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coolant change

5K views 28 replies 5 participants last post by  Aussiblue 
#1 ·
Hey how do you flush coolant from your system and what type of coolant do you guys recommend?

thanks
 
#3 ·
My suggestions:

Engine cold, remove radiator drain plug (or if no drain plug) bottom hose and thermostat (so coolant will be removed from head and block). Make sure heater tap is full on to get water out of heater. Remove radiator and flush by running water fromn hose in inlet and outlet.

Or pay a shop to do it as they have the gear to flush under pressure.

Use Castrol R.
 
#4 ·
Aussiblue said:
My suggestions:

Engine cold, remove radiator drain plug (or if no drain plug) bottom hose and thermostat (so coolant will be removed from head and block). Make sure heater tap is full on to get water out of heater. Remove radiator and flush by running water fromn hose in inlet and outlet.

Or pay a shop to do it as they have the gear to flush under pressure.

Use Castrol R.
how much to get it professionly done? Also would removing the radiator drain plug remove coolant from inside the engine block as well or is there a seperate plug? what do you mean by heater tap? you mean turn on the car and turn the heater on?

thanks
 
#5 ·
#7 ·
Aussiblue said:
For other tips see:

http://popularmechanics.com/automotive/sub_care_sat/1997/10/flush_cooling_system/print.phtml

http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/radiator/flushing.html

http://www.bcautos.com/cooling_system.html

I would not use the hot engine running approach some suggest; many many moons ago I was using this method and the engine stalled, head cracked, bores filled with H2O rods bent.

so do you turn on the heater to full by just puting the car in accesories?

thanks
 
#10 ·
Aussiblue said:
My suggestions:

Engine cold, remove radiator drain plug (or if no drain plug) bottom hose and thermostat (so coolant will be removed from head and block). Make sure heater tap is full on to get water out of heater. Remove radiator and flush by running water fromn hose in inlet and outlet.

Or pay a shop to do it as they have the gear to flush under pressure.

Use Castrol R.
also they mention some bleed valve? Where are they located in the ford six cylinder?
 
#12 ·
If it's a six pot EL you need to follow a special procedure to bleed the air when you refill it. ie

Leave thermostat out and refill at thermostat housing until level with top of housing, replace thermostat, run engine without cap until normal temp, allow to cool, top up and replace cap.
 
#14 ·
Begin with the engine cold and ignition off. Remove the radiator cap. MAKE SURE THE ENGINE IS COOL. If the radiator cap is too hot to touch, your engine is not cool enough.

Open the drain-plug at the bottom of the radiator and drain the coolant into a bucket. You will want to dispose of the cooling fluid as environmentally conscious as possible. So, if there are any shops or recycling places in your area that take old coolant give it to them. Make sure you keep the fluid away from animals. Don't just pour it on the ground. Animals tend to want to drink it, but it will kill them. My ex-girlfriend's dog died of this once.

Close the drain-plug and fill the radiator with water.

Start the engine and turn the heater control to hot (this will open the heater control valve). Add cooling system cleaner and idle the engine for 30 minutes (or as per the instructions on container).

Stop the engine and allow it to cool for five minutes. Drain the system.

Close the drain-plug, fill the radiator with water and let the engine idle for five minutes.

Repeat step No. 5. Close the drain-plug.

Install new 50/50 mixture of water and ethylene glycol antifreeze/coolant. Be sure you use the same coolant as was in your vehicle. Many of the coolants that are designed to last 150,000 miles will react with cheaper coolants and cause corrosion of the radiator. The best way to do this is match color.

this procedure good enough?
 
#16 ·
Make step 2 remove thermostat.

Make second last step: with thermostat housing open fill system with new coolant to top of thermostat housing (this is to help avoid trapped air and need to bleed system, replace thermostat (new one is best) , top up rest of system run for 10 minutes with cap off (to bleed off air) allow to cool then top up and screw cap on.

If you don't remove the thermostat you will not remove all the old coolant. If you don't fill to thermostat level before replacing the thermostat you risk having air trapped in the system.

Think about it:

If you pour cold new coolant in the thermostat will close and unless you pour very very slowly even if there is a small hole in the thermostat, the new coolant wont flow into the block. If you have a wiggle valve instead of a hole in the thermostat the force of gravity will close this valve preventing air escapimg through that valve creating an air pocket below it. Genuine Ford T stats have a wiggle valve.

Similarly, if air cant get into the top of the block as the thermostat is closed it will create a vaccuum effect stopping some of the water flowing out when you're trying to drain the system. The life of a T stat and the cooolant is about the same so it makes sense to change them at the same time (you'll loose coolant when you eventaually have to change the T stat).
 
#17 ·
Aussiblue said:
Make step 2 remove thermostat.

Make second last step: with thermostat housing open fill system with new coolant to top of thermostat housing (this is to help avoid trapped air and need to bleed system, replace thermostat (new one is best) , top up rest of system run for 10 minutes with cap off (to bleed off air) allow to cool then top up and screw cap on.

If you don't remove the thermostat you will not remove all the old coolant. If you don't fill to thermostat level before replacing the thermostat you risk having air trapped in the system.

