Coolant Flush

[GerardNY]

My plow kit encompasses the entirety of the bottom of the engine bay.

 

I cannot get an arm through to reach the drain plugs (one on each side of the engine).

 

I want to do a complete flush because foreign object are in the coolant.

 

QUESTION: how imperative is it to drain said plugs? Can I achieve a thorough flush without draining the engine plugs? How?

 

New member thanks you in advance.

[Supreme Pizza]

Here is what I do: 

 

Pull the thermostat out and put the housing back on. Then remove the upper radiator hose connection. Tape then garden hose to the radiator hose, and turn the hose on full blast. Start the engine and let it run until the fluid comes out clear for about 30 seconds. Now remove the garden hose, and put a large funnel on the hose, and prop it upright. Then pour gallon after gallon of distilled water into the funnel while running the engine. Then open the petcock on the radiator and let it drain. Replace the thermostat, close the petcock, put the radiator hose back on, and refill the radiator with 100% Dexcool or Universal coolant (not the 50/50 premix). Your engine is full of distilled water, which will mix with the coolant to achieve a 50/50 mix. Leave the radiator fill cap off, and start the engine. Run the engine from idle to about 3k and then back to idle several times, for about 15 minutes. This will bleed the system. Replace cap. Drive for a bit and then check to make sure the system is holding pressure (feel the upper radiator hose - under pressure?). Let it cool down completely and then re-check fluid level. Check the fluid level each morning for a few days. 

[lryfer]

I want to try this procedure as my 2007 classic as it has 99K on it and want to flush out and refill.  This is a very detailed explanation and it is great.  Just a few ? as i am not following right or not enough coffee ☺

 

Do you drain the radiator prior to this procedure?

 

Remove hose from t-stat housing or radiator side?

 

So reading your post with the upper radiator hose off and running engine and water full blast the coolant goes to where when coming out of the radiator where the hose was?  The ground -5 gallon bucket - Special container of what size?

 

How many gallons of distilled water did you need?  When pouring the gallons of gallons of distilled water in how do you know the garden hose water is out?

 

Sorry want to make sure i am following correct prior to trying this for the first time.  Thank you.

[Supreme Pizza]

 

  Hi, 

 

     There are several ways to do it. Basically you open the cooling system and introduce water under pressure (thermostat removed) . Then the old coolant is forced out of the cooling system. Keep in mind that when the engine is running, the water pump is going to have an opinion on which way the water flows. Prior to the flush, I put the hose on low pressure, with the engine off. That makes it much easier to catch the old coolant in a 5 gallon bucket. Once all of the old coolant is out, then you can start the flush process and let the water hit the ground. I use 10+ gallons of distilled water, in order to ensure that ALL of the garden hose water out of the cooling system. 

 

 

 

[lryfer]

When letting the old coolant out you let it come out of the bottom of the radiator petcock?

[txab]

Radiator probably has no petcock as they quit using them a good while back. Pull the lower radiator hose if necessary

[lryfer]

okay thanks.  Tells you how long ago i did this stuff. ☺

[GerardNY]

On 8/4/2018 at 12:27 PM, starman8tdc said:

Here is what I do: 

 

Pull the thermostat out and put the housing back on. Then remove the upper radiator hose connection. Tape then garden hose to the radiator hose, and turn the hose on full blast. Start the engine and let it run until the fluid comes out clear for about 30 seconds. Now remove the garden hose, and put a large funnel on the hose, and prop it upright. Then pour gallon after gallon of distilled water into the funnel while running the engine. Then open the petcock on the radiator and let it drain. Replace the thermostat, close the petcock, put the radiator hose back on, and refill the radiator with 100% Dexcool or Universal coolant (not the 50/50 premix). Your engine is full of distilled water, which will mix with the coolant to achieve a 50/50 mix. Leave the radiator fill cap off, and start the engine. Run the engine from idle to about 3k and then back to idle several times, for about 15 minutes. This will bleed the system. Replace cap. Drive for a bit and then check to make sure the system is holding pressure (feel the upper radiator hose - under pressure?). Let it cool down completely and then re-check fluid level. Check the fluid level each morning for a few days. 

Thank-you very much, I haven't gotten back to you but I did exactly this, used a tester and I am now protected to -40 

[GerardNY]

On 8/4/2018 at 4:04 PM, txab said:

Radiator probably has no petcock as they quit using them a good while back. Pull the lower radiator hose if necessary

correct no petcock, pulled lower hose

[GerardNY]

On 8/4/2018 at 1:26 PM, starman8tdc said:

 

  Hi, 

 

     There are several ways to do it. Basically you open the cooling system and introduce water under pressure (thermostat removed) . Then the old coolant is forced out of the cooling system. Keep in mind that when the engine is running, the water pump is going to have an opinion on which way the water flows. Prior to the flush, I put the hose on low pressure, with the engine off. That makes it much easier to catch the old coolant in a 5 gallon bucket. Once all of the old coolant is out, then you can start the flush process and let the water hit the ground. I use 10+ gallons of distilled water, in order to ensure that ALL of the garden hose water out of the cooling system. 

 

 

 

Thank-you, I used 7 gallons distilled water after hose flush, but I included 24 fl oz of flush cleaner 1st.

[maxcam05]

Dexcool sucks it’s always Corrodes up

[BLACK DEATH]

I want to flush mine also, 2010 with 195k mikes on what may be the dexcool crap. 

Its a hit or mis on dexcool