Originally posted by RichP (12/7/2002)
Go spend $4 at a part store and pickup a Prestone back flush kit, follow the
directions. At the same time pick up a can of 7 hour flush and follow those
directions.
This is how you do it without removing any hoses.
So
1 small bulb type siphon pump $3.00
Back flush kit $5.00
Can of 7 hour flush $5.00
2 gallons of distilled water $2.00 at most supermarkets
2 gallons of Mopar anti-freeze $5 ea at dealer
1 Mopar factory thermostat $4.00 at dealer
1 Mopar Thermostat housing gasket $2.00 at dealer
1 Mopar Pressure cap $4.00 at dealer
1 1oz bottle of indian head gasket cememt
Tools needed:
1 sharp knife or razor knife, scraper, socket set, screwdrivers.
Remove pressure cap and stick hose down the filler hole, nose of Jeep pointing
downhill. Drain the old coolant into a bucket.
Open the prestone kit and install into the heater hose per instructions.
Flush the system till most of the coolant is out.
Remove the overflow tank and clean it out. add water for now.
Refill with tap water and add the 7 hour flush. Follow the directions. Remember to
have the heat on so the heater core gets flushed too. Do the 7 hour drive as per
the instructions.
Back flush the system again, till all the flushing liquid is out, no more suds, clear
water. Put the cap back on the T fitting and tighten it.
Use the siphon pump to drain the radiator again.
Remove the thermostat housing, it is at the top front of the cylinder head and
remove the old thermostat, install the new one, put the weep hole at the top.
Add 1 gallon of pure anti-freeze, this will start you off with an approx 60/40 mix,
depends on how much water you got out.
Dump half of the other gallon of anti-freeze into the empty anti-freeze container,
use one gallon of distilled water to fill up the two half filled anti-freeze containers.
you now have 2 gallons of 50/50 mix.
Make the jeep level or nose uphill now.
Start filling it with the engine running, every time you pour in new cold coolant
the thermostat is going to slam shut so be patient till it opens again. Keep the
coolant level in the radiator filler so that you can see it, you need to get all the air
out, the air will look like carbonated green soda. Refill the overflow tank with
some 50/50 mix.
Keep the cap handy, at some point the system will not take any more mix, about
that time put the cap on and turn it all the way so that it locks. The remaining air
will escape normally thru the overflow process.
BTW, The rad drain valve is on the passenger side SIDE of the radiator and is a
PIA to get at. I made a special tool just for that valve.
The reason for the mopar coolant is some have had problems with some of the
after market ones, no one has reported problems with the OEM coolant.
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(removing the front grille makes for easy access to the drain valve - Lou)
Also, checkout the Prestone website. I think they have write-up on flushing.
