COOLANT FLUSH AND FILL (time: 55 minutes)
-------------------------------------------------
note: directions stolen from somewhere off this site...and only very slightly modified.
1. Drink coffee and eat delicious burger
2. Make sure car is basically cool.
3. Remove the radiator plug located at the bottom of the radiator(will be accessible with fingers easily)
4. Drain until dripping occurs.
5. Reinstall radiator drain plug and remove radiator cap.
6. Fill radiator with plain water and flushing solution
7. Replace Start car with radiator cap off and let it run until it reaches operating temperature(look at the temp gauge on the dash).
8. You might start to see the water expanding and overflowing as the thermostat opens up and engine starts to heat up. This is normal.
9. Upon reaching operating temperature, rev the engine a good 3 or 4 times to get the fluid really circulating. Were doing this to flush old coolant out of the block.
10. Shut off the engine.
- drain fluid, refill with tap water, and go back to step 7. This is to get all the "flush mixture" out.
11. Drain radiator again and this time drain until bone dry(on my car it took a good 10 minutes, maybe more until only a slight drip is occurring.
12. Mix 50/50 coolant and water in that bucket.
13. Either pour into a small container or directly from bucket into the funnel which is now inserted into the radiator.
14. Fill until full of course.
15. Drain and refill the coolant reservoir with same mixture.
16. Leave radiator cap off again and start engine. This time it will warm up quicker.
17. Now we will "burp" it by giving it a couple of revs. This is getting all the air out of the engine.
18. Turn off engine, fill radiator to top and replace cap.
19. Your done draining flushing and refilling your radiator.
20. Check your levels later that day or tomorrow and add 50/50 coolant/water mixture if needed.
Pictures...
- thought I had the pan in the right spot...guess not - sorry environment :-(
EDIT: valve cover gasket replacement will have to wait until later tonight maybe tomorrow. I have to go pick up a piece of glass for our new table between 4pm and 5pm (right in the middle of f'ing rush hour traffic...gotta love atlanta traffic). I'm thinking I might just pull it off, cover opening with foil and towel and go through with sanding and painting it...I know it seems lamo for my stock-beater, and I'm not a motor head, but I think it looks cool...I'll just wait and see how clean I can get it first...