Coolant Flush

[Kyle_T]

When I got my car, it had been sitting for over 6 years. Therefore, there was a bunch of rusty sludge in the coolant. I never really flushed it all out, just filled it with coolant.

After I got it running and had been driving it. about every month or so Id see my coolant overflow looked brown, so Id dump it out and would find this brown/orange goo in the bottom. Then Id clean and refill with new coolant. Ive noticed that the coolant has been getting more clear and Ive been getting less sludge in the overflow after everytime. When I pop my radiator cap, the coolant looks nice and clean. Its not a bad headgasket, I know its just all the crap thats been in the system since the car was sitting for a long time.

Before I pull the car out this year Id like to flush the system and put in some new clean coolant. Now here my question, how should I go about doing this? Drain and fill? How can I get all the old coolant out? Or should I try and flush it a little with a hose? Id rather stay away from a coolant flush machine, we have one at work and it uses this sealer crap in it that Id rather not deal with.

 

[dsmjunky737]

They make these back flush kits that you put a tee in the heater core hose and hook a garden hose up to it and leave the radiator cap off. Start the car turn on the water and let it go till its coming out clear. Then drain it and fill it back up with antifreeze. Worked great for me

 

[91-GS]

Pull lower radiator hose off to drain all coolant.
Put the hose back on and fill cooling system with either radiator flush liquid/water mix OR dishwasher soap/water mix (have tried that, works great). If you go with soap, make sure it's one for dishwashers since it don't foam up as bad, don't use plain soap. Use about half a shot glass full of soap.
Run car for about 20 miles.
Drain system by removing lower radiator hose.
Repeat untill water comes out clean.
Refill with coolant/water mix.

Do NOT put CLR (or similar product) in the system to get rid of rust because it will cause internal damage to the engine.

 

[Kyle_T]

They make these back flush kits that you put a tee in the heater core hose and hook a garden hose up to it and leave the radiator cap off. Start the car turn on the water and let it go till its coming out clear. Then drain it and fill it back up with antifreeze. Worked great for me

I heard straight tap water is horrible for all the seals, thats why Im not sure if I want to flush with the garden hose.

Pull lower radiator hose off to drain all coolant.
Put the hose back on and fill cooling system with either radiator flush liquid/water mix OR dishwasher soap/water mix (have tried that, works great). If you go with soap, make sure it's one for dishwashers since it don't foam up as bad, don't use plain soap. Use about half a shot glass full of soap.
Run car for about 20 miles.
Drain system bu removing lower radiator hose.
Repeat untill water comes out clean.
Refill with coolant/water mix.

Do NOT put CLR (or similar product) in the system to get rid of rust because it will cause internal damage to the engine.

Think I might do it that way with the radiator flush.

 

[91-GS]

I heard straight tap water is horrible for all the seals, thats why Im not sure if I want to flush with the garden hose.

Heard also that running plain water will not cool aluminum parts as good, causing them to overheat. And it will eat up water pump and other internal components (have learned that the hard way). Should be ok to run it long enough to flush everything though.

 

[wmrcs]

I need to do this.. I've got the same deal with rust. So does just taking the radiator cap off of the upper rad hose and pulling the plug in the radiator, draining out all the coolant, then putting the plug back in and filling the rad up with distilled water over and over again not a good enough flush?

 

[shakeandbake]

If your worried about the water, I know that distilled water is better if your gonna put it in your radiator because its filtered out more and its not as hard as tap water.

 

[wmrcs]

If your worried about the water, I know that distilled water is better if your gonna put it in your radiator because its filtered out more and its not as hard as tap water.

It won't lead to mineral deposits..

 

[91-GS]

I need to do this.. I've got the same deal with rust. So does just taking the radiator cap off of the upper rad hose and pulling the plug in the radiator, draining out all the coolant, then putting the plug back in and filling the rad up with distilled water over and over again not a good enough flush?

Just running water through will not be very effective, and it's better to pull lower radiator hose off, not just use the the drain plug. Might want to unhook heater core hoses too, then use a garden hose to flush most of the crap out before doing the soap thing.

 

[wmrcs]

Just running water through will not be very effective, and it's better to pull lower radiator hose off, not just use the the drain plug. Might want to unhook heater core hoses too, then use a garden hose to flush most of the crap out before doing the soap thing.

