Coolant flush or drain? (1 Viewer)

[sdnative]

I am about to fix my cracked radiator and engine valley coolant leak and found this post by @bloc

4,000 Mile Road Trip Prep @ 95k Miles: 2014 LX

I am relocating back to the L48 from Alaska for work. Happening sooner than expected as I have only been North for 30 months. Anyway, I drove the 4Runner up and will be driving my 2014 LX back. I am electing to have the 4Runner shipped this time for more room/general comfort during the drive...

forum.ih8mud.com

In the past I have always flushed the cooling system completely, but can definitely see the benefit of a drain and refill more frequently if the coolant has not been compromised. Not only for convenience but also to avoid trapped air in the system (heater cores) and diluting an already pre-diluted mix further.

Does anyone have the FSM handy to see what the Toyota recommended procedure is? How much coolant will be left in the system by only draining the radiator and block?

Since I will have it all apart I will be changing the water pump, thermostat, hoses, etc but after this I am considering just draining the radiator and engine block and refilling every 60k miles.

My truck is a 2013 LC with 65k miles. Owners manual says cooling capacity is 17.6 qt (16.7 L)

Thoughts?

 

[bloc]

I haven't consulted the FSM yet but many other manufacturers specify using a vacuum tool to fully purge the system of air. I could see this being very helpful in the rear especially, where the lines go under the car then up into the core. When I drained/filled my system I had trouble getting heat out of the back until I deliberately drove around "spiritedly" to get some RPMS to push the air out.

Either way.. I believe @Taco2Cruiser was the first person here to mention not using water to flush the system because it dilutes it. Maybe he'd have something to add.

Also, I believe 65k is quite early for a coolant R&R, though it won't hurt. I can't remember whether factory spec is 100/120/130k..

 

[sdnative]

As a data point I was able to get 3 gallons from just draining the radiator petcock and both engine drain ports, plus another 2/3 quart from the reservoir. This represents roughly 70% of the system capacity.

Coolant looked pretty good, much better than what was in my Tacoma at 135k miles.

 

[unclemat]

I just drained from the radiator & block on both sides & filled. Forget I much I got but I think more than 3 gallons. At 57k the coolant was super clean.

Reason is Toyota SLLC does not come non-diluted. On my other vehicles I sometimes do flush with distilled water - several times, so I end with near 100% water in the system. Then drain, use airlift to pull in non-diluted coolant in the amount of 1/2 system capacity, then fill rest with water. The end result should be 50% concentration, perhaps tiny bit higher than that.

 

[sdnative]

For concentrated coolant like Toyota LLC (red) I would flush completely with distilled water, but with SLLC you can't get any more concentrated than 50%. So I am very hesitant to flush with water. It would be near impossible to exchange all of the water in the system with coolant without special tools.

 

[Lester did that]

If your replacing the radiator or any other major part of the coolant system then you need to do a "flush" to purge all the air out of the system after the system is refilled. Mine takes Toyota pink. I just drop all the fluid from the radiator and overflow tank and refill. Drive around for a few weeks and repeat. And then do it again one more time. I wastes a lot of fluid but its super simple. About 10gallons if I recall? No risk of causing problems from putting pressure on a system that isn't broken. Sure its not 100% fresh fluid closer to 70% new/30% old but the coolant properties are restored and there was no pumping pressure on the parts, and saved a Saturday with the time involved. Waddington effect

 

[unclemat]

Btw, FSM does not call for a flush or use of Airlift etc.

This is unlike FSM for my 13 Caddy CTS-V which calls exactly for that.

 

[BigMF]

I haven't consulted the FSM yet but many other manufacturers specify using a vacuum tool to fully purge the system of air.

As @unclemat said, the FSM does not say anything about using a vacuum tool or pressurized air to purge the system. Only drain at the radiator and two spots on the engine itself then refill. I'm attaching the docs I have for my 2011 LX570. May be different for LC or later years but I'm kinda doubting it.

Also, does anyone have a suggestion for coolant to use? I checked my local Toyota dealer's website for the Toyota SLLC (00272-SLLC2) and it said it was no longer available for purchase. It looks like I could order it online but was hoping to keep it local. I'm not opposed to a non-toyota product as long as it meets the tough iH8mud member approval.

 

[bloc]

As @unclemat said, the FSM does not say anything about using a vacuum tool or pressurized air to purge the system. Only drain at the radiator and two spots on the engine itself then refill. I'm attaching the docs I have for my 2011 LX570. May be different for LC or later years but I'm kinda doubting it.

Also, does anyone have a suggestion for coolant to use? I checked my local Toyota dealer's website for the Toyota SLLC (00272-SLLC2) and it said it was no longer available for purchase. It looks like I could order it online but was hoping to keep it local. I'm not opposed to a non-toyota product as long as it meets the tough iH8mud member approval.

The part number may have been updated but your dealer absolutely has coolant that works in your truck. Might have to go talk to the parts guys to see what’s up. I would stick with OE fluid personally.

