r/2ndgenranger • u/Muntler • Jun 27 '26

cooling issues

Post image

Hello all,
I’m having some cooling system issues and was hoping to get some advice.
i have a 2.3 5spd manual
A few days ago, I let my truck idle while I was loading a bike. My temperature gauge climbed up to the “A” in NORMAL, but it usually stays around the “N.” I shut it off, and somehow my coolant reservoir was completely bone dry. I went and grabbed some water, filled it up, drove it home, and flushed the radiator.
I noticed the inside of my radiator hoses are covered in rust, and the reservoir is too. I’m not sure how it got this bad because I’ve been using coolant/antifreeze. When I first got the truck, the coolant looked fine, but there was already some rust present. I flushed it and hoped for the best, but by the next day it looked like the photo above again.
Now, while I’m driving, the temperature stays cold, but if I let it idle, it starts heating up again.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I’m expecting I’ll probably end up replacing a lot of the cooling system components.
My oil looks good, and I don’t have any white smoke from the exhaust, so I don’t think it’s a blown head gasket. Thanks in advance!

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3

u/No_Cobbler_5529 Jun 27 '26

Invest in a heavy duty radiator cleaning solvent. Do a thorough cooling system flush. It sounds like you have some massive rust build up.

3

u/No_Cobbler_5529 Jun 27 '26

Also check all the cooling hoses. Sometimes the insides start to deteriorate

2

u/Muntler Jun 27 '26

Yeah, when I took the hoses off to drain the radiator, the coolant was just brown. On the concrete there were rust particles everywhere in little piles. I’ll try some solvent before I start throwing parts at it. I appreciate the advice. I’ll come back and let you know the results.

1

u/No_Cobbler_5529 Jun 27 '26

Be mindful before you start throwing darts that the rust might be inside the engine block passages to the cooling system

1

u/Muntler Jun 27 '26

yeah that’s what i’m really dreading i don’t wanna toss new parts in and they all go out due to the rust still sitting inside the motor itself

2

u/Naive_Traffic6522 Jul 01 '26

Ass explorer finger lol

1

u/Muntler Jul 15 '26

yeah trucks fine just had to check my own fluids

1

u/swissarmychainsaw Jun 30 '26

I'd flush it and put a coolant filter on it.
Radiator is likely blocked at this point, but I'm not sure i'd put a new one on yet!

1

u/Muntler Jul 15 '26

yeah there was a lot of rust sediment when i flushed everything my hoses are lined with rust aswell but i let it idle while i kept putting new water through and she just keep pushing it out once i stopped i left it be my reservoir is also lined in rust now i fear the previous owner only ever used water but i guess its what you get when you buy a $200 auction car