I'm somewhat thread jacking this thread but....green coolant vs orange coolant?

 

[Kyle_T]

I'm somewhat thread jacking this thread but....green coolant vs orange coolant?

Haha its ok, the more info the better

 

[Cdc1221]

Straight water actually cools better, but its boiling point is 212* so not good on a hot summer day when the coolant could possibly rise above that. Antifreeze raises the boiling point as well as lowering the freezing point. Also, you want to leave the heater core hooked up when flushing to remove anything accumulated there as well.

Green coolant. That orange coolant is designed for a just a few vehicles. I forget what is actually different, but can be harmful if used in anything not designated to use it

 

[wmrcs]

Straight water actually cools better, but its boiling point is 212* so not good on a hot summer day when the coolant could possibly rise above that. Antifreeze raises the boiling point as well as lowering the freezing point. Also, you want to leave the heater core hooked up when flushing to remove anything accumulated there as well.

Green coolant. That orange coolant is designed for a just a few vehicles. I forget what is actually different, but can be harmful if used in anything not designated to use it

Okay that's good because I bought a ton of green

 

[DSM1G90]

WRONG !!

Use 50/50 premix coolant and never use just plain water since you'll blow a WP bearing since the coolant is what lubricates the bearing.

50/50 premix increases the boiling point under pressure which allows the coolant to pull the heat off the cylinder walls when the T-stat is 'thottling' down the coolant flow. You run straight water and you're have a good chance to bust the block.

Orange is "Glycool" coolant designed for aluminum based cooling systems that GM uses - it contains Prop Glycol that isn't corrosive as the "green" glycol coolant which is for copper based systems.

 

[wmrcs]

WRONG !!

Use 50/50 premix coolant and never use just plain water since you'll blow a WP bearing since the coolant is what lubricates the bearing.

50/50 premix increases the boiling point under pressure which allows the coolant to pull the heat off the cylinder walls when the T-stat is 'thottling' down the coolant flow. You run straight water and you're have a good chance to bust the block.

Orange is "Glycool" coolant designed for aluminum based cooling systems that GM uses - it contains Prop Glycol that isn't corrosive as the "green" glycol coolant which is for copper based systems.

Soooo.. DSM has copper?

 

[91-GS]

Also, you want to leave the heater core hooked up when flushing to remove anything accumulated there as well.

Depends on the process. I usually flush heater core while it's disconnected so any junk that washes out of it don't have to go through the engine and any stuff from the engine don't have to go through the heater core.

 

[NHerron]

I'm sorry but I'm going to disagree. Especially when someone types "WRONG" in all caps and says something like running straight water will crack the block.

It wont.

Coolant has an additive which helps the WP bearing.

Water in itself boils @ 212* open to atmosphere.
50/50 coolant/water mixture boils 223* open to atmosphere.
A sealed system raises the boiling point of water. For every psi the boiling point is raised 3*F. So a 15psi cap is good for 45*f on top of the 212* at which water boils and on top of that add 50% coolant and you're set not only for boiling but freezing temps too (-35*F)

Adding more coolant raises the boiling and freezing points but hinders the radiators ability to cool. Coolant also does not transfer heat from the cylinder as well as water does.

Coolant also prevents rust/corrosion/etc.

Distilled water is important to use because it prevents electrolysis.


Race cars run straight water.

Orange AF is one of GM's Dexcool products. It is ethylene glycol based same as the green stuff. The difference is in the rust inhibitors, but the two colors should not be mixed. There is no copper vs. aluminum designation involved with the two coolants. It's simply the name, Extended life.

 

[DSM1G90]

Sorry .. gota bit hasty. but heard that race cars doing water since using water isn't for the duration.

I busted a block due to water only (not a DSM block, but a similar 4cyl block-hairline crack) why I said that. Water must have hit over 600 degrees and the heat found a weak spot.

 

[Kyle_T]

So should I use the radiator flush and drive the car for a little bit or flush it with the garden hose? Or both? Only thing is how do I make sure I get all the rap water out after I flush with the hose?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[DSM1G90]

I had an overheating problem: With garden hose -

1- Took the radiator out and flushed out the entire radiator-both top and bottom to rid of all of the gunk and rust that resides in the bottom of the radiator.

