metal shavings in the radiator?

[guspeed]

Hey guys so I checked my radiator today and it has this brown gunk with metal shavings in it? What is this and what should I do?

 

[Dr Evil]

Could possibly be your water pump blades breaking up ( if you have the pressed steel type ) .

Remove your water pump and check it out .

While the pumps out give it all a good flushing ie: engine block/ radiator

 

[canadianbacon]

H2O pump... or have you used any aluminum Stop Leak recently?? Good luck.

 

[Supracentral]

I've seen stuff like this in a few different circumstances, but it's usually what the guys mentioned above. Somone has used Bars-Leaks or similar metallic based cooling system sealant on it or the water pump is falling apart.

I'd lean a lot more towards the former.

A cooling system flush is in order for your car. Get that done, refill it with some quality coolant & water and see if the problem comes back. It likely won't and your car will thank you for it. Solids in the cooling system are never a good thing.

 

[guspeed]

could that also be why sometimes the radiator spit fluid into the resevior and overflow?

 

[supradavenz]

You you get alot of over heating?

 

[guspeed]

my car does not overheat at all. I changed the radiator cap and it seems to fix the coolant spilling into the resevior and overflowing.

It just has that gunk and metal shavings. I really hope that's it just the last owner puting in radiator sealer stuff and flushing the system would solve the problem.

Any other tips or info???

Thanks alot!!