What's up. I'm doing all new coolant stuff this weekend. New read, pump, thermo. My fluid is green and clean. Should I just run hose water thru my block and heater and call it good?

 

Running the garden hose thru the heater core is fine and with both the t-stat cover and water pump removed, run the hose thru the t-stat hole and it'll flush out thru the pump hole. If u have it, some compressed air thru the heater core will remove most of the water. Don't even think about putting in the new rad until after all is flushed.

New fan clutch?

 

Yep new fan clutch too. So flush garden hose thru heater and they the block?Flush the heater from heater core side of the thermo thru and drain out the other side and flush the block from the thermo hole out of the water pump...right. lol

 

With both heater hoses removed (from the stat cover & pump), stick the garden hose in 1 heater hose and watch water drain from the other heater hose......should be clear. Like wise, garden hose water (hose stuck in the head, stat hole) should be running out the block (water pump hole) and should run clear. Replace heater hoses and radiator hoses with new and don't forget a new rad cap. Drain/flush the overflow bottle as well.

 

i'm glad i saw this thread... i was getting ready to attempt this on Saturday. Do you need a flush adapter kit, like the ones at AZ? or can you just run the hose through? Also, do you need to use compressed air to get all the water out? Will water in the line hurt?

 

Negative on the flush kit thingy and negative using compressed air being a must. Since some water will be left in the heater core and engine block, I would suggest the 1st gallon of new coolant added be straight coolant, not 50/50 mix. Then finish off filling the system with 50/50 mix. For the next several days, motor COLD, remove rad cap and add 50/50 to the radiator as needed and keep coolant in the overflow bottle between the upper/lower marks.

 

If u don't remove the t-stat cover and water pump, at least remove the heater hoses from the stat cover and water pump, remove the top rad hose from the stat cover and remove the bottom rad hose from the water pump. Stick the garden hose in 1 of the heater hoses, then in the top rad hose, then in the heater hose nipple on the stat cover. Flush, flush, flush.......oh, and did I mention flush, flush, flush.

Also, read my signature. LOL

 

When you say the first gallon added after a garden hose flush..you said straight coolant.Then add a gallon of water? Or just use straight coolant because there should be around 1 gallon led in the block then top off with 50/50.

 

Negative, after flushing let as much water as possible drain from the heater core and motor (and rad if not replacing the rad). About 1 gallon of water will remain in the heater core, motor, rad so add 1 gallon straight coolant which will yield about a 50/50 mix when added to the remaining water in the system. After adding 1 gallon straight, finish off with 50/50 coolant/distilled water ratio until system is full. Do not add just straight water when re-filling.

When the rad is full of fresh/new coolant, leave the rad cap off and start the motor, letting it idle. Keep the rad full while idling and when coolant/air belch/burp from the rad, install the new rad cap. Check for leaks and go for a test drive. As stated previously, check coolant level in both the radiator and bottle when the motor is COLD.

 

Also, on '97 up it's not necessary to turn the heater on but turning it on doesn't hurt anything either. On '96 down (if the heater control valve is still in use) u MUST turn the heater on while idling/refilling to adequately burp the cooling system.

 

when you city guys (like me) drain and flush your rad do you just let it all run down the street drain?
Seems horrible for the environment but what else can you do?

 

Big pan.......always dispose of coolant/antifreeze properly.

 

I didn't word that very well. I would definitely drain what fluid I can into a catch pan and dispose of it properly. But when you have the hose in the block/heater core/rad, do you just let all that crud go down the drain? You can only catch so much before you end up needing massive drums to dispose of it...no?

 

Old coolant/crud will quickly be removed.....after that part is caught, it's basically just fresh water draining.

 

If one wants to really get **** with the flush, pour 1 gal of distilled water in the heater core hose and 2 gals of distilled in the nipple on the stat cover and a couple gals in the radiator and let it all drain. Doing this will replace most of the remaining tap water with distilled water. Again, if u want to get ****.