coolant flush help needed quick
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Senior User
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From: White Oak WV
coolant flush help needed quick
I'm following the Gooch method for flushing my coolant to switch to elc. I was unable.to remove the passenger side block plug without damaging it. So I've only been draining the drivers side on the block. Should I go ahead and continue with the switch to elc? On my las drain the water from the radiator looked clear but when you catch some in a jar it has a slight hazy appearance. Not green tint. More like a real light tan haze. I'm paranoid that there is too much green coolant trapped in the block and im worried about mixing with elc. Help!!!
It's a Van Gogh
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,813
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From: Elk Grove, CA
Button it back up, fill with distilled water and run til warm and thermostat is open. Drain that and then one more time with distilled. Whatever is left will be well diluted, best you can do without removing the drain plugs, IMO. It's like 30 gallons of water so get ready for some stares at the store. You could do the first flush with garden hose water and just make the last flush distilled, but all distilled is better.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Puget Sound
Yup... distilled. I was at the store, sweeping the whole shelf into my cart - when the stock guy showed up. He had a cart of boxes of water, looking at my cart and rolling his eyes. If I had shown up about a minute later, I could have grabbed the boxes and saved him the hassle of opening those.
Anyway, drive up a hill (or a mountain) at 2500-3000 RPM (2nd gear if needed) - this is the fastest way I know to heat the engine up over 205 degrees. You just never know if somebody put a hotter thermostat in there. I flushed mine with distilled twice, and it pretty much cleaned the old stuff out.
You can pull the block heater out, and this does a good job of draining things down... but nothing you do will get the last 2 gallons out of the system. Dilution is the only answer.
Anyway, drive up a hill (or a mountain) at 2500-3000 RPM (2nd gear if needed) - this is the fastest way I know to heat the engine up over 205 degrees. You just never know if somebody put a hotter thermostat in there. I flushed mine with distilled twice, and it pretty much cleaned the old stuff out.
You can pull the block heater out, and this does a good job of draining things down... but nothing you do will get the last 2 gallons out of the system. Dilution is the only answer.
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From: White Oak WV
Well I flushed with the garden hose then did two distilled water flushes. Should I fill up with more distilled and take it for a drive then flush again or do you think I'm good to go and throw the elc i?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Puget Sound
I filled with distilled (hey... that rhymes), then drove until the thermostat opened up. Drain, repeat. Drain, use 4 gallons of antifreeze, then top off with distilled. I probably should have pulled the thermostat, but I was not in the mood to disturb it shortly before a long trip. My system worked fine.
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Senior User
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From: White Oak WV
I followed the Gooch' s instructions exactly except for the passenger side block plug. So I did remove the thermostat. I did do one extra distilled flush. I figure it's good to go.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Puget Sound
In case that's unclear - 4 gallons of concentrate need to be added to the roughly two or three gallons of water still in the truck, then top with distilled.
Good job!
Good job!
Logistics Pro
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Morgan Hill, CA
Button it back up, fill with distilled water and run til warm and thermostat is open. Drain that and then one more time with distilled. Whatever is left will be well diluted, best you can do without removing the drain plugs, IMO. It's like 30 gallons of water so get ready for some stares at the store. You could do the first flush with garden hose water and just make the last flush distilled, but all distilled is better.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,675
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From: Walpole, MA
I'm following the Gooch method for flushing my coolant to switch to elc. I was unable.to remove the passenger side block plug without damaging it. So I've only been draining the drivers side on the block. Should I go ahead and continue with the switch to elc? On my las drain the water from the radiator looked clear but when you catch some in a jar it has a slight hazy appearance. Not green tint. More like a real light tan haze. I'm paranoid that there is too much green coolant trapped in the block and im worried about mixing with elc. Help!!!
https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/...&docFormat=PDF
So you should be fine, I wouldn't stress.
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