Changed the coolant in the truck today. What a horrible pain that thing is to fill up and get all the air bubbles out. Took about an hour to fill it. Ran it a few times, got it hot and pulled the cap back off and it was way low every time. Now I think I got it full and I filled the overflow tank way up and will check it tonight once it cools off.

 

The easiest way I've done it is to loosen the temp sender and let the air, and eventually coolant, bleed out there while you are filling it.

 

Never thought about that, I'll try that next time.

Sure is hard to flush the block on mine, no pet***** on the block. I had to take the bottom hose off at the radiator and use the heater hose that goes in to the top of the intake to flush it out, then I'd spray water through the heater hose connection that was disconnected and flush out the heater core and water pump and it would all come out the bottom hose. Not a very fun job.

 

I would have thought the Wheezers had screw-in plugs where the pet***** would have been. But, most of those are rusted to the point they have to be drilled out.

 

Mine does have screw in plugs, however due to the engine mounts you can't get to them with even your fingers.

 

And, if you did they probably wouldn't come out. So, your approach is the best. Did you get junk out?

 

There wasn't really any junk left in the system. When I did the major engine work both times I FLUSHED that system good. First time I flushed it for 20 minutes while the engine was apart. Can't believe how much crud came out. Second time when I was running water after my cam swap I was running a cleaner in the water and dumped that after a week of driving, and flushed it good then too. Not as much came out that time. I changed the coolant because it was 3 years old and been recycled a few times and filtered.

 

Good plan to swap. The dis-similar metals, like cast iron and aluminum, have galvanic action in the presence of liquids. So, the coolant has to have anti-corrosion additives, and they wear out over time.

 

Found out that the local truck and van supply shop down here can get me brand new push bars for my '82. He even said he would look in the back to find the old one they had for ever in the back new that he would sell it at a loss. Havent gotten a call back yet though.


He did how ever say a brand new black powder coated push bar for my truck would be around $350.

 

Hey 1986f150six,
I got it on !
Had it sandblasted and I painted with bed paint.
Of course I had to clean up all the rust on the frame and radiator support too...


Thanks for the tip !

 

I have always wondered, would it be benificial or even possible to make some sort of anode rod to go in cooling systems that would deter corrosion of components?

 

That could be done. However, you are trying to protect the aluminum, like in the intake manifold so you don't have to fill it, sand it, etc. You have to use a "less noble" metal, and those less noble than aluminum are Uranium, Cadmium, Beryllium, Zinc, and Magnesium. So, not metals that are easily found. And, you'd need a good-sized chunk of it in the cooling system.

 

Zinc/mag anodes are easily found at any marina or plumbing supply (for inside water heaters), but for an anode to work you have to have a cathode...
Do you want pot metal plating the inside of your block, heads or radiator where it will affect heat transfer?

 

Good point - cooling would suffer. Let's stick with changing the coolant.

 

Fresh glycol coolant and distilled water is one of those things that needs to be addressed every few years.
Forget about OAT or DexCool.

For those of us that are always breaking something a coolant change goes along with that water pump/radiator/heater core/intake gasket/timing chain/... well you get the idea!