shane10
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- February 9, 2016
- Messages
- 201
- Reaction score
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- City, State
- MW
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2002 Explorer XLS
4WD
Hi all, i'm going to flush out the cooling system on my 02' explorer, the coolant doesn't look too dirty, but I have NO idea when the last flush was performed, and figured it would be a good idea.
Basically I want to do the simplest flush possible, while still doing the job correctly.
What I was thinking is drain the coolant from the petcock (bottom of radiator) til empty, close petcock, refill coolant overflow reservoir with distilled water, let engine run til warm, re-drain water, and replace reservoir with coolant.
I know there will still be some left over water to dilute the coolant, so I was thinking of just keeping an eye on it/testing it and adding more straight coolant to get the proper ratio.
Will this work? Other threads I have read mention removing radiator hose/removing thermostat, is this all necessary?
Thanks!
EDIT: Other threads I have read also state you can only get about 1 1/2 gallons out from the petcock, I changed my thermostat housing a month or so ago, and drained the system using the petcock and got nearly 4 gallons out.
Basically I want to do the simplest flush possible, while still doing the job correctly.
What I was thinking is drain the coolant from the petcock (bottom of radiator) til empty, close petcock, refill coolant overflow reservoir with distilled water, let engine run til warm, re-drain water, and replace reservoir with coolant.
I know there will still be some left over water to dilute the coolant, so I was thinking of just keeping an eye on it/testing it and adding more straight coolant to get the proper ratio.
Will this work? Other threads I have read mention removing radiator hose/removing thermostat, is this all necessary?
Thanks!
EDIT: Other threads I have read also state you can only get about 1 1/2 gallons out from the petcock, I changed my thermostat housing a month or so ago, and drained the system using the petcock and got nearly 4 gallons out.