Hey Everyone,

I'm trying to eliminate the air in my upper radiator hose. I know jeeps are notorious for air bubble issues. The problem is that my hose enters from the side then goes out, up over then back down and into the thermostat.

/--\ It looks like the left pictogram but it does all this because it has AC and the upper hose goes up over the compressor then back down.

I'm thinking that I should pull it off the stat and bend it up and try and fill as much as I can with water then just bend it back down and attach it to the stat. I can sit there squeezing it all day long as suggested and not be able to get the air out and the hose filled. Wondering if anyone has ever devised a trick. I saw the one about putting a radiator tap in the t stat where the temp sensor would be to bleed out the air. I also saw a post about removing air from the head by removing the temp sensor in the rear with the front of the jeep pointing down hill.

 

i normally fill the radiator and squeeze the lower hose...and i have never had a problem.

Once the radiator is full fill the overflow and run it.

Some honda's and other imports actually have a bleeder screw built into the thermostat housing.

 

what I always have done is this:

Since I have a t-fitting in the middle of the top heater hose (the one that exits the t-stat housing), what I do is open that fitting, and make those 2 pieces of hose stand up vertical that makes this the highest point in the cooling system, I then fill one side of the hose till it will not take anymore, then I squeeze the upper and lower hoses, and usually a huge bubble will come out, and it will take more coolant.

This is the best way that I have found to purge air bubbles, might work for you too

 

I worked at a radiator shop years back and that's the way we did all our jeeps. Worked great.

 

let it warm up and then where the thermostat housing is on the front of the motor the largest hose there loosen the hose clamp and take a screw driver and get it to vent there. every time I've done cooling system work I bleed there and it works great. just a bit messy and sprays the belts with coolant for a few seconds.

 

I have used the "packing" method for years on all my cars.

Let the engine warm to open the t-stat.
Raise the engine RPM's to 2000.
Remove the radiator cap and start adding water until she can't take anymore.
Close the cap and reduce the RPM to normal.

When your watching in the filler neck, the water lever will drop as the RPM's rise.
This void is what your packing with water.
Works every time.....

 

That's awesome, I completely forgot about that method. I can't believe I fretted. Now that I think about it, that's how the upper hose got filled a long while ago. Thanks so much.

 

Update:

I found a great replacement to a plastic radiator fill up tee. I found a 1" by 3/4" by 1" hydrant tee from proplumber carried by lowes. The tee is brass and has 2 - 1" barbs for your radiator. Just buy a 3/4" cap and you're done. The cost is around 20 bucks.

I also put together a heater hose tee with 5/8" (inner diameter) barbs to a cast brass 3/4" tee. Its quite bulky but you won't have to worry about restrictions. You'll can have enough space to get some screen and you can make a coolant filter using some screen from mcmastercar. When I get the screen and fold it, I'll provide an update with some photos.