I am putting a good used radiator in my 54. I've had 6 cylinder radiator in it since 1999. The inlet is on the passenger side on a 6 cylinder radiator. So last year I bought a real good 8 cylinder radiator for $100.

I just re-read the thread Ross started earlier this fall about good and bad antifreezes for our old trucks. Basically it says don't use antifreeze that has OAT in it.

I am not sure what kind of antifreeze is in the truck now, so I am going to flush my block. The shop manual says the radiator holds 22 quart of coolant. That's 5.5 gal. What does the block hold? Will I have enough if I buy 3 gal of concentrated antifreeze and 3 gal of distilled water? Or will I need more?

Thanks!

 

Abe, I may be wrong - I was once, it'll happen again - but I believe the coolant capacity listed in the shop manuals includes the engine and hoses.

 

One way to tell is to fill the new radiator with water using a gallon jug or a quart bottle, counting them as you fill it. Then you can deduce if the 22 quart quantity is correct.

 

Correct. I've never gotten the full 22 qts in mine, even with a fresh engine and empty heater, more like 20.

 

I keep a couple empty anti-freeze jugs laying around so whenever I need to fill a radiator, I can pre-mix my own coolant 50-50 before adding it to the vehicle. That way I don't have to guess or wonder if I got the right mix in the engine. And if I have some left over, it sits on the shelf just fine until such time as I need to top something off, still maintaining the recommended mix.

 

I've been using pre-mix coolant for years as it eliminates any oops. The John Deere CoolGard II is what is used in everything I own. According to Deere its good for everything new and includes all of their legacy equipment.

 

Thanks guys. I bought 2 gallons of NAPA antifreeze concentrate good for Ford vehicles 1998 and older and 2 gallons of distilled water. That will give me 16 quart. I going to buy one gallon of NAPA premixed and that will give me a total of 20 gallons. If I need more I'll buy another gallon of premix later.

Thanks for the help.

 

Personally, I hate the thought of buying premixed anti freeze. It's a mighty expensive half gallon of water, imho.

 

Yes it is. But I thought if I need to top it off I'll use the premixed to be sure it is 50/50.

 

Or quarts?

 

Yes, quarts! Sorry.

 

I knew what you meant, but I had to be a smart a$$ .

 

We got 18 quart in it. I don't think there is an air bubble. The heater got warm.