GOR1LA

iTrader: (1)

So I know there are threads out there but everyone is doing different things so thought I'd start a new thread and see what comes up

So looking for:

What tranny fluid to use, are there different filters to choose from and how to do the change? My car is an A4.

Coolant, how to change the best heard to remove the plugs in the block and drain the rad. But wont that have a lot of AIR in the system if I do that all at once? Dex Cool 50/50 or something else?

Lastly what NGK plugs to use?

Doing an overhaul on maintenance since I've been really busy and left everything go, anything else I should do. Car is a v8 with 86k right now.

Thanks

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

I've been using (Chrysler) ATF-4 for the past 9 years....great stuff. You have to drop the tranny pan to change the filter. Easy, just a bunch of pan bolts. You will lose allot of fluid so buy some, maybe 2-3 quarts. I would only do this if the tranny fluid looks dirty or smells bad. If it does though, I'd have a shop do a full fluid change with the machine.

If your coolant is really clean and you just want to do a flush....simply open the petcock drain on the bottom of the radiator and let it all pour out. Remove the t-stat from the housing and put the housing back on. Then put a hose in the radiator running on medium and start the engine...let it run for just 15 seconds. Then let that drain all out. Close the petcock, put the t-stat back in and top it off with water/coolant. ***Then go to the below BLEEDING process.***

For a real serious flush......

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

****My power steering fluid leaked into my block, so it was bad, but this flush process works for normal maintenance flushes too. You might just want to skip the degreaser stages.****
-Cold engine.
-Remove radiator fill cap.
-Remove the t-stat from the housing. ((Buy a new t-stat housing gasket, they're like $3.00)) Leave the housing attached to the rubber radiator hose, just remove the 2 housing bolts and pull it away from the water pump to get to the t-stat. (2-3 minute job).
-Put t-stat housing back on. (1 minute) Just put one bolt in, no need to put them both in, there’s no pressure in the system during the flush.
-Take the entire radiator drain valve (petcock) "off" and let it drain, don't just open the valve itself. It'll drain faster with it off and that’s what you want. ((Buy a new petcock valve before starting this flush process, sometimes they break when you remove them all the way just because they're cheap plastic and they get briddle over time, they're like $2.00))
-Take a hose and stick it in the radiator fill cap, running medium to high.
-Start the engine when the radiator looks like its full again.
-Turn heat on full blast
-Let it run for about 15-20 minutes or until the water is running out the drain CLEAR.
-((If you want to, you can wait till it runs clear, "close" the drain valve, add some degreaser (I use ½ gallon of Formula 88 to clean mine) and let it run for 15 minutes, then let it sit for 15 minutes, then run it for 5 minutes, then drain it all again. Then open the drain and put the hose in for about 5 more minutes and run it all out till its CLEAR. The degreaser will help break up the crap thats stuck DEEP in the BLOCK that sits and swirls and doesn't like to come out.)) ***NO…degreaser will not hurt anything.***
-When it runs clear your entire system is clean.
-Remove the overflow reservoir from the car and clean it out real good. (I had to use gasoline to clean mine out because the sludge and grime was so thick inside. The gas broke it all down and then it flushed right out. I filled it about 1/3 up with gasoline and shook the hell out of it real vigorously, the black stuff kept coming out. I did that like 4 separate times with gasoline till no more chunks of black crap came out. Make sure the lines that go to the reservoir are also cleaned out. Or just buy a new piece of 3/8” heater hose and replace that line, 3 feet will do, then cut to fit. My sludge came from my power steering fluid leaking into my coolant system.)
-Put the t-stat back in.
-Put the overflow reservoir 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 to 1 ½ jugs of Dexcool)
-Fill the rest with water.
***You do not need to use distilled water, clean hose water is just fine, just make sure your city water is clean and not total crap quality.

**Bleeding the system of air:
Take the radiator cap off when its COLD, start it up and let it idle, and let it warm up till the t-stat opens. I rapidly squeeze the upper and lower radiator hose like 20 times each while its warming up to help move any air bubbles through the system and by the t-stat on the engine side. When the t-stat opens you’ll see the level drop as you squeeze the hoses, its sucking the coolant through the system. You will also see the coolant start to flow in the radiator fill neck, once it starts to flow the level should drop down a lot, IMMEDIATELY top it off with coolant/water. Then the flow will stop when the t-stat closes. Wait one more time for the t-stat to open again and start to flow, if it drops down again top it off again. Do it a 3rd time if you want to make sure. When the level does NOT drop down when the t-stat opens and coolant is flowing....you're system is free of air bubbles. I always massage the upper hose during the whole process to keep any air bubbles moving through. Always works like a charm. Just keep checking your temp gauge until the t-stat opens for the first time to make sure it’s not sitting there overheating from a trapped bubble. May take 10-15 minutes for the t-stat to open the first time.
If you do start to get hot while sitting there and the t-stat will not open…..you have an air bubble on the engine side of the t-stat. Shut the engine off and rapidly squeeze the upper and lower radiator hoses again. Then start the engine again and see if the t-stat will open. Sometimes you just have to work those hoses to move the air through. Even after it seems topped off after a couple cycles…check it the next time you have a cold engine…top off if needed.


NGK TR55 or TR5 (they are identical plugs, so use whichever ones you can find in your area) Gap them to .050
DO NOT tighten them too much when putting them back in. Hand tight using the socket to tighten them, then snug it with the ratchet.

Fuel filter, air filter, new spark plug wires, pour a full can of SeaFoam into 1/4 tank of gas. Do the rear-end fluid too....its ready. Buy a gasket and pull the cover off, let it all drain out, clean it with brake cleaner real good, let it dry, put it back together and fill it back up with new fluid.

Wash the car, then polish it....and you're all set......

.

GOR1LA

iTrader: (1)

Hey thanks that was helpful plan on getting what I need today and doing it tomorrow. Just one question though. I thought when doing a coolant change you needed to use pure water?

Also, any idea on spark plug wires?

GOR1LA

iTrader: (1)

Also, I have Dex 3 Fluid in the tranny I think I'll just keep the same. Is it good to mix fluids like that if I would switch?

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Don't mix tranny fluid......

No, you should use some asmount of anti-freeze. I use a half jug of Decool for the hot climate of South Florida. Some people do use 100% water and it works fine.....but the system should have some anti-freeze in there for lubrication at least.

I use $37.00 Advance Auto or PepBoys spark plug wires on my 427ci.........there's no aftermarket plug wire, no matter how much money you spend, that will guive you better performance than these wires or factory stock wires. When you start making HUGE power like 650 RWHP ++...then you can benefit from better wires, coils and ignition systems. Until then, you will be throwing money away.

.

GOR1LA

iTrader: (1)

Thanks man. Sorry I meant pure water not from the hose but the store, so there isn't any deposits just iodized water and anti freeze.

Is there any difference between brands of dex cool? Havoline and Prestone I think were the top two?

98boxer

iTrader: (7)

I would say for the spark plug wires go with msd wires, i've bought auto parts brand of spark plug wires and when i went to change out the plugs the wires ripped. Go with msd well worth it.