Hey Everyone--

Today as I was driving back from school ('93 5.0), my main radiator hose came off. A sh*t ton of coolant spilled everywhere, and my truck almost overheated. I was able to get it home, and added coolant to the reservoir. I didn't have enough to fill the radiator though, so I had to fill it with tap water. Will leaving tap water in the radiator for a few days cause big damage to the system? Should I flush it and put coolant in it as soon as possible? Have I already done damage to the system?

Thanks for your advice!

 

the ideal mixture is 50/50 coolant and water. tap water is fine.

 

Straight water is a temporary fix and should be removed asap. Other wise if left inside your coolant system will develop rust. Plus we are heading into winter. It may do bad things to your engine if all that water ever freezes.

 

At the very least, drain the radiator and fill with coolent, an get yerself a cheap coolent gauge to see if you've got it down to at least -20. Might wanna put a new rad cap on too, if yet blowing hoses off ya might be building a lil to much pressure.