August 2, 201114 yr Allright... I'm slowly -but slowly- putting together the EJ22 I'm going to install on my '99 OBW. Did I mention slowly? Anyway... today I removed the water pump (got a new one just in case) and I found a large amount (> 1/2 cup) of some kind of sludge inside of it/above the thermostat. I'm sure it's not oil (it was water soluble), but why on earth will something like that form there? Since the engine sat for so long (5 years), is it possible what I found are coolant residues? I have a picture of the thing but all I can think of right now is my bed... BTW: is there any lubricant that would ease the re-inauguration of this engine? Something thinner/thicker/what? TIA!
August 2, 201114 yr Coolant does turn into sludge like goo when it gets old. If mixed with any other engine related fluids (oil) it makes an even better sludge. Fresh 5w30, crank it for 30 seconds (two 15 second intervals, wait about 30 seconds between) with no fuel (unplug the injectors) and no spark (unplug the igniter module) to get oil moving through the bearings before letting it fire up.
August 2, 201114 yr That crud could be what is left when PO added a stop leak product to fix a leaky radiator. I wouldn't worry much about it. Just clean it out, and continue your rebuild.
August 2, 201114 yr Author Thank you I was somewhat concerned all the work I've done so far was headed for the dump. The engine is almost ready...
August 2, 201114 yr when you get the engine installed, i would fill the cooling system with plain water to flush out any other gunk that may be hiding in there. then after you find that all is good, you can drain and fill with 50/50 coolant.
August 4, 201114 yr It could have been an oil/coolant mix. Was it white/tan and milky? But most likely just a result of sitting for so long. We need that pic.
August 5, 201114 yr Author Allright... you asked for it... The clear stuff was water soluble, so I hope it wasn't oil related. Besides, the engine is an EJ22 and came from a car that was crashed, so I don't expect head gasket issues at this point. The first picture shows the thermostat area. Most of the clear stuff had fallen already. 2nd picture is the block behind the water pump, and the last one the water pump rotor. It looked awful...
August 5, 201114 yr the coolant looks different than what i'm used to seeing but being at the tstat housing it's exposed well to the elements. rust is also more than i see, but just keep plugging along, clean it up, and don't worry about it. that stuff alone doesn't look alarming.
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