have a "new to me" 08 f250 sd 6.4 td w/20k miles...trying to catch up all maintenance and decided to go ahead and do the coolant also...my question is, after draining radiator, do i refill thru degas bottle or drop a hose and refill ???

MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE
ray

 

yup. best to take it in. there is a procedure to dump, clean, then fill with new ford gold coolant.

what to be sure you get all the air out.

 

Below is the procedure.

1) CAUTION: With the engine cold, fill vehicles to within the cold fill range shown on the degas bottle. This fill level will allow for coolant expansion. Overfilling the degas bottle may result in damage to the pressure cap, which can cause the engine to overheat.
Fill the engine cooling system via the degas bottle until coolant level is between the coolant fill level marks.
2) Run the engine at 2,000 rpm for 5 minutes, until it reaches operating temperature.
3) Turn off the engine and allow the cooling system to cool.
4) Add the correct engine coolant mixture to the degas bottle until the coolant level is between the COOLANT FILL LEVEL marks.
5) NOTE: If the air discharge remains cool and the engine coolant temperature gauge does not move, the engine coolant level is low in the engine and must be filled. Stop the engine, allow to cool and fill the cooling system as described.
Start the engine and allow it to idle until normal operating temperature is reached. Hot air should discharge from the A/C vents with the climate control setting to full heat. The engine coolant temperature gauge should maintain a stabilized reading in the middle of the NORMAL range and the upper radiator hose should feel hot to the touch.
6) Repeat Steps 3 through 5 until the degas bottle is at the correct level.