dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Hey guys, I have a quick question:

Let's say I need to flush my coolant, but don't want to mess with the block plugs. Whats the one hose I can disconnect to prevent returns from going back into the radiator, thus cycling coolant from radiator, completely through engine, and then instead of dumping back to radiator, dump in bucket?

My plan is to

1) remove radiator cap; insert garden hose
2) disconnect the return hose that I'm asking about (which one?)
3) start car, turn on water hose (but being careful to not outrun water pump and spill water), start my stop watch (same as the oil field calculating tubing volume / barrel in and barrel out. More explanation below)

4) let car idle & cycle out coolant until clear water returns from the hose you recommend I disconnect, stop stop watch. **remember time**

Now I know the entire engine is FULL of tap water. No good. Well, now I have a set time for the flush with engine at idle. As I repeat the procedure again, but this time with distilled water from a jug, no hose, I can now cycle out the tap water with distilled water, and have an engine full of strictly distilled.

5) Reattach hoses. Drain only radiator from petcock. Refill radiator with straight Dex-Cool, 1 jug. (It's Louisiana, never freezes, and its gonna be in the 100's soon, with 100% humidity)

How does this sound? Sorry for the long-windedness of it. Hope you could all follow along.

I'm just trying to do a little outside the box thinking, and putting some good oilfield calculations to use.

bayer-z28

iTrader: (14)

The top hose is the engine "discharge" if you will. It has always been difficult for me to get 100% of the old stuff out of the system.

The coolant flows freely out of the heater hoses even when the Stat is not open. So if you can find a way to use the heater hoses as a discharge. You can also flush it with a chemical if you like.

It's been years and a h/c swap for me and I STILL can't get all the dex out of my system. I flushed the crap out of it when I got it, but still can't get all of it out.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

I wonder if I use a water balloon filler think that goes on the end of a hose, and stick it in the heater hose to blow that old **** out, if that would work too.....

Reason for the question is I have a water pump to replace on Wednesday when I get home. PS cooler **** the bed too, so I have that bypass project at the same time.

Just looking for tips, short cuts, and pointers from those that have went before me.

LS1aiden

I would never use dex cool and I dont recommend running the car without the radiator cap on there.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Reason why you can't run it w/o the radiator cap? I understand it's pressurized... But all the WP is doing is spitting out the old while sucking in the new at that point.

dutinsss

iTrader: (2)

i got all my dex-cool out by just draining it out the drain **** and using a water hose to keep the radiator full. i used some prestone radiator flush after that. and i don't see the harm in running the car with the cap off as long as your keeping the radiator topped off.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

If you really want to get the whole thing clean of residual coolant, you'll need to do two other things:
- Remove the overflow reservoir & tube, drain, and wash. (GM recommends dish washing detergent.)
- Use a vacuum pump to fluid through the vent tubes and throttle body once you have clean water in the system. (It's the small hose hose that hooks up to the top of the radiator by the overflow tube.)

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Planned or removing the reservoir. Mine's pretty nasty.

#2, the small hose you would be referring to goes to the driver's side head? I did the TB bypass and just used one solid piece of hose that goes from radiator to head. Bypassed TB completely.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Let me throw one other idea out there instead of posting a new thread-

Is it possible to convert our system to a sealed system? My Escalade has one (never found out till the overflow cracked) and I notice the Dex in it stays perfectly clear.

What's the difference and what would be needed to take ours from "overflow" tank to a sealed system tank like on the newer SUV's?

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

get about a foot or 2 of heater hose.......and one of those plastic rad flush kits.......disconnect the heater hose at the WP.......put in the heater hose you bought so it extends the hose and you dont have to splice that rad flush kit T in the stock hose..........flush away..........werked 4 me

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Yea, you'll want to pull fluid through the hose you have connected to the vapor lines on the head.

Not sure how your Escalade system is different, but ours is sealed. The pressure cap normally keeps the system sealed and then controls the flow in and out of the system from the expansion tank as needed.

How old is your Escalade? The difference you see may be due to age. The red coolant oxidizes and coagulates when this happens. This is more a function of age and will happen eventually to any car.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Well, it's an 04 6.0 AWD, but it threw me off when I went to get some service done (Ride control, beyond my expertise) and they said my overflow was cracked. I said well, we can just seal it up....

They explained to me that even the overflow is a pressurized system. They said all the newer ones were like this.

I was just thinking how good the Dex always looks in that clear expansion tank. I was thinking b/c it's a "sealed / pressurized" system like they say, then no air is being introduced, and that's why it stays looking so good. That expansion tank isn't like ours. It's pretty heavy duty platic.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Yea, our expansion tank is not pressurized like some other cars - I think pressurized tanks are smaller. We don't really need the room, although I think ours isn't clear since it sits underneath the battery. (Can't see it anyway.)

I'll bet that your Escalade's tank will start looking cruddy as the coolant ages. Mine didn't start to really gum up until the coolant was 8-ish years old. (It was promptly changed following that!)

BTW - The nice thing about our expansion tanks is that they are made out of ABS. If it ever cracks/breaks, you can chemically weld it for under $5 and the welds are stronger than the original material. (Not sure what the clear tanks are made out of.)