 Motorcraft one like came out of it?

Just ordered an RT-1025 which is what came out of my grandpa's 85 460. I believe it's the high flow equivalent of the RT-1052 which is what the 460's called for. 192F.

So maybe a compromise between the current high flow 180 Scotty recommended and the factory 192.

I don't know why you haven't been using rainwater.
It's free (and free of any calcium or sodium)

The gauge is just a random scale.
Put a patch of masking tape on your water neck (thermostat housing) and point your IR thermometer at it if you really want to know the temp of coolant leaving the engine.
Remember it is actually much cooler in the cylinders, before traveling to the back of the block and back forward across the exhaust ports to the thermostat.

Scott - That's ugly looking stuff to come out of a cooling system.  Was the block hot-tanked in the rebuild process?  I would have thought that would have gotten all of that out.

But I sure understand the frustration with flush after flush after flush, so I can see the desire to run it and flush again later.  You may have already cleaned out the majority of the yellow stuff, as well as lots of other yuk.

As for the 'stat, I don't remember what I put in BB, but I'll be interested to see what you think of that one.

I would happily use rainwater but don't have any capture. Supposed to rain this weekend but not sure I want to pull the downspouts...something to consider though.
You're absolutely right Jim that the gauge doesn't really mean much - I think I've found mention of it being a 20 degree spread?
Once I get the 50/50 mix in there I will take some temp measurements to see what I am dealing with.

Gary - it really is nasty stuff. I would have assumed it was hot-tanked but not really feeling that way. The builder was highly recommended for 460s so I didn't ask many questions but definitely filing this stuff away for any future engine building.

I can't imagine that it was hot-tanked.  Those are supposed to get really HOT, and the chemical is so corrosive it ruins the cam bearings.  I'd think that would easily have taken the yellow yuk out.

On the temps, what radiator are you running?  I ask because I can take some inlet and outlet temp readings on Big Blue one of these days and we can compare.  But if you are running a Champion 4-row, like I think you are, it'll be a better comparison 'cause that's what I'm running.

Shows what little I know of the process  Think we can safely say it wasn't.

That would be great to get a comparison. Mine is a 3 row Champion unbranded but given that we aren't pushing their cooling limits I'd say it would be a close-enough comparison.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I don't know why you haven't been using rainwater.
It's free (and free of any calcium or sodium)

The gauge is just a random scale.
Put a patch of masking tape on your water neck (thermostat housing) and point your IR thermometer at it if you really want to know the temp of coolant leaving the engine.
Remember it is actually much cooler in the cylinders, before traveling to the back of the block and back forward across the exhaust ports to the thermostat.

Playing "catsup" LOL
Jim I got to ask why the masking on the housing before taking a reading with the IR gun?
Just never heard of doing this before.
Dave ----

Different surfaces have different emissivity.
The IR gun would have a vastly different reading on chrome or flat black at exactly the same temperature.

Masking tape seems a happy medium for my inexpensive gun, which is difficult to change modes or recalibrate.
It correlates with actual coolant temp, as determined by a immersion thermometer that is lab grade.

(Remember Omega Engineering, industrial park off Hope, between Glenbrook and Springdale?)

Since the thermostat housing can be chrome, or covered in corrosion, or greasy, or powder coated, or...
I always suggest masking tape since it gives a solid baseline.

Jim - Is that blue or beige or?

We didn't have blue back then, but a side by side test is in order!    

Go for it!  (I'm cleaning the shop and have vowed not to work on the truck or do other "fun" stuff until I get it presentable.  )

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Different surfaces have different emissivity.
The IR gun would have a vastly different reading on chrome or flat black at exactly the same temperature.

Masking tape seems a happy medium for my inexpensive gun, which is difficult to change modes or recalibrate.
It correlates with actual coolant temp, as determined by a immersion thermometer that is lab grade.

(Remember Omega Engineering, industrial park off Hope, between Glenbrook and Springdale?)

Since the thermostat housing can be chrome, or covered in corrosion, or greasy, or powder coated, or...
I always suggest masking tape since it gives a solid baseline.

Well that put that way I can under stand it and the reason too!

Your IR gun has to be better than mine (HF cheapy) if it has the probe.

Yes I do remember Omega IIRC had a uncle that worked there for a bit.
Dave ----

ps just got the blue or tan or ....
Guess as long as you use the same color all the time, me I think green as it is on my paint masking rack.

My gun doesn't have an immersion thermometer.  

I used an Omega thermometer in the thermal vacuum switch port while I was taking readings with the IR gun.

I'm a bit busy to make comparisons today.
I torched my bumper off this morning.
But I have 3M body man yellow, and maybe some green Frog Tape, so I will add them to the mix (when I do it)

I think a comparison would be great and happy to participate as well. My unit is a HF type and my housing isn't stock but can take measurements.

Spoke about needing a throttle kicker for a/c when idling.
See what you guys think about this: https://youtu.be/HBQqBdk594Y 

That seems to work well, Scott.  But what is it?

I have the same question as Gary, but comments are turned off.....  

Does your Horrid Fate IR thermometer have adjustable emissivity?
They are really good for quickly finding which cylinder is dead (without having to pull plug wires one at a time)

My Holley is not nearly as pretty as yours.  

I don't believe it does. Pretty sure it only has C/F and then laser dot on/off.

Meant to reply last night but ended up pulling the od, transmission, clutch, and flywheel off the 80 and it got too late.

I was about to order the Holley throttle stop but really didn't want to. Despite the assurances by the support tech that the bracket would fit and not interfere with the kickdown bracket, I can't say I believe them. Nor do I really like having to tap the throttle before it take effect.

Came across a post that mentioned using a solenoid to switch between ported and manifold vacuum for this vac adv. Had to rearranged some lines but now the two ports on the front base of the carb go into this unit and the single out goes to the vac adv.  Will end up mounting it to the carb heat shield but seems like it will work.

Here is the switch
Can't complain about the price (esp compared to the Holley throttle stop) and the quality is what you'd expect. Looks a little cheap but if it works...

My truck has the thermal vacuum switch that steps up the idle if the truck is overheating (bypassing the vacuum restriction)