Question about cleaning coolant lines after a clog

Had a Haas VF-2SS at work clog up on me last Tuesday. Coolant stopped flowing to the spindle through the through-coolant system. Pressure gauge was reading way high, almost 400 psi. I tried running a cleaning cycle with some generic flush I found in the back. No luck. Ended up pulling the whole line apart and found this nasty brown sludge built up inside. It was like thick grease mixed with chips. Took me four hours to clear it all out with a wire brush and compressed air. Anyone else dealt with this kind of gunk in their coolant lines? What do you use to keep it from coming back?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleybutler1d ago

Whoa, slow down there. You had 400 PSI and kept running it? That's asking for a blown seal, dude. Keep an eye on your coolant concentration and change it more often, that sludge is just old coolant breaking down from being too weak.

logansullivan1d ago

Aren't you worried about that acidity eating through the radiator eventually?