gregc_sanchez

iTrader: (3)

so i tried searching but i didnt find anything, would mixing water with 50/50 coolant effect the temperature, cuz my car has been overheating a lot, so basically can anyone give me detailed directions on how to flush the radiator??

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Best/easiest way to flush and get every drop of old coolant out.

Cold engine.
Remove radiator fill cap.
Remove the t-stat. (2-3 minute job)
Put t-stat housing back on. (1 minute) No need to crank it down, there will be no pressure built up. One bolt is fine.
Take the entire radiator drain valve (petcock) "off", don't just open it. It'll drain faster with it off and thats what you want. ((Buy a new petcock, sometimes they break when you remove them all the way, they're like $2.00))
Take a hose and stick it in the radiator fill cap, running medium to high.
Start the engine.
Let it run for about 15-20 minutes or until the water is running out the drain CLEAR.
When it does your entire system is clean.
Put the t-stat back in.
Put the drain valve back in. Use the new one, what the hell.
Put half a jug of Dexcool in the radiator. (Or if you live in very cold places, 1 ½ jugs of Dexcool)
Fill the rest with water. (one bottle of water wetter can't hurt, your choice)
you do not need to use distilled water, clean hose water is just fine

**Start it up and let it run and warm up till the t-stat opens once and starts to flow, if the level drops just top it off with coolant/water. Then wait one more time for the t-stat to open and start to flow, if it drops down again top it off again. Do it again if you want to make sure. I always massage the upper and lower hoses while its warming up to help move the air bubble through. Always works like a charm.

Done.


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fleetmgr

I'd agree with everything that LS6427 posted except this, for the following reasons:

1. The antifreeze isn't just to keep the coolant from freezing. It also raises the boiling point, which could be important depending on the condition of the inside of the radiator. And it lubes and conditions the water pump seals.

2. Water wetter has the same effect on coolant that aftermarket oil additives have on oil, which is to say that there is no benefit, and you just may be screwing things up unintentionally.

3. Depending on where you live, and what the water there is like, you can really crud up a radiator quickly with tap water. For example, in San Diego the water is so hard that you'll plate out the radiator in a couple of years with tap water. So, whether or not you should use DI water depends on what your local water supply is like...a call to the local water folks will give the info needed. This also relates back to my item #1.

puggerton03

iTrader: (1)

do you catch all the coolant that flows out? what do you do with it?

fleetmgr

I just let it soak into the dirt, but then I'm rural. Don't let any animals near it, they'll drink it right up and kill themselves in the process.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I use a half jug of Dexcool, the rest hose water. Going on 11 1/2 years doing that. My stuff is crystal clean. Plus, I'm in South Florida, never gets cold at all here. I know quite a few people who use 100% water too, they won't listent to me about having just a little Dexcool for lubricant, but they do run nice and cool just like mine does.

I agree about the water wetter, I used to use it but it had zero effect on my engine. So its up to them if they want to use it.

Thats true, we also have amazingly clean hose water here too so thats all everyone uses down here. I don't think I know anyone that has ever used distilled water, I'm talking nobody in like 20 years.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Pretty sure its a law in all 50 states that you have to dispose of it properly, but, well.................whatever...............Mine is almost all water anyway.

If you see what goes on at airports every day across this country, you'll learn there isn't enough anti-freeze on earth to hurt the water supply.


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fleetmgr

I think that's the case most anywhere in the country. It's what keeps the radiator shops in business.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, but I've never heard of anyone ever having a clogged or damaged radiator from hose water either. I mean, have you ever met anyone or ever had a family member with a regular car have to go get a new radaitor because it was corroded?

I've never even heard of anyone, not even on car websites. I think someone would have to have to worst water in the country coming out of their hose, with rust and chunks of crap in it, then maybe years later there would be an issue.


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fleetmgr

Yup, very common out in areas of Ca. (lived there for many, many years). When I was active duty Navy, a tech bulletin came out that actually forbade the use of San Diego water in certain machinery because of its high mineral content. All those minerals end up coating the insides of the tubes and inhibiting heat transfer, not corroding them. Same things happen to car radiators, and usually faster due to higher use. And they expect the people there to actually drink the ****.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Thats why I say to use "clean hose water" and its just fine. Hopefully people know what their water is in their areas.

But still, I've never heard of anyone with a damaged radiator. I've never even seen a corroded radiator. I guess Florida water is seriously clean. Most of our water is from the mountains anyway, via underground streams. We go swimming in the "springs" all over Florida, its just huge holes in the ground with spring water shooting out of them.


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fleetmgr

It's been years since I've seen one actually corroded (at least 20). Blocked, yes - corroded, no.

Must be nice. All we have here is brown lakes.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, its actually pretty incredible. The Army Corp of Engineers made most of the canals in the State of Florida. You can see the Aquifer system, then they dug hundreds of miles of canals going down to Lake Okeechobee as a holding tank, then it goes all over Florida to bring fresh spring water to everyone. We have the same water the mountains produce.
I think its one of, or the biggest project the Army has ever done.

Its cool.

http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/aquiferbasics/floridan.html


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Starion

iTrader: (5)

Tap water can look very clean and still have a ton of minerals and chemicals in it. I don't know if you've ever changed an aerator on a faucet, but over time they can clog up due to impurities in the water. That's at least the reasoning behind not using tap water.

With that being said, I don't think using tap water is a big deal. I use distilled because it's cheap and easy to come by, otherwise I wouldn't hesitate to use tap water. By the time it does any harm, your vehicle will be in the junk yard anyway.....

hotrodscrap

iTrader: (10)

Check this out, read through it, print it out, keep it in your garage, great info!
http://www.shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#radflush

-SS

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Man, thats the hard way.

Take out the t-stat and let it run for 15 minutes with fresh water running into the radiator. Thats it. Put the t-stat back in and fill it up with coolant.


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LS14EVR

iTrader: (3)

I think I like your way.
Nice right up.

hotrodscrap

iTrader: (10)

Ok, I'll give that a try next time too. Maybe you can help me, I don't want to hi-jack here but; https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...fans-inop.html Thanks, sorry.

-SS