Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 09:04:05 -0700
Reply-To: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Subject: Re: Coolant again/flushing
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Stuart,
One of the things that has kept me from doing a coolant flush myself (as
opposed to taking to a mechanic) is the problem of how to collect the
coolant and what to do with it.... it is toxic and should not be put in the
ground or in the curb.
Wondering how you solved that problem.
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuart@COBALTGROUP.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: Coolant again/flushing
>William Greenamyer has the same idea I tried, my only modification was
>to make a hose connector with a shut off valve, which didn't work, it
>leaked. Just buy the Prestone "Flush and Fill" kit at your local FLAPS
>and install the hose tee in one of the heater hoses, preferably the one
>that comes from the head.
>
>There are some problems however, I couldn't get all the old stuff out
>without removing both radiator hoses at both ends! I tried to warm the
>engine up after the water ran clear (water off) and then repeat the
>flush a couple of times. It didn't look like enough water drained out
>of the heater hose to allow for the correct amount of straight coolant,
>so I disconnected the hoses at the radiator and sure enough, blue stuff
>poured out! I then disconnected them at the engine and flushed water
>through the hoses to get all the junk out. If my engine had not been
>drained earlier, I would have also had to remove the plugs in the bottom
>of the waterjackets to get the old coolant out.
>
>After I drained everything out I added the straight coolant and turned
>the hose on. Since I was pointed downhill, coolant came out the
>radiator plug first, so I tightened that, then filled until the
>expansion tank was full. Started the engine, opened the crossover bleed
>screw, and reved up the engine to 2000 rpm and added more water. Then
>buttoned it up and it was done.
>
>This is a lot of work, but the only way to get all the old stuff
>completely out. The flow through the thermostat is just too limited
>unless you run the engine for a half hour each time you flush. And I am
>sure you need to disconnect the radiatior hoses to get enough water out
>to get the proper amount of coolant in.
>
>This technique has worked great on my small MGB cooling systems, but not
>so good with the Vanagon and its four and a half gallon cooling system!
>
>I think it is worth the effort though, Dexcool is a genuine breakthrough
>in coolant chemistry that came from the car manufacturers' goal of
>creating nearly maintenance free cars, at least for 100,000 miles!
>
>"Greenamyer, William L" wrote:
>>
>> How about this. Install a hose coupling in one of the heater hoses.
Open
>> the drain valve and hit the water. You can run the engine and not run
the
>> engine. Flush until the water is clear and has no coolent feeling. (If
you
>> have high calcium and other chemicals in the water in your area, use a
line
>> filter that will take these chemicals out of the water.) Now you have a
>> system full of water. You know how much coolent it holds. Drain half of
>> the water out of the system with the front of the fan raised slightly so
the
>> top of the radiator is definately the high point. Remove the bleed air
plug
>> in the radiator top and use an offset funnel or a bottle with a tube
fitted
>> to the cap (like a 2 liter bottle) and just fill with straight antifreeze
>> (not pre-mixed). Almost all off the air should be gone and you should be
>> able to get all of the antifreeze into the system. If there is still a
>> little room, top it off with water. (If you do a total refill, put in
the
>> straight antifreeze and then distilled water to fill the system.) This
>> works very well and is simple to do. You don't have to run the engine at
>> all.
>>
>> William
>
>--
>Stuart MacMillan
>Manager, Case Program
>800-909-8244 ext. 8208
>Fax: 206-269-6360
>
>Getting your share of the Net yet?
>http://cobaltgroup.com
>http://UsedEquipNet.com
>
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