i am about to flush my coolant system but i had one question. it says that a perfect 50 50 combination of coolant and water works the best. what i was wondering is how big my coolant system was so i could make that mix. I have a 1996 F250 powerstroke. it is a 7.3l v8. does anyone have suggestions? thanks

 

Wish I could help you but if I were you, I'd post this ? in the diesel forum...

 

Dont forget to add the additive to prevent cavitation! It is a big killer in diesels.

 

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according to the specs I looked up, 2 7/8 gallons. But that sounds low to me.. I'll check the factory manual when I get home in a couple hours if nobody chimes in by then.

 

Irrespective of it's size, If you don't even like going by the online brochure of that make and model then first try mixing 50:50 combination of coolant and water then keep on pouring till it is filled in full! Aint it very simple?

 

I have never worked on a diesel, but have worked on quite a few gassers. When I flush and fill, I don't premix, or purchase premix anitfreeze. Buying premix sure seems like an expensive way to buy distilled water. Around here distilled water is about $.99/gallon
When I'm done flushing, I know some coolant is trapped in the engine. This is almost pure tap water. Some is in the heater core, hoses, and block. I have never felt the need to remove all of it. I just assume there is about 1/2 a gallon of water in the system of the typical small block V8, total capacity about 2.5 gallons. I start out filling with about 1/2 a gallon of coolant, then a quart of distilled water, the quart of coolant back and forth. Soon as it is full enough to start the engine, I let it idle, and keep adding. When it gets close to full, I stop and let everything come up to temp, then check the mixture with my trusty old antifreeze tester. This thing is 40years old but works very well. If it shows I need to add more coolant or water, I have some room in the top of the radiator, plus the overflow recovery tank. If I have a choice of being at 40% or 60% I head towards 60%.
I always rinse the tester before putting it away. Amazing how old it is and still works great. I don't actually measure anything, just eyeball it and pour slow. Been doing this for a long time, never had a problem.
Get rid of the antifreeze you drained out as soon as possible. It really is an attractive poison. I have had one neighbor that lost a cat and another a dog from drinking antifreeze. Could have been a kid.
Hope this helps.
Good luck Frank