Think about it:

If you pour cold new coolant in the thermostat will close and unless you pour very very slowly even if there is a small hole in the thermostat, the new coolant wont flow into the block. If you have a wiggle valve instead of a hole in the thermostat the force of gravity will close this valve preventing air escapimg through that valve creating an air pocket below it. Genuine Ford T stats have a wiggle valve.

Similarly, if air cant get into the top of the block as the thermostat is closed it will create a vaccuum effect stopping some of the water flowing out when you're trying to drain the system. The life of a T stat and the cooolant is about the same so it makes sense to change them at the same time (you'll loose coolant when you eventaually have to change the T stat).
so in simpler terms, remove thermostat housing pout coolant through there to the top, fix thermostat housing down, let system run for ten minutes, top up levels, then thats ok right?
 
#19 ·
this coolant change thing is so complicated!:) I know how to do everything else just coolant change is hard!

So engage drain plug,

take raditor cap off,

undo thermostat housing,

heater to hot,

let everything drain,

redo t-stat housing,

run fresh water thought system,

undo t-stat housing,

drain,

redo housing,

top up coolant through t-stat housing,

and done?
 
#20 ·
snavy said:
this coolant change thing is so complicated!:) I know how to do everything else just coolant change is hard!

So engage drain plug,

take raditor cap off,

undo thermostat housing,

heater to hot,

let everything drain,

redo t-stat housing,

run fresh water thought system,

undo t-stat housing,

drain,

redo housing,

top up coolant through t-stat housing,

and done?
bump:)
 
#21 ·
snavy said:
hey can please some1 tell me how to do it so my ford doesnt break down or anything when the heat does start coming in melbourne?:)
I wouldn't worry about it, given the lousy summer we're having this year.

Seriously, I agree with the above methods, but just to add some confusion I've done it this way a few times because I reckon it's probably a bit better done hot and dislsodging the sludge with a flush. I've had no overheating problems on XF or EA this way and no known damage to anything.

Run flush according to instructions on can, which is always hot. Let engine sit at least 45 mins with bonnet up and cap off to cool a bit, then remove cap and disconnect bottom radiator hose and drain. Refit radiator hose but don't tighten circlip. Fill with hot water (from domestic hot tap by bucket) to avoid cracking anything. Fill very slowly as this allows the water and block/head temps to equalise without cracking - even hot tap water is probably capable of cracking things if the temperature differential is sufficient. Drain when full. Repeat fill and drain a few times and run the engine for a few mins each time to move it around, until the drain runs clear. Fill with correct coolant in correct dilution - too little is useless and too much can attack the metals because of excessive alkalinity or acidity or something. I can't remember the correct dilution. Bleed etc.

If I recall correctly, the block can hold about 6 litres of the 15 litres in the 3.9, so you need to put a fair bit of water through to get a full change.
 
#23 ·
EA S said:


I wouldn't worry about it, given the lousy summer we're having this year.

Seriously, I agree with the above methods, but just to add some confusion I've done it this way a few times because I reckon it's probably a bit better done hot and dislsodging the sludge with a flush. I've had no overheating problems on XF or EA this way and no known damage to anything.

Run flush according to instructions on can, which is always hot. Let engine sit at least 45 mins with bonnet up and cap off to cool a bit, then remove cap and disconnect bottom radiator hose and drain. Refit radiator hose but don't tighten circlip. Fill with hot water (from domestic hot tap by bucket) to avoid cracking anything. Fill very slowly as this allows the water and block/head temps to equalise without cracking - even hot tap water is probably capable of cracking things if the temperature differential is sufficient. Drain when full. Repeat fill and drain a few times and run the engine for a few mins each time to move it around, until the drain runs clear. Fill with correct coolant in correct dilution - too little is useless and too much can attack the metals because of excessive alkalinity or acidity or something. I can't remember the correct dilution. Bleed etc.

If I recall correctly, the block can hold about 6 litres of the 15 litres in the 3.9, so you need to put a fair bit of water through to get a full change.
15 letres is a fair bit!:(
 
#24 ·
longjohn1 said:
My au has the pink coolant is it really that bad and why would ford put a coolant like that in there production line.
[1]Pink is crap...[2] Money.....No because it looks nice....
 
#25 ·
I expect the pink stuff is the new extended life ecologically friendly recyclable stuff. The extended life doesn't mean it last longer in your car just that it still retains it cooling and anti-corrosive capacity once appropriately treated during recycling. The green traditional stuff loses some of its desirable properties if recycled.
Originally posted by snavy this coolant change thing is so complicated!:) I know how to do everything else just coolant change is hard!

So engage drain plug,

take raditor cap off,

undo thermostat housing,

heater to hot,

let everything drain,

redo t-stat housing,

run fresh water thought system,

undo t-stat housing,

drain,

redo housing,

top up coolant through t-stat housing,

and done?
Yes but take T stat out in step 3 replace in second last step.


Hot flushing in theory is better but after my disaster 20 years ago I would never try again particulary with the Ford I6 and its marginal cooling system. Trapped air will cause overheating and the risk of the temp senors and t stat being out of the coolant a dangerous combination.
 
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