Coolant Change
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Steeler Country
Coolant Change
Want to change my yellow coolant out of the 2003 V-10.
Any tips?
Reason is it is the original fluid and mantainance manual says 100,000 miles or five years. I got 74,000 and 7 1/2 years on it.
Any tips?
Reason is it is the original fluid and mantainance manual says 100,000 miles or five years. I got 74,000 and 7 1/2 years on it.
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Elder User
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From: Steeler Country
I used Prestone. It's yellow. I did a water flush, warmed it up, cooled off, drained again then Preston 50/50. Put 24-25 qts in and manual says it holds 28 so feel pretty good about getting all the old out. Had back end little higher than front in driveway and just used the radiator drain petcock. No pulling theromstat or engine drain plugs. But with the flush I feel it was enough. I had yellow stock fluid so wasn't like they would not mix. Think if I had the green I might flush twice, cost is nothing. Also used the distilled water to fill (not flush) as we have hard water. 4 gallons for $4 bucks is not going to break the bank.
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From: Long Island USA
Good work 
What I usually do is a full flush down to straight water, and complete drain as much as possible. Using 100% coolant, take the cooling system capacity divided by two, and add that much straight coolant, then fill with water. That's a definite 50/50 mix, but seeing as you got 25 qts into it, I think that's perfect too
What I usually do is a full flush down to straight water, and complete drain as much as possible. Using 100% coolant, take the cooling system capacity divided by two, and add that much straight coolant, then fill with water. That's a definite 50/50 mix, but seeing as you got 25 qts into it, I think that's perfect too
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I have to do this this summer, but disposing of used anti-freeze is always a pain.
I am going to drain by rad only. I figure I should be abale to get at leasy 90% of the old out.
Any issues with air locks after?
I am going to drain by rad only. I figure I should be abale to get at leasy 90% of the old out.
Any issues with air locks after?
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From: Steeler Country
I think I got more than 90 percent, but the 50 percent coolant fill with the remaining water is a good idea. No air pockets have appeared. The thing I did was refill with mixture and warm the engine back up with heater on high. Then keep running until top hose gets hot. I could hear the mix with air pumping through it. Then shut the truck off after a few minutes. The top hose will not be hard like filled with fluid, I could feel air in there, so a bunch of squeezes and the air bubbles go in the reserve, top off with mix, squeeze a few more times. Run it again and get any other bubbles I could.
Next day run it hot, check top hose, little soft, couple squeezes, got hard and only a few bubbles. Didn't need to top off. Check third day, nothing. No bubbles and level stayed the same.
I just could not justify messing with the engine drain plugs or thermostat for just a coolant change when they dont leak or have any problems now. Didn't want to risk a leak or even moisture weeping.
Next day run it hot, check top hose, little soft, couple squeezes, got hard and only a few bubbles. Didn't need to top off. Check third day, nothing. No bubbles and level stayed the same.
I just could not justify messing with the engine drain plugs or thermostat for just a coolant change when they dont leak or have any problems now. Didn't want to risk a leak or even moisture weeping.
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From: Long Island USA
saskdiesel, it's hard to get more than half out with just the radiator alone, at least in other vehicles I've done. I've always wanted to rig up some sort of containment setup using compressed air to push the coolant out, but never spent the time engineering it, nor figuring out if it's even possible.
This is why I use propylene glycol, it's biodegradable and non-toxic to the point where they actually use it to sweeten foods. Still not great just dumping it on the ground due to heavy metals, but at least it's far better than ethylene glycol and does the same job.
What I usually do is pull the rear heater hose off the back of the intake, and fill the system until it's right up to the top of the hose nipple. Reconnect it, run the engine and make sure the heater core gets hot. In my truck, I don't have the automatic heater core shutoff (just a manual valve I plumbed in) but in those that do, you should put the heater controls on just to make sure that valve opens.
This is why I use propylene glycol, it's biodegradable and non-toxic to the point where they actually use it to sweeten foods. Still not great just dumping it on the ground due to heavy metals, but at least it's far better than ethylene glycol and does the same job.
What I usually do is pull the rear heater hose off the back of the intake, and fill the system until it's right up to the top of the hose nipple. Reconnect it, run the engine and make sure the heater core gets hot. In my truck, I don't have the automatic heater core shutoff (just a manual valve I plumbed in) but in those that do, you should put the heater controls on just to make sure that valve opens.
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From: Steeler Country
I got way more than half, about 25/28 qts by just doing the radiator> That was in driveway with the rear end slightly higher than the front. Figure 90 percent. Then flush had to remove 25/28 of the remain 10 percent, so 90 percent of that or 98 percent. Then refill which at 50/50 would be slightly weaker considering 10 percent of a 98 percent water.... or 50/.90+.02= 43/57 mixture at worse case refill. Knowing this added slightly more coolant than distilled water for an exactly guesstimated 50/50 scientifically not proved but no leaks or messes.
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