Coolant Flush on my truck

[pugslybell]

I have all ready gotten the radiator flushed and rodded out. When I went to replace the hoses some where rock hard and filled with dried coolant and mineral deposits. My thermostat housing is shot and needs to be replaced.
Can I use garden water hose to flush the coolant? Some of the forums talk about freeze plugs to remove from the engine? What are these called in the fsm? I am a novice when it comes to cars and a little confused about this.

Main questions
1. Can I use the hose?
2. Where do I put it? Right in the opening from the thermostat?
3. Can I soak the metal parts from the system in CLR to remove the radiator fluid (dried up and hard) and the hard water deposits? I could not find the name for those parts but they run parrallel to the block one on the top and one on the bottom and are held onto the block with two screws that are threaded right onto the block (about 1 foot long with a dog leg at the back of the engine). These are not plugged but have a fair bit of residue in them.
4. Should I service the oil cooler as well? Again can I soak and clean that?

Thanks

 

[tucker74]

You can flush the system with your hose, you should splice it in the heater hose at the fire wall. You can buy "T" flushing kits that come with a garden hose adapter and will splice in if you remove one end of the existing hose. Since you are mainly worried about the block, pull the block drain (DS side below the manifold towards the back) and flush the system from there. You will most likely have to unblock this passage with a screwdriver or drill bit (will be gunk after you remove plug). Close up the system except this plug, turn on hose, start engine once water is running out and let the motor warm up. Good idea to pull the "warm" lever and turn on the front/rear heater to flush those too. Make sure you close the thermostat housing and radiator cap ... I usually flush until water runs clear. You can also close the block plug and flush to the radiator peacock ...

Good luck!
Tucker

 

[theside00]

You could also disconnect the heater valve as stated above but attach the garden hose to one end and then attach a drain hose to the other and let it run for a while. This will flush the entire system and clean out your heater core and radiator.

 

[pugslybell]

The truck does not run yet. Can I do this without the truck running or just wait?
The radiator is not currently installed and I do not want to contaminate it with all the junk that was in the thermostat housing and I am sure everywhere. I will post a picture of the thermostat housing when I get home tonight.

 

[theside00]

With no radiator connected you could remove the thermostat and flow water in one port and have it come out the other. Make sure the heater valve is open so it flushes that too.