Changing Coolant

tgregg · Sep 30, 2006

My radiator coolant is really ugly. Time to drain, flush and refill. Does opening the drain in the radiator drain the whole system or do I need to do more? What is the cooling system capacity? It puked out coolant yesterday but coolant level is still full, not sure how that works!
gregg

meanxj · Sep 30, 2006

There is a drain plug on the block as well. On the drivers side. I dont know what the capacity is.

tgregg · Sep 30, 2006

Is the block drain a petcock or just a pipe plug? Thanks for the reply.
gregg

5-90 · Sep 30, 2006

Pipe plug - it's likely to be an 8m/m square drive. You can make an 8m/m square tool (if you need one) in about two minutes starting with an El Cheapo 8m/m or 5/16" hex key - just grind down two opposing corners (I needed one for my Peugeot BA-10/5 that I'm finally quit of...)

5-90

RichP · Sep 30, 2006

Easy way, jack up the back end with a floor jack.
Put a clean 5 gallon at least pan underneath the lower radiator hose, drivers side.
Remove the electric fan and put it to the side.
Remove hose from the radiator and allow the coolant to drain, remove the pressure cap too.
Refill with water and repeat, don't worry about topping it off, you're just trying to reduce the amount in there, you may have to do it 3 or 4 times once the thermostat opens. Turn the heat on hot.
Once you have clean water again and it's almost clear refill with prestone 7 hour flush and go drive. Follow the directions. Don't be tempted to use one of the 15 minute flushes, they are very abrasive and my experience is they damage the seals and packing in the water pump, your choice.
Now is also a good time to replace all your hoses, thermostat and pressure cap. If you want before you replace the hoses stick one of the prestone T fittings in the heater hose and do the back flush thing.

Neil · Sep 30, 2006

RichP said:
Easy way, jack up the back end with a floor jack.
Put a clean 5 gallon at least pan underneath the lower radiator hose, drivers side.
Remove the electric fan and put it to the side.
Remove hose from the radiator and allow the coolant to drain, remove the pressure cap too.
Refill with water and repeat, don't worry about topping it off, you're just trying to reduce the amount in there, you may have to do it 3 or 4 times once the thermostat opens. Turn the heat on hot.
Once you have clean water again and it's almost clear refill with prestone 7 hour flush and go drive. Follow the directions. Don't be tempted to use one of the 15 minute flushes, they are very abrasive and my experience is they damage the seals and packing in the water pump, your choice.
Now is also a good time to replace all your hoses, thermostat and pressure cap. If you want before you replace the hoses stick one of the prestone T fittings in the heater hose and do the back flush thing.

Also the 15 minute flushes tend to break off large pieces of build up and clog tubes in the radiator. I agree that the 7 hour is a much better choice, as well as the method of changing coolant. Back flushing is a good idea too as it reduces clogging. The back flush kits come with pretty good instructions.

Neil

mikeny59 · Sep 30, 2006

So you guys are saying that's how concentrated the ten-minute flush is?

I'm at the tail end of the Prestone long-term flush, but also found a container of 10-minute flush lying around in the garage, was going to throw it in for the last 10-15 minutes of idling my '98. Forget that now.

But... My girlfriends '94 Camry w/168k never saw a cleaning/backflush before, hmm... Hate to waste anything...

BTW, not to hi-jack a thread, but Richs' rear end jack method reminded me of the time I was trying to install a NAPA water pump, water kept trickling from bottom of water jacket, used a bottle jack and wood to raise the front of the vehicle a couple of inches, no more wet gasket surface.

Thanks for the 10-minute flush heads' up...

falcon556 · Sep 30, 2006

Every time I do a complete change, after I fill everything, I get a drop in the coolant level within a couple of cycles.
To me that means that with everything filled, I have air somewhere.

mikeny59 · Sep 30, 2006

May be my imagination, but the the heater hose/t-fitting I used a couple of years to do the prestone back flush seemed to make quick work of purging excess air.

FWIW, I hooked my garden hose to a hot water petcock on my slopsink, I know it's not enough heat to open thermostat, but can't hurt either.

badron · Sep 30, 2006

=========================================
But... My girlfriends '94 Camry w/168k never saw a cleaning/backflush before, hmm... Hate to waste anything...
=====================================
For ever one of them there are 10 rads that go to an early grave do to poor maintenance.

My bro-in-law trade off every 2-3 years he will not even change oil just tops it off. Needless to say I don't buy his stuff.

mikeny59 · Sep 30, 2006

New rad in the Camry 2 years ago;

Was 1/2 kidding about wasting stuff, but if I did 7-hour clean-out/back flush on hers, and the original wp goes, I'm a dead man. Either she'll make me do this nitemare first remove front r/tire debacle r&r, or send me the bill.

Either way I caused it.

Other then my vehicles, if it ain't broke... (except wiper blades, honey):kissyou:

Changing Coolant

tgregg

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meanxj

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tgregg

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5-90

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RichP

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Neil

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mikeny59

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falcon556

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mikeny59

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badron

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mikeny59

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