Metallic coolant?? symptom of what?

[player1up]

Let me start off saying that I believe that I have a flow problem as the slant gets hot while on the hwy, but I noticed while checking the coolant level in the rad, that it was metallic, very fine pieces of metal in the cooling system. So, what should I be looking for as the cause.

list of pertinent info:
/6 with 180* thermostat changed when I put in the new water pump around Christmas time. ( heater inlet on the water pump was plugged)
22" stock radiator with 2 speed electric cooling fan.
10* initial timing ( vac can is still hooked up but it's dialed about 5 turns out. )
carter BBD

 

[RedFish]

Water pump impeller may be grinding the timing cover. Drop the belt/s and try wiggling the fan/pulley/shaft.
Yes they can get that bad without leaking.

 

[player1up]

yeah I was afraid it was the impeller on the water pump... just didn't want to pull it again so soon.

 

[abodyjoe]

did someone put stop leak in there at any point?

 

[player1up]

That's a good question Joe, but I don't know. I'll be looking into it a little more over the next week. I'll see if it sticks to a magnet, it kinda has a gold color to it but it's probably the coolant making it look like that. I have some more pressing things to check out.... suspension started "clunking" around corners a couple of days ago (rebuilt the whole thing just over a year ago.)
Now that I think about it, the only thing that can cause "shavings" in the cooling system is the water pump as it's the only thing that moves right?

Thanks guys

 

[abodyjoe]

That's a good question Joe, but I don't know.

lol.. stop leak looks like little squares of metal. especially if someone uses too much of it. could have been there for years and something caused it to break loose. happened in a slant six 68 coronet i had.