Radiator flush

[GSP7]

I'm due for a radiator flush

My water is hard and full of calcium so I will be buying gallons of distilled water and full strength coolant . My manual says 6 gallon capacity so does 3 gallons of antifreeze and 3 gallons of water sound good for a 50/50?

 

Question since I forgot since last time I flushed. Is just draining from the drain at the bottom of the radiator the best way to get most the coolant out?

 

I want to flush it out by keep running fresh water through it, but when I'm done what is the best way to get all my garden hose hard / calcium fresh flush water out before I put my gallons of distilled water and new coolant in ? 

 

Note: I moved this thread over to 'power train'

Edited August 1, 2019 by JAG1

[Ed ke6bnl]

I took a piece of water pipe that matched the radiator hose and put a hose fitting on one end, then I put a 1/4in pipe at a sharp angle for an air line. Been awhile but I believe I removed the stat and bottom hose and ran the water for a while then blew air and water to boost the flow to clean and flush the debris out. I also use a vacuum device to refill the coolant 

[98whitelightnin]

I get 10 gallons of distilled water. I always open radiator drain and pull lower hose. Pull thermostat and heater core hose then stuff water hose down the block and heater core. Fill it up with distilled and put it all back together, then go for a ride. Drain it al back out and then fill with 3 gallons antifreeze and the rest with distilled water.

[dave110]

Pretty much what was said above but here's the article

Edited August 1, 2019 by dave110

[Mopar1973Man]

Never touched distilled water. Either used well water or creek water. Closing in on 400k miles and still have ZERO scale build up in 17 years and 390k miles. 

 

Open the drain, pull the thermostat and chuck it in the trash. Flush the block with lots and lots of water with the engine idling. With the thermostat out the water will flow rather easy and fast even at idle. Once the engine is flushed out allow all water to drain. First gallon of coolant I put in 100%. All following coolant will be mixed 50/50. Fill till the coolant is just about to spill out of the thermostat hole. Install a NEW NAPA thermostat 190°F thermostat. Then top off with coolant. Go for drive watch for the thermostat to open. Come back and check your coolant level. Be careful the coolant and engine is now hot. 

 

Never touched distilled water... 17 years, 390k miles, no scale build up or failures as of yet. Still have my OEM water pump and radiator. This is how much coolant is left with just the drain cock on the radiator. Next to nothing. If you want more out just park nose down. 

 

My water source, my irrigation dam 1/3 of a mile behind the house.

 

Just about due for a coolant change too.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Mopar1973Man

[dripley]

476k on well water and mine  is clean also. Not knocking distilled water though.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

17 minutes ago, dripley said:

476k on well water and mine  is clean also. Not knocking distilled water though.

 

Well water can range from hard to soft you may be fortunate to have softer well water, mine is rock hard. 

[dripley]

4 minutes ago, Ed ke6bnl said:

Well water can range from hard to soft you may be fortunate to have softer well water, mine is rock hard. 

Definitely soft. No hard water issues in the thirty years I have lived there. Hard water would have worked.

[Mopar1973Man]

Actually the mineral content of the water had nothing to do with it. Being I've had my well water test numerous times. It's actually the pH of the water that is the most important. Both my water sources are carry mineral and metals but the pH of my water is near a perfect 7.0 on the scale. 

 

My irrigation water is from a creek with mineral and metals dissolved in the water as well but again the pH of the water is still close to neutral. 

 

Its the city water where chlorine and fluoride is added to the water and becomes too acidic typically (too low in pH scale). This wipes out the pH additive of the coolant and now the coolant is still too corrosive and the water now start dissolving metals into solution. This is what makes the scale build up in the radiator as the water cools the oxides come out of solution and deposit in the radiator typically. 

 

This is why its still possible to have scale build up with distilled water is because with time the coolant will gain a charge and typically start leaning acidic sided because of the huge current flow during cold starts in the winter time. This can be seen with a DVM dipping the RED probe in the coolant and the black probe to battery ground. More corrosive the more of voltage charge the coolant will have. 

 

Here is my 1996 Dodge with distilled water and coolant and it still ate the thermostat housing neck and distilled water did not save this!

 

[GSP7]

My water is nasty .... Mucho calcium build up if I used it in a radiator. Would clog the radiator cooling tubes

 

Gotta use acid to clean my shower , all the calcium crud build up. My toilet tank actually gets rocks and large granite sand in the bottom of the tank.....

[wil440]

I use nothing but Cat premixed coolant, never have used anything else in anything and never will, I test with refractometer once in a while and send samples off for test also but I use it in my job so no cost. Been in my 3500 since 04 might have changed it twice

 

I flushed my 2500 earlier this year when I first bought it with Cat cooling system cleaner because of poor heater temps and changed thermostat from 180 to 190, i'm now going back to 180 as heater is baking

[Mopar1973Man]

Biggest thing everyone check for freeze point of the coolant but I rarely ever see anyone test for pH level of the coolant. Like the local shop does a freeze point check but they end up changing water pumps all the time. Even though I keep telling to check the pH level they never do. They just continue to change water pumps. Radiator plugging up for most of them. I just shake my head...

[Evan]

My heater has mostly quit working.  I'm on flush #4 heater is working but not great.

Flushed with vinegar oil, blue devil coolant cleaner, stp, 

I'm flushing directly through heater core. Scarey stuff coming out. Radiator hose off truck running. Also flushing out cap so I can see what's coming out. 

 

That cat cleaner I may try. is it a small bottle. I'd like to find a gallon jug of cleaner

Edited August 1, 2019 by Evan

[JAG1]

Sometimes you can get more crud out by flushing the opposite direction of the normal flow of coolant in the engine and heater core. So backflushing can help if you can with your garden hose and you have neutral Ph water.

[Ed ke6bnl]

I did a voltage test of the water to ground going for a voltage less than 0.400 volts

[dave110]

Good ole green stuff still the go- to? That's all I've ever used but I should do a service again and opinions change over time.

[wil440]

2 hours ago, Evan said:

My heater has mostly quit working.  I'm on flush #4 heater is working but not great.

Flushed with vinegar oil, blue devil coolant cleaner, stp, 

I'm flushing directly through heater core. Scarey stuff coming out. Radiator hose off truck running. Also flushing out cap so I can see what's coming out. 

 

That cat cleaner I may try. is it a small bottle. I'd like to find a gallon jug of cleaner

It comes in a gallon our price here is £39  Cat part number is 4C-4611. Its drain the system put in cleaner to the amount it says on container for cooling system capacity run for 90 minutes or more depending on the state of system but don't leave it in for days, then drain and refill. I backflushed heater and then complete system at this point then refilled with cat premixed coolant which has the correct PH. I have Cat refractometer and cat concentrate to add if ever needed.

Deposits end up like clay water that just washes away

[98whitelightnin]

A few years ago folks were using the fryer boilout to flush the system. I never needed to flush but would try it if I needed it.

[wil440]

2 minutes ago, 98whitelightnin said:

A few years ago folks were using the fryer boilout to flush the system. I never needed to flush but would try it if I needed it.

whats a fryer boilout....

AHHH steamcleaner for fast food fryers ?? or  ??

[98whitelightnin]

Yes, cascade makes one and is supposed to be the only thing we can buy anymore that is strong enough to do the job.