2- took out T-stat and flushed out the block of all rust and gunk through the fill neck. Make sure clear water comes out as it's going in. Put new 195 degree T-stat (and if T-stat has no jiggle valve on the flange, is to drill a .050 hole in the T-stat flange to ensure system keeps from getting airlock and rid of all air pockets in the system) and gasket set in along with new radiator cap while making sure the two gasket mating surfaces on fill neck are smooth and clean from corrosion.

3- Cleaned out overfill bottle of also gunk and rust and reinstalled overfill bottle.

4- Reinstalled radiator and filled with 50/50 premix of Green coolant to the neck and filled overfill bottle to the "FULL" line.

Cranked on the motor and let it get hot in idle to get the coolant flowing with radiator cap off so if I need to top off the system.

Closed up system and that was 2yrs ago and had no overheating since. This summer, I'll do another flush, but not take out the radiator since my coolant is still nice and green, but still do a new T-stat and cap.

-some tips to help you along. Good luck - DSM

 

[wmrcs]

I had an overheating problem: With garden hose -

1- Took the radiator out and flushed out the entire radiator-both top and bottom to rid of all of the gunk and rust that resides in the bottom of the radiator.

2- took out T-stat and flushed out the block of all rust and gunk through the fill neck. Make sure clear water comes out as it's going in. Put new 195 degree T-stat (and if T-stat has no jiggle valve on the flange, is to drill a .050 hole in the T-stat flange to ensure system keeps from getting airlock and rid of all air pockets in the system) and gasket set in along with new radiator cap while making sure the two gasket mating surfaces on fill neck are smooth and clean from corrosion.

3- Cleaned out overfill bottle of also gunk and rust and reinstalled overfill bottle.

4- Reinstalled radiator and filled with 50/50 premix of Green coolant to the neck and filled overfill bottle to the "FULL" line.

Cranked on the motor and let it get hot in idle to get the coolant flowing with radiator cap off so if I need to top off the system.

Closed up system and that was 2yrs ago and had no overheating since. This summer, I'll do another flush, but not take out the radiator since my coolant is still nice and green, but still do a new T-stat and cap.

-some tips to help you along. Good luck - DSM

Good deal!

 

[NHerron]

Similar situation a year ago. Bought a used stock block from a junkyard that sat for quite a while judging from the rust and dirt in the jackets. Looked like the previous owner used a form of radiator stop leak and got way gunked up in the jackets. Obviously picked and pulled everything I could see, then flushed several times by the machinist since he had some better equipment (mostly the chemicals and soak tank)

Well it got most of it out. During the first few months I had to flush quite a few times, mixture kept turning rusty. When I flushed, I used Prestone radiator flush and like DSM1G90 mentioned, detergent for dishwashers. Unhooked the lower radiator hose (just a faster way to go) and sometimes pulled the coolant line going to the oil cooler. Dumped in the cleaners and filled with distilled. Ran that for a few days and dumped, and repeat until clean.

A good thing to note is that when you dump the entire radiator, it is right on half the total cooling system capacity. In other words, if you dump the radiator and refill it with straight coolant/AF, you will be right at 50/50. BUT that's only if the system was previously straight water for the temporary flush. So if you had 50/50 already, dumped the radiator, and refilled, you'd have to refill with a 50/50 premix.

 

[Kyle_T]

I have zero overheating problems even on the hottest days.

Heres what im thinking of doing.

-Drain out as much coolant as I can
-Refill with radiator flush
-Drive around for an hour or two
-Drain radiator flush
-Flush with hose
-Flush tap water out with new coolant
-Finally top off coolant

 

[DSM1G90]

But, what about the block?

Gonna have fun with the T-stat closed which will not allow a total system flush.

Your procedure is like doing an oil change but not changing the filter - only a partial change.

 

[Kyle_T]

But, what about the block?

Gonna have fun with the T-stat closed which will not allow a total system flush.

Your procedure is like doing an oil change but not changing the filter - only a partial change.

Well Ill drive around with the cleaner in therefore opening the thermostat and circulating through the system.

If I T the garden hose into the heater hose it should flush out the block even if the thermostat is closed, right?