Calcuim buildup in engine head?!!?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
Calcuim buildup in engine head?!!?
Ok I removed my cylinder head the other day and found something wierd i have never seen before! There was calcium buildup blocking 75% of just the lower coolant passages of the heads. I poked it out with my fingers and all of came out no problem. How can I get the rest out of the calcium out of the other cylinder head (i'm sure it has it to) without pulling it and get the rest out of engine block or hoses? I have already had an engine flush? can you use CLR or something simular or would that mess up the seals?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 876
Likes: 116
From: HOMESTEAD FL
Actually it sounds like someone used a garden hose for the water source instead of distilled water.
A reverse flush could help... but once its blocked up its difficult to remove all of it. You may be able to run some CLR through the system... that is known to brake down calcium, just not sure how much you would need to run. You may be able to just add it to the fluid... It should help over time. Make sure you use distilled water in the future though.
SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM
A reverse flush could help... but once its blocked up its difficult to remove all of it. You may be able to run some CLR through the system... that is known to brake down calcium, just not sure how much you would need to run. You may be able to just add it to the fluid... It should help over time. Make sure you use distilled water in the future though.
SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM
Last edited by AIR_RAM; Jul 5, 2013 at 04:15 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
Actually it sounds like someone used a garden hose for the water source instead of distilled water.
A reverse flush could help... but once its blocked up its difficult to remove all of it. You may be able to run some CLR through the system... that is known to brake down calcium, just not sure how much you would need to run. You may be able to just add it to the fluid... It should help over time. Make sure you use distilled water in the future though.
SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM
A reverse flush could help... but once its blocked up its difficult to remove all of it. You may be able to run some CLR through the system... that is known to brake down calcium, just not sure how much you would need to run. You may be able to just add it to the fluid... It should help over time. Make sure you use distilled water in the future though.
SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 261
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
I also talked to the engine shop that built the motor and he said if he remebers right that the bottom passages are blocked off by gasket and that is a good reason why the build up was only on the bottom part and not the top of the heads?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,205
Likes: 40
From: Tucson AZ
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As a reference, I just checked the heads I took off my 71K mile factory Dexcool filled LS3 and found them unbelievably clean. No residue of any kind.