I suspect that I know some of the responses, but I am looking for any thoughts or EXPERIENCES with the dealership coolant flush machines. My understanding is that these pump out the coolant and flush with water and VC9.

Honestly, I've looked at so many different protocols for a coolant flush that I am dizzy and dont know what to use or if I want to give a full day to this.

Has anyone done this ?

Have any knowledge of this ?

Is this useless ? Guaranteed to cause a plugged oil cooler ?


I welcome any advice.

 

Be sure you actually pin down the dealer shop rep to "what" they actaually are doing. Not all ford dealers HAVE the hot flush --or don't always use it.
You learn a lot by doing it yourself..

Edit: i was think TRANS hot flush machine.
Engine coolant i would do yourself. Nobody but you is going to use distilled water!
nearly anybody else is likely going to do a drain and fill.

 

When I called and asked that is what they said they used. I had not heard of it until then. Think they said about $159 for it

 

I should call and ask my dealership what they use.
They did the head gaskets and oil cooler with a flush.
I think that they must of done a very good job because
I find my coolant filter does not have much in it.

Sean

 

Sean, I would like to hear about that as well.
I put my Sinister filter on a few days ago and will change it in about 4-500 more miles. I am anxious to see what I get. I wanted to filter a little bit prior to the flush.

Matt

 

Here's a thread on flushing that may help. I'm with Misky6.0 - do it yurself. I wasn't impressed with the dealership flush at all in my neck of the woods.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...the-money.html

 

You are way better off doing it yourself - especially because there are better (and cheaper) chemicals to use for the cleaning, as well as better coolants to use when refilling than you would get from the dealer.

Just be forewarned, you are in for a LOT of time used. It's quite easy (except getting the starter off to get at the passenger side drain plug - which many say you can avoid, but I'm a stickler personally) but each of the many flushes you will do will require running the truck for about an hour.

Also, depending on how long it's been, your changes are 50% or greater to plug your oil cooler. If you don't use any chemical, and only do a distilled water flush to clean and replace your fluid, you reduce your risk of plugging your cooler, but if you use any chemical you dramatically increase your risk.

 

50% or greater ?!?!?!!!!!
Yikes

 

Tough thing with doing it yourself is, WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THE FLUSHED FLUIDS!!!!

Our local sewer system can not handle anti-freeze. The system I used to have in another town, their system could handle anti-freeze.

Sewer systems can trace back to your neighborhood to find where the stuff has come from.

"We have ways to make you talk" !!!

 

I got curious on this subject and did a little research. I'll pass it along for what it's worth . I've never paid a shop to change my coolant but who knows, with enviromental regs getting tougher all the time, someday we may not have an option.

As far as I can tell Rotunda doesn't make a cooling system flushing machine. I've found a Line flushing machine for the trans and a A/C system machine but nothing for the coolant. So if a Ford shop has a coolant machine it's likely made by one of the Aftermarket suppliers. I've watched videos on machines made by Wynn's, Quick Draw, Motor Vack, BG, and a couple of others.

There seems to be two different basic designs. One uses the new coolant and a pump to push the old coolant out as the new goes in and the other uses vacuum to pull out the coolant and a pump to refill it. Most have a function to cycle the coolant to burp the air out of the system. They both use lines that look to be about 5/8 id to move the fluid in and out and connect to the system either by pulling the top radiator hose off the radiator and adding fittings there or a stepped stopper on the degas bottle opening and and pulling the larger hose of the degas bottle and connecting a second hose there with a cap on the fitting at the bottle. They all recommend a cleaner additive be circulated through the system for at least ten minutes (engine running) before the flush to suspend particles trapped in the system and the Wynn's video also instructed the Tech to add their Cooling System Sealer after the flush.

My Observations:
While using a chemical to clean the system could be technically considered a "Flush" none of these systems build any significant flow through the system. No real mechanical flush is happening at all. They all have a seperate resivour for old and new coolant and no extra water is used. You could easily use distilled water in the fill tank if you use concentrated coolant. I havent studied which direction the flow is going, it may be moving coolant backward throught the system which could be helpful, but the old coolant with the cleaning agent is easily and relatively slowly pushed or pulled out of the engine through the small hoses and the new coolant goes in. All of these systems connect to the top of the system and would have to make significant flow to move sand from the bottom of the block or radiator out of the system (unless I'm under appreciating the effectiveness of the chemicals in holding sand in suspension). I also don't want any "sealer" in my truck. Except for the cleanliness and convenience of collecting the old fluid I don't see any benefit of using one of these machines. I think I'll stick to my garden hose.

 

Guess he Better Dump Antifreeze in a Few Different Manholes around town

 

Can you tell me more about this trans Line flush Machine??

Is it Cheap to own ?? or???

Sounds like a Good prospect maybe

 

I didn't read about it but looks like there is a bunch of info here:
Rotunda line flusher - free eBooks download

 

If there is a 50% chance that I will plug my oil cooler, is it still worth the risk of doing the flush?

 

There's a lot of posts on this site from people who've had problems soon after a coolant flush.

Whether or not your oil cooler plugs really depends on the health and cleanliness of your cooling system to start with.