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Coolant flush/fill, here's my plan-please critique.
1999 4.6L Rear air/heat
Ok, here’s the plan on a cold engine: I will drain the radiator the normal way with the petcock. I will then remove the upper radiator hose with thermostat and disconnect the lower radiator hose from the radiator. I will then flush water through the engine from the upper input and catch the fluid from the lower hose. Once I am satisfied with the result I will button it all up and install a new thermostat. Any hints, suggestions or cautions please let me know. |
If it were my truck, I'd also flush it with a bottle of Prestone radiator flush or similar before putting in the new thermostat and filling with new antifreeze. But that's just me. Your plan may be just fine if you have kept the cooling system in good shape.
PbFoot |
Sounds like a good plan. I flushed mine last week. I would have been better off using your method but it worked out fine. I agree with Pbfoot, use the Prestone flush. I got some sediment out after using it. See if this thread helps at all:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...hreadid=162040 |
Re: Coolant flush/fill, here's my plan-please critique.
Ok, here’s the plan on a cold engine: I will drain the radiator the normal way with the petcock. I will then remove the upper radiator hose with thermostat Good up to this point. and disconnect the lower radiator hose from the radiator. I will then flush water through the engine from the upper input and catch the fluid from the lower hose. Now you're going the wrong way. Water enters the engine via the water pump, from the lower hose, traverses through all the passages/hoses then exits through the thermostat and upper hose. Try leaving the upper hose disconnected (at the radiator), insert a garden hose in the degas bottle (refill tank) and running the engine with the heater running full speed (to open all heater lines/core). Very quickly the whole system will run clean. Once I am satisfied with the result I will button it all up and install a new thermostat. Any hints, suggestions or cautions please let me know. [/B] Good Luck. |
Buzzard-
Good catch on the water pump. Getting that thermostat out of there is the key. Has anyone tried installing a flush kit? |
I've heard some mixed opinions on the flush kits... my standard is to drain old antifreeze, and run lots of water through. I then fill with water & flush solution (Prestone), and run the engine for several minutes this way (turn the heater on). Drain the flush water & rinse with plenty more clean H20. Fill with water, run for several minutes again (turn the heater on). Drain & rinse with plenty of water. Fill with antifreeze, salt & pepper to taste.
The procedure above does take some time to complete, but it is the most thorough way I know of. It's not hard, very simple in fact -- just a lot of sitting & waiting. I usually try to do another project at the same time to keep me occupied. |
I have a flush kit installed on my 98 and it works well. I have just flushed my and against what some call bad have used the dex cool in my rig. I have had very good luck with this coolant in all of my other vehicles and have now swithed the Expy to it. It has been a month since doing so and I have noticed a drop in the temp gauge at normal operating temps and the coolant is nice and clean. I do recommend flushing with a flushing agent like prestone before doing so.
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Those flush kits look kind of cheesy. I'd say Buzzard's suggestion is probably the safest and most thorough way to go.
Make sure you get that thermostat out of there first. Let us know how it works out. XXL |
I flushed mine last weekend with the kit that prestone makes. It went very well with little mess. A hose tee went into the heater hose. A backflow preventer goes between the garden hose and the tee. You take the radiator cap off of the radiator and put a spout in its place. This is where the coolant comes out. (I highly reccomend a large hose to go over the spout. The spout is only a few inches long and would have made a large mess.) I filled about six five gallon buckets with what I flushed out til I was satisfied with how clear the water came out. Then I drained the radiator, and expansion tank and ran water down them to make sure they where clean. Then I filled up with a 50/50 antifreeze/distilled water mix. So far so good. That kit made the job a lot easier.
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Originally posted by jrs_big_ford_f150 I flushed mine last weekend with the kit that prestone makes. It went very well with little mess. A hose tee went into the heater hose. A backflow preventer goes between the garden hose and the tee. You take the radiator cap off of the radiator and put a spout in its place. This is where the coolant comes out. (I highly reccomend a large hose to go over the spout. The spout is only a few inches long and would have made a large mess.) I filled about six five gallon buckets with what I flushed out til I was satisfied with how clear the water came out. Then I drained the radiator, and expansion tank and ran water down them to make sure they where clean. Then I filled up with a 50/50 antifreeze/distilled water mix. So far so good. That kit made the job a lot easier. I'll have to check it out. I'm still worried it'll leak eventually. XXL |
That kit definitly came in handy. Between 5-10 dollars at most auto parts stores (both the kragens and auto zone had them). What are you worried about leaking? The tee? Shouldn't leak at all. The kit comes with hose clamps for that purpose. Also has three different size tees for the heater hose.
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Great tips on flushing the cooling system. I am looking for ideas on how to dispose of the old anti-freeze safely.
Thanks |
J.R., you won't find a radiator cap on an Expy. I looked and looked then realized everything goes through the degas bottle. So if you use a flush and fill kit on the Expy, then the backflush will flow out this bottle.
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Originally posted by BigMattXXL That's the first review I've ever heard about those kits. I'll have to check it out. I'm still worried it'll leak eventually. XXL |
Jim, I didn't know that the Expy's don't have radiator caps. The kit provides instructions for most cooling system setup's. Even if they don't have a cap.
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