Drained my antifreeze

[FlipKing]

and it came out looking like river water,lol. Def was time for a change.lol

[N3v]

yeah mine looks like that too. i need a new radiator. my rad doesn't seem to leak too badly but my coolant definitely goes somewhere. I keep filling it up with cheapo coolant and its always brown :D

[FlipKing]

Haha, mine doesnt leak, but I dont think My grandmother ever changed it when she owned the car.

[ben91]

If it was that nasty, you'll probably want to change it a couple more times. Once per week for a month maybe.

The first time I dumped my coolant, it also was completely disgusting. Looked like mud. I (actually WE as Mike was there and really took point) flushed the system and with the rad removed, let the engine run with a garden hose flow through the waterpump until it ran out crystal clear. We installed a new radiator at that time.
I then dumped it again the next day, and it was still a little nasty but not nearly as bad. Over the next few weeks I kept dumping it until it was beautiful again. Took 4 times I think. Waited a month and dumped again, but it was fine. I used standard hose water the first couple of times since I was planning on evacuating the system quickly, but used bottled water for the last few times.

[jesseealexander]

yeah mine looks like that too. i need a new radiator. my rad doesn't seem to leak too badly but my coolant definitely goes somewhere. I keep filling it up with cheapo coolant and its always brown :D

sounds like a leaky head gasket....

[N3v]

sounds like a leaky head gasket....

i don't ever put out white smoke, and i notice it leak every now and then, i think it just leaks when i'm moving and hit bumps or something. the bottom of my rad looks pretty nasty.

[MoD_Scotty]

I'm about to install an aluminum radiator...I'm tempted to flush it a couple times beforehand just to make sure nothing cruddy gets pumped into the new radiator.

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

What's the correct procedure to flush the cooling system? I dread to think when the last time mine would have been done.

[FlipKing]

I didnt flush, I didnt even drain the block because I couldnt get the damn bolt out,lol

[Doppelgänger]

Couldn't get the bolt out? What bolt?

I've always just taken the lower rad. hose off, take the t-stat out and run water through the top rad. hoe into the engine. Do this until the water coming out of the lower hose is clean. I fill mine up with distilled water and water wetter.

Jack, it's not that hard, and takes about 30 min to fluch it...with most of that time going to taking the lower hose off the rad. and taking the t-stat out. The other long process is simply letting the engine run to burp the system of bubbles. This would be the perfect project to do at the tech day next weekend ;)

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

Well if we're not too busy and they don't mind the toxic waste I'm game for that.

[ben91]

I've always just taken the lower rad. hose off, take the t-stat out and run water through the top rad. hoe into the engine. Do this until the water coming out of the lower hose is clean. I fill mine up with distilled water and water wetter.

Perfect, except run the hose the other way--into the lower rad hose so water comes out the thermo neck. That way you go with the waterpump instead of against.

[N3v]

do you do that while the engine is idling?

[ben91]

yes

Jack, get the following:
thermostat, OEM from mazda
thermostat gasket, aftermarket OK
upper radiator hose, aftermarket OK
lower radiator hose NB, aftermarket OK
2x 1 gal jug distilled water
1x 1 gal jug all metal safe coolant, not 50/50 mix

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

Cool cool. What was the Mazda parts place someone mentioned in another thread who does speedy delivery? I'm busy as buggery during the parts department hours the next couple days.