2G Coolant System Flush Prior to Installing a New Water Pump, Need some advice/Opinions

[VT_4G63]

Hi Guys,

I need some advice/opinions on doing an entire cooling system flush prior to installing a new water pump. I bought a 6-bolt swapped 1995 Talon TSI AWD about a year and a half ago. The car came with zero maintenance records and is pretty much a total mutt of DSM parts from both generations, but is in great condition and has zero rust. I know very little about it's past and have basically not driven it beyond getting it home after I purchased it. I am subsequently doing ALL recommended maintenance prior to taking it out on the road and modding it for power. Before I stored it for it's first winter (in Vermont), I drained the coolant and replaced it with fresh ethylene glycol and circulated it through the system with the heat on, burped the system, etc; I did NOT do a complete flush. I'm about to change the timing belt, timing components, water pump, cam seals, and am upgrading to 3G lifters while the cams are out for the cam seals. I have the car to the point of having just removed the timing cover and am about to rotate the engine to TDC. However, as I'm thinking on it more and more, I know it is recommended to do a complete coolant flush prior to installing a new water pump. I didn't do this before taking everything apart because I'm hesitant to run the engine any more, not knowing the condition of the timing components, plus there is a bit of a whine, which I think may be one of the timing pulleys on it's way out. I would really hate to having a timing failure as I'm literally preparing to do the timing job.

I need advice/opinions on whether I should put everything back together and do a complete cooling flush. I'm not being lazy, I don't mind doing this as I love working on these cars. Is it worth the risk of running these unknown timing components for the time it will take to do the flush? Do you guys deem it totally necessary to do a complete flush prior to installing a new water pump? Or is it OK to do it after I have replaced everything and no longer have the fear of a timing failure. Also, I would have to just idle in my driveway, I can't take the car out on the road just yet, for various reasons.

If I do the flush, everything I've read during my research says to flush it with a garden hose, but I was under the impression that using regular (non-distilled) water will cause mineral deposits to build up in the system. I'm not concerned about the water pump, as it is getting replaced, but what about the rest of the cooling system? Or am I mistaken and it's OK to flush with regular water, just not OK to RUN regular water?

I've seen "Prestone Radiator Flush + Cleaner" mentioned a lot. Is this safe to use with the cooling systems in our cars?

My apologies for the long post and multiple questions, I just felt the need to give some background on my situation and I tend to be overly-cautions when it comes to these things. I don't want to mess up this car I've been working toward getting back to 100%.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

This thread is a good read for one of our members (and good friend) that talks about flushing the system.

https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/weep-hole-keeps-leaking-3rd-water-pump.533742/page-2#post-153798561

Thanks for getting on board with us all. We all have a good time and try to be as helpful as possible to others.
Marty

 

[VT_4G63]

This thread is a good read for one of our members (and good friend) that talks about flushing the system.

https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/weep-hole-keeps-leaking-3rd-water-pump.533742/page-2#post-153798561

Thanks for getting on board with us all. We all have a good time and try to be as helpful as possible to others.
Marty

Ok, that thread and the article contained within answered my question - I'm definitely going to put everything back together and do the complete coolant flush prior to installing the new water pump. Based on what I read in that article/thread and what I've read in other threads here on DSMTuners, I'm going to:

-Drain the Old Coolant by removing the lower radiator hose.
-Run Radiator Flush/Cleaner mixed with distilled water for about 10 minutes with the car running and the heater on. Then drain that.
-Remove the coolant overflow tank and clean that out sufficiently.
-Remove the radiator, and back-flow flush it with a garden hose until the water runs clear.
-Disconnect the heater core inlet and outlet and back-flow flush that with a garden hose until the water runs clear.
-Remove the thermostat and back-flow flush the block with a garden hose through the thermostat housing until the water runs clear.
-With the radiator, heater core, and block all independently flushed so as not to further contaminate any of those components with contaminants from the others, I'm going to put everything back together using a new OEM thermostat and radiator cap and run the car with the heater on, filled with distilled water to hopefully get out as much of the garden hose water as possible.
-I'm going to drain the distilled water. If it comes out dirty, I'm going to refill with distilled and repeat the process of running/ draining until it comes out clear.
-Finally, I'm going to refill with new 50/50 Ethylene Glycol coolant/antifreeze.

Does this sound like the right way to do it? If so, hopefully this post will help other people as well.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

It is about as thorough as you can possibly do. I had also soaked a radiator in CLR for about a week to clean out mineral (calcium) deposits and that stuff poured out GREEN when I was done. Surely the cleaner will also take care of that too. Rinse it all out really good and I think you are on the right path.