Good people,

As I had been speaking about in my last post, I just installed a coolant filter. After draining the radiator, I tried to go back with water and the bottle was filled to the top after 3 gallons. Then I pulled the plug again and drained the coolant again. while this was happening I installed the filter. Everything was dry. After the install I started pouring in Ford Gold. After three gallons it was almost full again. I started the truck, and I had forgotten to tighten the filter all the way and coolant started spilling out. I corrected that issue then filled the bottle up with water, about a gallon. What I am wondering is why is my truck filling up so quickkly when I thought it was supposed to be able to hold about 6.5 gallons?? Anything I need to do...I am definitely hoping I do not need to go buy more coolant, lol... I have been driving around and the temps are good, just wondering the thoughts here...

Cheers,

 

The block will hold quite a bit of coolant, and only draining the radiator will not get the coolant out of the engine itself.

 

I had the same issue with my old gasser, what I did with it when I drain/flush/refilled my coolent. Most times what I did with my gasser is fill up almost "full" then reach down to the lower radiator hose and give it small squeezes, then let it settle.

With my vehicle when I filled the resovior "degas bootle" and then sqeezed the lower radiator hose is pushed more coolent in the system. Once I figured I had enough I started the truck, and kept a eye on the level, after about a day I finally had leveled out were I needed.

I'm getting ready to drain/flush/refilly my 6.0, so hopefully it works just like my old truck.

 

How do you drain the block??

 

There is a Cooling System Flush in the tech folder, but to drain the block, after you drain the radiator if you look on both driver and passenger side of the engine block you will see were a 5/16" allen wrench and you unscrew them, just looking at them, the one of the drivers side is the best on, since the passenger side is right by the starter. Most post I've seen people just deal with the drivers side.

http://home.comcast.net/~lyon.family...ush%20v1-0.pdf

 

So if I slide under the truck I should see the plug?

 

On the driver side only. Passenger side is behind the starter.

 

Looks like they got you dialed in on that allen head screw

But I think that you have Coolant Strength Issues

The coolant capacity needs to be 3.5gallon Full strength top of with water you have to drain the block to be able to get that much full strength coolant back in the ttruck holds almost 1/2 of the coolant system capacity even draining the block and pulling the lower hose

So if you did 3 gallon then had a leak and had to add another gallon of water to bring it back up your probably alot less than 50/50 mix

At minimum needs to be 50/50 mix so it dont Freeze and crack the block and Also for Boilover protection and also Rust and Cavitation protection

if you live somewhere where its going to get really cold tonight I suggest you plug the Block heater in at a minimum all nite

Tommorro go to the auto parts store and get you a Hydro meter to check the strength of your coolant there like 5 bucks but this is VERY important you dont want to get this wrong cuz it will Bite you in more ways than 1

 

Pull the lower radiator hose also.

 

Benny,

Luckily here in the ATL its only supposed to go down to 40 tonight, so I have that on my side. What I am going to do, is just re-do all of what I did today correctly. Go back to Ford and grab some more gallons of coolant, and drain the block and radiator and get the proper mix in there. It will lighten my pockets some more, but I have learned a lot, lol

 

Will this help drain the block as well?

 

I've done this a 100 times--LOL. The cooling system capacity is 27.5 quarts. That's block, heater core, hoses, radiator, everything. If you flush flush flush everything with distilled water and then pull the bottom radiator hose to let it drain, add 3.5 gallons of 100% coolant back to the degas bottle and call it good. I've never pulled the block drains but you can if you want. By the time you get all the air worked out of the system the coolant level should be at/around the minimum line and the mix should be virtually perfect. Save the last 1/2 gallon of coolant and mix it with distilled water to keep for topping off in the future.

 

What he ^^ said but I never even pulled the lower hose. I just flushed with distilled water 1/2 dozen times or so (after doing the VC-9 flush, etc). Put the thermostat back in, drained it through the drain valve in the radiator, added 3.5 gallons of coolant. I think I had to start it and run it a bit to get all the coolant in, but it did all go in. Then for a few days I was adding a little bit of distilled water here and there until it got all the air worked out.

 

Will these methods drain enough water out for me to add enough coolant though?

 

It did for me.