Short post here. I'm in the Chicago suburbs, and winter is coming up fast, so that means straight temps in the teens and 20's. Gonna do a flush to play it safe. Couple of questions... What brand of coolant should I use, what brand of flush detergent should i use, and should I keep the mixture at 50/50 or go a little stronger with the freezing temps coming... Any input helps... Thanks. I have been through 7 winters with this truck at 50/50 with the original fluid and no probs. I'm surprised, but happy. But it's time for the flush... Thanks again.

 

stick with the 50/50 if it has done ya well. As for flush detergent, i usaully have my oil change place do that for me, so wont be much help with that .Maybe someone could chime in here???

 

Ok, I will definatly keep the 50/50 mixture... but anyone else on the Flush Detergent and what brand of Coolant I should go with?

 

A buddy of mine did a flush on ihis '93 Camaro and he bought an adaptor that goes on one of the hoses and then you just hook your garden hose up to it and it flushes it that way. Not sure if that's a good way to do it but he hasn't had any problems after doing it.

 

Yeah, thats how I was going to flush it, but I read in my Haynes Manual that flushing with water may not get all the contaminants, so they suggested that you use a flushing detergent which cleans out your system much better. I looked into it, and read some stuff about it, and I guess this detergent will wash out all the stuff that eats at your hoses and seals and stuff. But it could just be a made up sales pitch to rake in some money for a useless product. So maybe I dont even need a detergent, I dunno. So Im still waiting a little on this thread for some more input on what I sholuld do. Thanks Munky for the input.

 

The reason to keep the 50/50 ratio is that water is better at cooling than antifreeze. I used to keep a richer mixture, thinking that I was safer, but it can actually be harder on your engine because it doesn't transfer heat as well.

Prestone has two products. One seems to be a light duty, and the other, a more serious flush. I used two bottles of the heavy duty stuff in my Buick Park Avenue, which I bought used with 108,000 miles. That cooling system (with Dexcool) was pretty bad, and it cleaned up well.

If yours is in fairly good shape, the light duty stuff would probably do the job. Actually, if it's in good shape, a water flush would probably do, in case you've got other things to spend the money on!

Type of coolant is something I debated for my F150. I ended up using the Zerex G-05 (aka Ford Premium Gold) long-life coolant. Contrary to what some will tell you, it is compatible with the conventional green coolant, but it's probably good practice to flush the old.

I'm not sure if that will be worth the extra cost, but that's what I did. Probably the most cost-effective way to go is with Walmart Supertech coolant. I believe it's as good as the major brands and usually much cheaper.

 

I would also like to comment on the flushing system with the tee: Be very careful if you put this in a recent F150 because the hoses are positioned such that if the tee or connected hose leaks, it will run down onto the spark plug/COP assembly and fry the coil.

I have used the tee system on all my other vehicles with good results, but I wouldn't use it on my F150 unless I were replacing the heater hoses and could reposition them.

PS: I now notice that you've been through 7 winters with the original coolant. Hopefully, the truck was just sitting most of that time. Is your old coolant turning brown? You will be fortunate if some corrosion of the radiator and heater core has not already occurred. I guess I would go with the heavy duty flush, but you do take a chance that it will blow out any weakened areas. The good news is that you probably don't have COPs, so that particular concern is removed.

 

Its a 97 and I do have COP's but I dont see any coolant hoses anywhere near the COP's... that confuses me a little. Could you explain that "Tee" system to me, and two other things. Where did you Purchase the coolant you bought, that Ford Premium Gold, and yeah... 7 winters, my dad passed the truck down to me after he realized he didnt need it anymore, and he cant remember if he ever got the coolant changed, but he dosent think he ever had it done... I'ts been driven every winter almost every day of the year for that matter. If it is the origina stuff, Im afraid that im in for a few LARGE expences such as all new hoses, new radiator, and maybe even a new heater core if it's corroded so badly... Lets hope it was changed at a decent milage =/... Thank you so much for all the in input MrBSS - may I ask what "chicago area" you are actually in...? hanover park here...

 

I recommend just draining and refilling the radiator about 5 times. You get about half the coolant out with every iteration. So, you are having a remaining:

50%
25%
12%
6%
3%
1.5%
...

for each flush.

While it seems common practise, I personally do not like the idea of possibly ice cold tap water going straight into a running warm or hot engine. Things may warp, especially on an Al head / steel block engine. I may misunderstand and the water is actually flushed through a cold and non running engine.

Also, I do not like cleaning agents. If you stay on top of the coolant and change it every 2 years at the latest, cleaning agents are not necessary.

George

Edit: I buy Prestone coolant. You can buy any coolant, really, just make sure it is compatible with any type of engine. In the old days if you had Al components, some coolants would not be compatible. But I think all coolants these days are compatible with the modern engines.

 

wow, yeah... Thanks geoaigel. Thats good info for me and many others. I was thinking of flushing it cold, but your idea is a good one too... lots to think about... I think i may try your system of fill and flush 5 times.

 

Flaw:

Of course, with fresh water in the radiator, you need to run the truck for a few minutes and don't forget to run the heater. It's always worked for me, because it is very simple. On other cars I have drained the block before too. Not sure if these new trucks have easily accessible coolant drain plugs on the block.

George

 

Well, I didn't think that the '97s had COPs. That is, Coil On Plug, which means that there are no high voltage ignition wires, but each spark plug has it's own coil right on top of it. If you don't have a COP under where you would insert the tee, then you're OK.

The COPs have been a weak point, and I wouldn't want to chance that leaking water would fry one. On my 2001, I'll probably lengthen and re-route one heater hose so that I can put the tee in a safer spot whenever I replace the hoses.

Although putting ice cold water in an overheated engine could cause a problem, I don't think back flushing with tap water in your case wil do so, and I would suggest that you might need a fast flush to clean it out well. Multiple fills are great, but maybe you want to get the job done, too. You might also want to remove the thermostat while flushing.

I got the Zerex G-05 at Murray's in Glen Ellyn. Any Ford dealer will sell you the Premium Gold Coolant, but it is the same stuff in a different bottle. I think in your case I would just go with the traditional Prestone, or frankly, the Walmart SuperTech. That's because, while it's unlikely to cause a problem, I'm not sure if the Gold is approved for the older systems. And I doubt that it would be worth the extra cost.

I guess I would like to see all your hoses changed, too; but you need to change the coolant NOW, so just do that rather than delaying the project. Trust me, you will hate yourself if you have to replace the heater core in January!

 

Do the following with the heat on full.

1 Remove the thermostat and reinstall housing with seal.
2 Drain the block and rad.
3 Fill system with water add 2 ounces of automatic dishwashing detergent per gallon of water. I used cascade gel, but any low sudzing detergent will work.
4 Button it up and run for 5 minutes.
5 Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4.
6 Drain the block and rad.
7 Refill with plain water.
8 Run for 5 minutes.
9 Repeat steps 6, 7, and 8.
10 Drain the block and rad.
11 Replace thermostat with new OEM spec unit.
12 Button up and refill with distilled water and specified antifreeze. 50-50.

Don't forget to clean out overflow bottle if not included in your system.
Use of jet-dry for spot removal is optional.
The pump circulates the hell out of the soapy water with the thermostat removed. Comes out clean as a whistle. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

 

I forgot to mention if you are working on an older 302 with that PITA thermostat setup replace the bypass hose. I also replaced the formed heater hose that is down there when I did my sons 85 continental last month.