white crust on coolant parts

just done my "P" gasket..

had trouble getting the collant pipes to seal due to the crusty white stuff on the thermostat housing and output from water pump..

whats the best way to clean the crud off?

how do you stop it re-appearing?

what is it? some sort of oxidization of the ally?

thanks...

if you can get the part off stick it in the dishwasher

its some sort of corrosion, you can clean it off with a brass wire brush/wheel or a bit of perspex

i did wire brush the pipes...

but once i put the hoses back on i couldt get em to seal.. had to double up on jubilee clips...

did you use a steel brush?

Wire brush/wire wool then a dab of Vaseline if badly corroded use a water proof sealant better still replace the unit.
That sort of corrosion is nothing new but a sign the coolant antifreeze is under strength one of the reasons for using the stuff all year.