Coolant change question

[derelict]

Any tips/ tricks? Im heading to Colorado in 2 weeks and am going to do a thermostat change and figured I might as well drain and replace the coolant while I am at it. I dont have any temp problems but the coolant looks old and I have no idea how old the thermostat is. Seeing how I am going to be pushing big passes that its not used to, I am airing on the side of caution and making sure that everything is tip top. Its an 83 BJ60, no a/c and no rear heat BUT it does have the lines and everything that runs under the truck to where it would be and then loops back to the engine compartment.

 

[lostmarbles]

Any tips/ tricks? Im heading to Colorado in 2 weeks and am going to do a thermostat change and figured I might as well drain and replace the coolant while I am at it. I dont have any temp problems but the coolant looks old and I have no idea how old the thermostat is. Seeing how I am going to be pushing big passes that its not used to, I am airing on the side of caution and making sure that everything is tip top. Its an 83 BJ60, no a/c and no rear heat BUT it does have the lines and everything that runs under the truck to where it would be and then loops back to the engine compartment.

Hi Derelict ...... My suggestions:

Use a good quality coolant. (I use green ethylene glycol in the ratio of 1coolant:2water.)

Remove the unused hoses to the rear (and plug/cap the take-off points) unless you intend fitting a rear heater soon.

Drain the block via the drain cock there (and you may need to work something into the outlet to free the crud).



Flush the system with a hose till clear water exits (from both the radiator drain cock and the block drain cock).

Clean out the overflow/reservoir bottle too.

If you are really fussy use de-mineralised water for the new glycol mix (which should be available relatively cheaply in local supermarkets with luck).

Fill the radiator right to the top ...squeezing and releasing the top hose periodically to "burp out" air and then fill the reservoir no higher than half full before your first engine run.

Next day ... after overnight cooldown ... remove the radiator cap and top up the radiator directly... and also top up the reservoir again to half full (likely to have been emptied).

Thereafter ... top up the reservoir (alone) to approx 2/3 full each morning (assuming the cruiser has been run the previous day) until the level there ceases to fall.

Also retighten any newly-fitted hose-clamps each time the engine is hot for the first few days of use.

 

[canucksafari]

He's from Virginia, so I think distilled water is a good recommendation. IIRC, they got pretty hard water there.