So I drained my radiator a couple weeks ago...looked like rusty mud coming out...I then let the motor run for about 15-20 minutes while I constantly poured hot water in the radiator and watched it drain out until it was pretty clear. I then put in some Peak radiator flush, drove it for a day, drained it out, and then refilled with coolant, put a new overflow tank on, and filled it appropriately.

I look in the overflow tank yesterday and there's an inch of rust colored mud water in the bottom of it...what gives?

 

keep flushing it with water, fill it, drive it, drain it repeatedly. it can take weeks to get rid of that crap. usually caused by freezing up in winter and old coolant. radiator might be half full of that crud. how old is the vehicle?

 

Ok...sounds like I have more flushing to do then. Is it ok to drive it for an amount of time with water vs coolant? When I say an amount of time I mean just for a day or so...just to flush the water through thoroughly.

It's a 1996 with 165k...I'm not the original owner so I don't know what all maintenance has been done in the past.

 

Was there any Dexcool used at all?

 

I didn't use dexcool...and I couldn't tell if it was in there when I flushed it or not...it was too dirty to tell.

 

my neighbor added green colored anti freeze to his 96 model that had orange color in system. The complete coolant system fluid turned to mud.

he had to have radiator and block flushed

when back with green, old school antifreeze.

 

Yea is usually caused by mixing coolants with other types, some you can mix and your cool, but Dex Cool is famous for doing that when mixed with certian coolants, air in system can cause it too.

 

Well it sounds then that I'm just looking at another complete flush of the radiator and block.

Ugggggg...it's just such a PIA to get to the drain plug...

 

I have been there , I feel your pain

 

before you go nuts on this project, do a check.
if you can, of course, as some of them do not have radiator caps anymore. maybe it'll show in the expansion canister, it should.
anyhow, if you have radiator cap - remove it and start the engine. DO YOU SEE ANY BUBBLES, LOOKS LIKE BEER FOAM, SHOWING IN THE COOLANT? as i hope you don't.