Coolant water in OTR heater.

[Chaz]

Hey guys,
  I am installing my inverter (finally) and 8 house batteries in my old airconditioning bay. Pretty typical I understand.
  But in cleaning out the bay I found a PO had spliced into the copper tubing in that bay to run a house heater. Well...... they did a s**t job. Apparently their soldering skills weren't up to snuff and then just slopped some JB Weld over them. Needless to say, that didn't work either.
  Anyway, I pulled the hose off of the one line out -coming from the rear- and drained it. It was nice and clean.  I started draining the other line coming from up front and MAN........ almost solid red nasty water. I flushed out that line till it seems pretty clean and am going to solder things back up right.
  So my question is, how come that water in "that line", FORWARD, was so red and nasty and the the water from there back is nice and green?? Was it not circulating any farther forward or something?
  Also, since I am splicing a new tube in there, do you think it would be beneficial to solder in some short tubes coming out of the main line in case I would need the hot water or want to cool a generators water?
   
  Back at it!
       Chaz

[JohnEd]

Chaz,

I don't know about the red water.  That stumps me.  Seems it could NOT have been circulating.  I would sure find out why.

I leke versatility and options even more than the next guy.  I would opt for installing a port for cabin heat for the future.   Are you using regular solder/lead?  In a system where the operating temp might hit 200 degrees aren't you supposed to use silver solder?  Might answer why the original job leaked.

Let us know.

John-


Had another "senior moment" there and got my tongue twisted.  I come from electronics and we know that all "solder is not the same.  You can get some really low melting point stuff adding tin in the right proportions and a skosh of other stuff.  Lead has a much higher melting point and i "think" radiators are assembled using lead.  I'll find out from a friend.  Don't spank me now...I know that silver solder melts at a really high temp.

[Chaz]

John,
  I'm all about versatility also! I guess I will put in another set of connections. Ain't that big of a deal.
  Regular solder is not affected by 200* water. It's how you put radiators together. I have fixed my share! 
  The red nasty water is baffling tho. I know it wasn't obstructed anywhere as I flushed it out. Oh well, I guess we'll find out.
  But ya know, there is a switch back by the radiator fill that is some sort of axillary pump or something. I wonder if that is what helps get the water all the way forward? Hmmm...
 
  thanx John,
        Chaz

[Chaz]

Jerry just told me the switch I had refered to was used for that compartment but is no longer hooked up.
  I added another set of connections off the main line that I "THINK" I may use for additional cooling for the generator (or ??).
  But I'm still concerned about all the red water. I drained some of it into a 5 gal. bucket and the red (rust, I would imagine) settled out.
  So what component forward of the AC bay would be rusting and possibly giving me grief in the near future??

  Thanx in advance,  (of the AC bay  )
        Chaz

[JohnEd]

Chaze,

The collant should have rust inhibitors in it to handle that problem.  My q is why isn't collant circulating in that line?

John

[Chaz]

Good question. I have replaced a section of that and will be looking into it further. I need to come up with some heatind designs anyway.
  Any suggestions?

     Chaz

[luvrbus]

 Chaz could be red anti freeze to start with and never got into the system because of closed valves

[Chaz]

Nope, sorry, this stuff was nasty rust and after I left it in a bucket for awhile, it settled out.

[Kristinsgrandpa]

Chaz, you mignt try flushing the lines and see what else comes out. It sounds like someone dropped a box end wrench or something in one of the lines and what you see is the resulting rust.

Ed

[Chaz]

Ed,
  It was from the AC bay forward. I flushed the heck out of it. It cleared up, but not sure why it was only that spot forward.
  Thanx,
    Chaz

[JackConrad]

Sounds like maybe the coolant has not been circulating through that part of the system. I am not familiar enough with GMs to comment on why that would happen.  Maybe a closed valve, airlock, ??  Jack

[Chaz]

My guess is also airlock, but not sure how to fix it. I flushed it an tried to fill it as much as possible but.........?

[JackConrad]

Chaz,
   If it like an MCI, there will be a air bleed petcock on top of the defroster core under the dash.  Hope this helps, Jack

[DrivingMissLazy]

When I first got my defroster/heater working I had the same situation. I always thought the rust may have came from the impeller of the auxiliary circulating pump for the heater. I had to actually remove a hose going to and from the heater, at the heater, to get rid of an air lock. After that it worked great.
Richard