The vacuum tool was mentioned more as an option commonly used on other vehicles. Toyota may not use that method in their procedures but it would make getting the air out of the high spots much easier and to my knowledge shouldn’t damage anything in the system.. though I’m not 100% sure on that.

 

[unclemat]

SLLC is easily available. I order from oempartsource.com. Even with shipping cheaper than local dealers.

 

[BigMF]

Hopefully, a quick question: Do I really need to remove everything that the FSM says I need to remove such as the grill and bumper? It seems like that is a whole lot of work just to get to the drain plugs for the radiator. Perhaps I'm reading it wrong?

Also, I have a picture (see below) of where the cylinder drains. Any tips on how to access them? Easier from above the engine or below? How do you guys drain the fluid without just letting it pour all over the ground? Can you attach a vinyl tube to it like the brakes and AHC bleeder plugs? This is my first radiator drain so I want to do it right and try to keep as much off the ground and contained for proper disposal as possible.

 

[CharlieS]

I'm pretty sure you can get to the radiator drain petcock if you remove your stock skid plate. I'd verify but I'm running aftermarket skids. I catch the old coolant in a large bucket. Don't let it drain on the ground, it is toxic to animals, and they are attracted to its sweetness.

 

[sdnative]

No you do not need to remove the bumper and grill to drain the coolant. The FSM says to remove that to replace the radiator, which I did, but as I understand it's possible without.

To drain the coolant, you'll need to drain the radiator and 2 engine drains.

To drain the radiator simply open the petcock on the bottom, passenger side. Should be a yellow knob.

To drain the engine you'll need to open two drain valves, one on either side of the engine as shown in your picture. The PS is easy to access by jacking up the truck a bit and looking in the wheel opening. The DS is a bit harder to see but it's there. I used some 5/16" ID tubing to fit over the engine drain nipples and direct the coolant into a bottle. I could reach the PS by hand, the DS I had to tape the tubing to something rigid (I used a paint stick) to guide the tubing onto the nipple. You'll want to have some ratchet extensions, swivel heads, etc to make opening the engine drains easier.

As an added bonus, the 5/16" ID tubing had the perfect OD to use on the power steering reservoir return line when I did the PS fluid exchange.

 

[BigMF]

So, got this done the other day....mostly. For the life of me, I could not get the passenger side engine plug loose. It doesn't help that it's extremely awkward and you have to use a magical combination of universal joints and extensions on your socket wrench. However, I put a good bit of force into it but was worried about stripping it or worse, breaking something that would require taking half the engine apart to fix. It would be good experience but not something I'm ready to sign up for just yet.

Based on the look of the fluid coming out, I'd say it was in pretty good shape and I'm not overly worried by the fact that I couldn't get that side open. I was able to get just under 3 gallons out. Would appreciate any words of wisdom on the look of the coolant that came out. Am I correct in thinking that it's in good shape and should not be too worried about the fact that I could not get the one drain plug loose?

 

[firepuppy]

No you do not need to remove the bumper and grill to drain the coolant. The FSM says to remove that to replace the radiator, which I did, but as I understand it's possible without.

To drain the coolant, you'll need to drain the radiator and 2 engine drains.

To drain the radiator simply open the petcock on the bottom, passenger side. Should be a yellow knob.

To drain the engine you'll need to open two drain valves, one on either side of the engine as shown in your picture. The PS is easy to access by jacking up the truck a bit and looking in the wheel opening. The DS is a bit harder to see but it's there. I used some 5/16" ID tubing to fit over the engine drain nipples and direct the coolant into a bottle. I could reach the PS by hand, the DS I had to tape the tubing to something rigid (I used a paint stick) to guide the tubing onto the nipple. You'll want to have some ratchet extensions, swivel heads, etc to make opening the engine drains easier.

As an added bonus, the 5/16" ID tubing had the perfect OD to use on the power steering reservoir return line when I did the PS fluid exchange.

sdnative is quite right about the PS drain cock being easy to see (and access) by looking in the wheel opening. He is also correct about the DS being harder to find. In the hopes of saving someone else the 20 extra minutes I spent looking for the DS drain, please note the following additional info: on the PS look into the wheel well in FRONT of the shock tower, but on the DS, look in the wheel well from BEHIND the shock tower...

 

[NoClue]

If you haven't already, pick up a spill-free coolant funnel kit. It makes draining and refilling your coolant system a breeze. If you're draining the block, leave the spill-free funnel on while the engine is running during refill to make sure the thermostat opens.

 

[pvchaitanya]

Can someone post a pic or reference to where to find the driver side drain block? passenger side was very easy to spot with the brass nut visible from wheel well. On driver side I dont see any similar brass nuts in sight. there is a heat shield, is it below it?

 

[DallasTide]

Think it's just below the heat shield. Skip to the 3 minute mark in the video below. It's for a Tundra but should be pretty much the same.