Coolant flush question

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sleepycruiser

sleepycruiser

I will get by….I will survive
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I have reviewed the threads regarding coolant flushes, but I think I am overthinking what I need to do. I drained and flushed today until the water was almost clear. I have been draining from the petcock, not the block. So now I need to put concentrate coolant in. So after I drain 1.5-2 gallons more of water I should just add that much in concentrate coolant , correct? Basically whatever I drain out now in water I should add back in concentrate coolant....and add a 50/50 mix to the reservoir?
 
Why wouldn't you add 50/50 mix until it's full?
I don't get why you'd add 'concentrate' and then 50/50 mix.
 
Not sure if its the right way but here's what I did:

1. Drain as much coolant as I could via the petcock valve
2. Realize that I could get more out by removing the lower radiator hose.
3. Fill with tap water and run the engine for a minute or two
4. Drain again via petcock valve
5. Repeat step 3 and 4 a few times until what drains out is totally clear.
Note: don't add ice cold water into the warm engine.
6. When filling I would add a quart of coolant and a quart of distilled water until full. Keeps it close enough to 50/50 mix.

It might not result in a 100% flush but was quick and easy. I figure if I do this once a year I'll be in good shape.
 
Tedward said:
Why wouldn't you add 50/50 mix until it's full?
I don't get why you'd add 'concentrate' and then 50/50 mix.
Click to expand...

I thought that since there is still water in the block after draining the via the petcock that I would not use 50/50 prediluted bc then it would have way more water.

Could I just keep adding 50/50 and draining until coolant started coming back out of the petcock? That was my first thought.
 
ZackR said:
Not sure if its the right way but here's what I did:

1. Drain as much coolant as I could via the petcock valve
2. Realize that I could get more out by removing the lower radiator hose.
3. Fill with tap water and run the engine for a minute or two
4. Drain again via petcock valve
5. Repeat step 3 and 4 a few times until what drains out is totally clear.
Note: don't add ice cold water into the warm engine.
6. When filling I would add a quart of coolant and a quart of distilled water until full. Keeps it close enough to 50/50 mix.

It might not result in a 100% flush but was quick and easy. I figure if I do this once a year I'll be in good shape.
Click to expand...
I would add turning on both heaters and flushing them as well.
 
Oh boy. You're way over thinking this. Add 50/50 to the radiator or half concentrate half distilled water (cheaper) remove the return line from the heater core...place some hose on the return side of the heater core where you just removed the return line. Place that hose in a bucket or something to catch coolant. Close your heater control valve and run your engine to warm it up, open the valve to expel water and heater core filth. Replace return line, add coolant and bleed any residual air from the system.
 
Or you could measure how much water you drain on your last drain. Find out the total coolant system volume. Subtract the amount of water you drained from the total volume. The total coolant system volume is about 4 gallons and say you drain out 2 gallons of water. That means you still have 2 gallons of water in the block. So you need to add 2 gallons of concentrate to get 50/50, or at least pretty close. And then get a coolant density checker at the auto parts store, and check it after you've gotten the engine up to operating temperature.

Me, I would just drain the block too, it literally takes a couple extra minutes and then you know what kind of condition it's in (sometimes sludge collects there), and fill the whole thing up 50/50, alternating by the gallon or half-gallon.
 
subzali said:
Or you could measure how much water you drain on your last drain. Find out the total coolant system volume. Subtract the amount of water you drained from the total volume. The total coolant system volume is about 4 gallons and say you drain out 2 gallons of water. That means you still have 2 gallons of water in the block. So you need to add 2 gallons of concentrate to get 50/50, or at least pretty close. And then get a coolant density checker at the auto parts store, and check it after you've gotten the engine up to operating temperature.

Me, I would just drain the block too, it literally takes a couple extra minutes and then you know what kind of condition it's in (sometimes sludge collects there), and fill the whole thing up 50/50, alternating by the gallon or half-gallon.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I was going to drain the block but couldn't figure out e Carly where it was. I found a photo on MUD but I didn't see where it matches on mine.
 
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