78 40series radiator hose refresh and coolant flush/fill

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Aug 10, 2021
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Location
iowa
Hey Guys-
Was underneath the rig and noticed the bottom radiator hose was bulging and looks like it was getting close to the end of its life. Thought this would be a good time to refresh all my hoses, drain and flush/ replace the coolant, replace my heater control water valve as well(since I have a new one sitting around and my current one is crusty as can be) etc.

I am not a mechanic and this will be the first time doing this. I have ordered the hose kit from Manafre,so I have that covered. I am running green coolant now, do I replace it with Toyota red? I am in Iowa if that matters in which color coolant. have seen some mixed reviews on radiator flush, is it worth it?

Any other advice would be helpful and a step by step layout would be ideal! Has anyone came across a start to finish video of the process… I would love to see that. All advice from the experts in this group is welcome. I am both excited and nervous about getting going on this 😂

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Nice rig. Does it run hot? Yes maybe a radiator/engine flush would help. No why bother. Extended service antifreeze would like be fine, nothing wrong with ethylene glycol. Got pets maybe propylene glycol would be a better choice. I have seen -35*F here so I mix for that.

Pull one end of the hose to the heater and wash that unit out with the garden hose. Same for flushing with water the engine and radiator. Put on all your new stuff. Fill with regular water to make sure there are no leaks. Go for a bouncy ride to shake everything. When it cools down drain the system and refill with you sauce. I like to find a nice steep incline so I can easily burp the air out of the system - or you could buy a kit to do that.

Be sure to look at your rad cap, overflow tank and line.
 
You got this. It is a very easy and satisfying project. I selected the Zerex 50/50 Red just because, but to be honest, I'm not sure the different colors really matter that much. Given the price of coolant, you should accomplish as much as possible while the system is drained before refilling. I would suggest a good flush including the engine block drain, replacing your thermostat, and heater hoses (if applicable).
 
Nice rig. Does it run hot? Yes maybe a radiator/engine flush would help. No why bother. Extended service antifreeze would like be fine, nothing wrong with ethylene glycol. Got pets maybe propylene glycol would be a better choice. I have seen -35*F here so I mix for that.

Pull one end of the hose to the heater and wash that unit out with the garden hose. Same for flushing with water the engine and radiator. Put on all your new stuff. Fill with regular water to make sure there are no leaks. Go for a bouncy ride to shake everything. When it cools down drain the system and refill with you sauce. I like to find a nice steep incline so I can easily burp the air out of the system - or you could buy a kit to do that.

Be sure to look at your rad cap, overflow tank and line.
Thanks for the advice, no it doesn’t run hot, always has been running at normal temps. Just looks like it needs some preventative maintenance on replacing the hoses so K though might as well flush and replace coolant.
 
Very nice 40 that’s for sure. Being kind to your FJ40 always goes a long way and it looks like you are that!

My question is, where did you get that LC stripe?
 
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Very nice 40 that’s for sure. Being kind to your FJ40 always goes a long way and it looks like you are tha!

My question is, where did you get that LC stripe?
Thanks man, here is where I got my stripe kit.
 
If your hoses are questionable they should be replaced. I would recommend using distilled water, tap water has too many impurities in it. The 50/50 premix usually cost about twice as much as concentrated coolant. Your system will use around 4 gallons. I buy 2 gal of concentrate a/f and 2 gal of distilled water and mix 50/50.
 

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