Re: [DMCForum] Coolant change help

["Walter Coe" <Whalt@xxxxxxx>]

Mike,

> I want to change my coolant and was having problems trying
to unscrew
the engine plugs.

If you are not afraid of biting off more than you can chew,
then I say, "Go for it."  If the plugs are really stuck, you
might try vibrating them with a pneumatic ratchet.  They are
the same as oil drain plugs, so replacements are readily
available.  New copper crush washers are 5/8"/M14 and can be
found on the shelf next to oil plugs at parts stores.

> there is very little play in the hoses to get them free.

When I installed a new all brass radiator, the aluminum
pipes were too long to fit.  (The slightly thicker radiator
made that much difference.)  So I shortened both pipes by
about 3cm.

> While this is happening I was going to keep adding de-
ionized water to the coolant bottle until the runoff from
the hose
was clear.

I think it would take many many gallons of water to keep
adding to the coolant before it runs clear.  And the result
would be a lot of coolant contaminated water to dispose of.

> Then add antifreeze and test the concentration to make
sure it has the right proportions.

This method works really well.  Consider that the system
capacity is about 3 gallons.  So start with the system
topped off with pure water.  Then take the bypass hose loose
and run it into a bucket.  Then slowly add antifreeze to the
header bottle until you have added 1.5 gallons.  The point
of fluid entry is far enough from the point of exit that you
won't loose any new coolant.

> Does this method make any sense and will it work or
totally screw
things up (yes I plan on watching everything carefully
including the
temp gauge)

I prefer to not to allow any tap water into a cooling
system.  But considering the expense of using only pure
water, I end up using a garden hose and opening drain plugs
to get most of it back out.  If you remove both plugs from
the engine block and take the lower hose off the radiator
then that pretty much drains it all except for the heater
core.  To thoroughly flush it, I would use a garden hose.
Then run the system with pure water to make sure you have
most of the tap water out of there.

Do not use the new orange/red type of coolant.  It is not
meant for older cars that have lead alloy in contact with
the coolant.  I have already seen a leaky heater core from a
car where the owner used orange coolant.

Walt

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