How to: 10 Steps To A Clean Cooling System

[BrooklynBay]

Here is a very thorough 5 page article about the difference in coolants: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3828/is_200408/ai_n9453107

 

[old mechanic]

Some nice technical info. I didn't see anywhere saying that straight antifreeze by itself will freeze.

 

[stuntman]

Good write up, I'll be doing this to mine soon before it gets too cold.

 

[97greenmonster]

I changed my cooling system, and my ac doesnt work period now, i worked before, a little, but now it doesnt, do i need to recharge it or is there something wrong with the system, the engine temp. stays perfect tho.

 

[Brock94]

Hell, at work we just drain it and refill it and send the customer on their way... All for $80

Tony, if you're still around, it's people like you that make me do my own service work, although I'd be happy to pay $80 for someone else to do a flush if I knew for sure it would be done right.

I changed my cooling system, and my ac doesnt work period now, i worked before, a little, but now it doesnt, do i need to recharge it or is there something wrong with the system, the engine temp. stays perfect tho.

You should post your exact problem in the A/C section of "Under the Hood". It is likely that you bumped or wiggled a connector and made a small leak in your A/C system worse. In any case, it is not a problem with your cooling system, it is a problem with the A/C system that needs to be diagnosed and repaired.

 

[BrooklynBay]

My heater core was a little clogged. I used a tool called the kinetic water ram air powered drain tool on the cold heater hose. It cleared everything out pretty fast.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Here's a useful article about cooling systems with some links for more information: http://www.aa1car.com/library/us50230.htm

 

[MadExplorer93]

Hell, at work we just drain it and refill it and send the customer on their way... All for $80

Tell us where you work so we will never go there for cooling system changes or repairs...

 

[BrooklynBay]

This picture is courtesy of Shamaal:

This is an example of a clogged heater core. It could have rust, and pieces of deteriorated hose caught in it. The radiator could be the same way. You could use chemicals to flush out rust, but it won't remove rubber hose fragments. The tool in post # 27 might work. I've successfully unclogged a heater core with it when chemicals didn't work. Plastic/aluminum radiators have seals holding them together, and could leak if cleaned by high pressure blasts. Heater cores are a one piece design without plastic, so they are safe to clean with air pressure. There is a possibility they could leak if they are very old, and possibly have rust spots.

 

[BrooklynBay]

I came across an interesting item called a zinc anode drain plug/petcock replacement. The idea is similar to the anode in a hot water tank. This is a quote from Flex-A-Lite:

Flex-A-Lite new zinc anode kit is to be installed in the radiator as a replacement for the drain petcock in radiators that are equipped with a 1/4'' NPT bushing welded into the tank. It may be installed in any 1/4'' NPT hole which is available in the cooling system. The introduction of the zinc anode will protect your cooling system because galvanic action ''eats'' the zinc rather than your cooling system.

Now that this has been said, I wonder why the OEMs never installed it in the first place as they do on hot water tanks? Here is a picture of what it looks like:

 

[BrooklynBay]

Here's a how article with pictures on changing coolant: http://www.fordf150.net/howto/changecoolant.php

 

[kerstingm]

Tony, if you're still around, it's people like you that make me do my own service work, although I'd be happy to pay $80 for someone else to do a flush if I knew for sure it would be done right.





You should post your exact problem in the A/C section of "Under the Hood". It is likely that you bumped or wiggled a connector and made a small leak in your A/C system worse. In any case, it is not a problem with your cooling system, it is a problem with the A/C system that needs to be diagnosed and repaired.

Amen to that. This is exactly way I try to do all of my own work

1

 

[kerstingm]

I have some seepage around the bottom hose. When I replace it I don't have to worry about taking out the engine drain plugs or do I. This is the way I've always drained and
flushed the block if I'm going to go through the trouble and expense of draining the system
I have always replaced the bottom hose.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Don't touch any plugs on the engine block. Everything could be done through the radiator or the hoses.

 

[kerstingm]

Thanks just making sure I'm not missing anything.

 

[BrooklynBay]

http://aamco.com/completecarcare/radiators_cooling_systems.html

Radiators/Cooling Systems.

Cooling System Service.

Did you know that the cooling system, and overheating are the most common causes of mechanical breakdowns on the road? Overheating can cause severe damage to the engine, and transmission.

Coolant (also termed anti-freeze) protects your engine from overheating, and from freezing. The coolant’s effectiveness can diminish over time, and lose many of its protective properties—even causing your radiator to rust, and corrode. The cooling system itself can get clogged with built-up deposits from oil, grease, scale, hose decomposition, and other materials.

Most drivers know it's recommended that a vehicle's oil should be changed about every 3,000 miles. Drivers typically know less about proper intervals for their vehicle's other vital fluids. For the cooling system, the coolant/antifreeze manufacturers recommend changing the coolant once a year, and some service manuals stipulate flushing, and refilling the radiator every 24 months regardless of mileage. Check your car's owner manual to see the recommended interval for changing the coolant in your vehicle. You’ll want to get it changed at minimum every 24 months or if you have any of the following symptoms:
Your vehicle overheats.
Your coolant or temperature light comes on.
Your temperature gauge reads higher or lower than normal.
Your heater does not work.

Radiator, Thermostat and Heater Services.

Due to the cooling system’s critical impact on proper transmission operation, any of the following signs could indicate your vehicle needs service or repairs to the cooling system:
The vehicle is running hot or overheating.
Leaking of a green or orange fluid.
Belts or hoses that have not been replaced during the past 4 years.

Repair or replace any of the following components of the cooling system:

Radiator, radiator cap, radiator hoses, and radiator fan or the fan clutch.
Thermostats.
Water pump.
Fan belts, and serpentine belts.
Temperature sensors.
Heater cores, and hoses.

 

[BrooklynBay]

This link has a lot of useful information on cooling system maintenance & repair: http://www.troubleshooters.com/tpromag/200204/200204.htm

 

[X-North]

What is the flow of the cooling system to be sure that i plug it well?

 

[BrooklynBay]

The flow rate varies with the RPM rate of the engine.

 

[X-North]

No i meant the direction of the flow. from where to where for the heather core and for the rad. I want to flush it correctly and also put it in my data book for my Ex.
Thank you