rust in the water pump, rust on thermostat

[jadedbird]

truck has sent for a while (years). the thermostat is rusted (along with the radiator hose and the water pump was also rusted.

is this bad? oil is still clean and engine turns by hand.
i plan on pulling the heads soon to check

[Clavo106]

I sorry man I not really understanding ur post my friend.... so u can't get the engine running? can u turn on the engine? was the hood off and the engine exposed to the elements. hoses off?? ..... / the block is cast iron and water was sitting for a long time and rusted. ok well if it was me and hoses where off I would be looking for no critters that got in the block and the freez plugs not to be shot.. thats it .. if you're looking for something to remove the rust the make plenty of flush chemical out there.. but for me I would just get the engine running the hot water alone would remove most of it. just fill and drain the rust water a few times till all the Orange water comes out to clean water..

[jadedbird]

I haven't tried to get the motor running. just observing going through everything. I'm just wondering if everything was good. seeing rust like that made me nervous so I was asking if I should carry on or cut my losses and get a new motor. but if rust isn't an issue

[Clavo106]

the engine oil and water are two different systems.. I would not worrying about if it was me.. if the engine oil looks good. I would just try and get the engine running first.. and c what problems mite happen. if not great. more to u..... usually for me #1 bring back old car or truck from the died is me troubleshooting fuel problems...

[moon]

I would drain and thoroughly flush the system (radiator, heater and block) with tap water and when clean refill it with tap water. Then if you find everything else is OK , it runs and your 'gonna keep it, I would flush it again using a proper radiator flush kit and refill it with distilled water & coolant. And I would do that right away.

[special-K]

Someone probably had straight water in it all that time. If you weren't in Florida you'd probably have a cracked block from freezing. It's not good for the water jacket, but doesn't necessarily ruin anything. It could result in chronic rusty cooling system causing premature wear on moving parts and clogging in radiator and heater core. If they were using straight water because it was using coolant, then wherever it was getting past the water jacket could be pitted, such as the cylinders. If you are seeing a good bit of rustiness you are headed in the right direction taking the heads off for a look see. Knowing nothing of the prior history I'd say that is a smart move. It's not a big deal and if all is well then you are starting out with a good fresh set of head and top end gaskets. It will give you a chance to inspect the valve guides, seats, and install new stem seals, too. If it's all original, now is a good time to make it good for no lead fuel

[jadedbird]

great. I'm new to pre 79 sbc so how do I make itgood for no lead fuel

[special-K]

It may have been done by now. I had to do the trucks I had in the '90s. Hardened valve seats cure the issues. I don't know where you're at with this truck or what you want out of it. If you just basiclly want to run it for now, go ahead and flush it real good and see what happens, maybe nothing. My response may have been a bit dramatic. I saw you mention new motor and responded to that.
I've had vehicles with chronic rusty coolant, including a '90 Blazer I bought new. By the second winter the heat wasn't that good. That's when I noticed the rusty coolant. I had it for 193k and replaced the heater core three times and a couple or three radiators. I think the pump went that many times, too. I flushed it, had Jiffy Lube flush it for an hour or more, did the BG back flush, etc. It was just bound to be an issue no matter what.I wondered how the inside got rusty on a new motor

[Clavo106]

Originally Posted by special-K

It may have been done by now. I had to do the trucks I had in the '90s. Hardened valve seats cure the issues. I don't know where you're at with this truck or what you want out of it. If you just basiclly want to run it for now, go ahead and flush it real good and see what happens, maybe nothing. My response may have been a bit dramatic. I saw you mention new motor and responded to that.
I've had vehicles with chronic rusty coolant, including a '90 Blazer I bought new. By the second winter the heat wasn't that good. That's when I noticed the rusty coolant. I had it for 193k and replaced the heater core three times and a couple or three radiators. I think the pump went that many times, too. I flushed it, had Jiffy Lube flush it for an hour or more, did the BG back flush, etc. It was just bound to be an issue no matter what.I wondered how the inside got rusty on a new motor

BY CHANCE YOU where not running GM's . DEX coolant . Orange in color.. some of my friends that work at gm dealers say it has to do with the cleaning power of the solution... ?? not shure y but it just glycol.. but have heard lot of guys with problems like that. because they ran dex cool. i know dex has more life span but thats it. my caddi had dex from factory turn th overflow a nasty dark Orange.. most guy switch over to regular green coolant witch thats what I did. it look alot better....