rad flush, first timer

[karl_karl]

Hey Guys,

I've flushed one rad before on my old Plymouth Laser and wish to do the same to my 94 camry. The manual says there are two plugs that need to be removed to flush the rad, is it hard to find/remove the engine one?

I've got my distlilled water and my Motomaster coolant ready to go, just wondering if there's a set process to follow. I bought the car used and have no idea when it was last flushed, if at all. Any tips would be welcome...

Karl

[touringcamry]

What car do you have? Do you have a V6 or I4? It would help to know this because the drain is at different locations depending on the engine.

This is what I do when I flush my coolant:
1. Drain all the coolant from the radiator and engine block. This fluid is hazmat and needs to be collected and properly disposed.
2. Remove upper and lower radiator hoses, and thermostate from the engine and the block.
3. Take a hose and flush everything out. Put the hose up to one opening and run water through it until water comes out the other opening clear. Put the hose in the other opening and repeat.
4. Flush out the radiator using upper openings.
5. Remove the coolant reservoir and pour contents in with the fluid collected earlier.
6. Rinse out the tank.
7. Put everything back together including the thermostat and fill the entire cooling system with nothing but distilled water.
8. Start car and let it warm up or drive around for a while to normal operating temperature. Then park and allow the car to cool.
9. Drain the entire cooling system again. Water should be clear if everything else was done right. If not, you may need to do the distilled water fill, run, and drain again.
10. Fill system with correct amount of coolant and distilled water. There will still be some water into the system, so you'll need to know the cooling system capacity to fill it. Ie if the cooling system has a capacity of 7.5 qts, pour in at least 3.25 qts of coolant and then fill the remainder with water.

[karl_karl]

It's a 4 cylinder Camry (1994).

thanks for the tip

[touringcamry]

In that case the drain is on the back of the engine block facing the firewall. You'll need to lift the car up to get to it. You'll need a 10mm or 12mm socket or wrench to open the drain.

A piece of 5/16" or 3/8" ID (I don't remember which size it was) vinyl or PVC hose attached to the outlet will be useful to control the flow of coolant.

[karl_karl]

In reference to your 3rd point, which openings am I putting the water hose to? I only thought the flushing occured at the rad cap opening...

Originally Posted by touringcamry

What car do you have? Do you have a V6 or I4? It would help to know this because the drain is at different locations depending on the engine.

This is what I do when I flush my coolant:
1. Drain all the coolant from the radiator and engine block. This fluid is hazmat and needs to be collected and properly disposed.
2. Remove upper and lower radiator hoses, and thermostate from the engine and the block.
3. Take a hose and flush everything out. Put the hose up to one opening and run water through it until water comes out the other opening clear. Put the hose in the other opening and repeat.
4. Flush out the radiator using upper openings.
5. Remove the coolant reservoir and pour contents in with the fluid collected earlier.
6. Rinse out the tank.
7. Put everything back together including the thermostat and fill the entire cooling system with nothing but distilled water.
8. Start car and let it warm up or drive around for a while to normal operating temperature. Then park and allow the car to cool.
9. Drain the entire cooling system again. Water should be clear if everything else was done right. If not, you may need to do the distilled water fill, run, and drain again.
10. Fill system with correct amount of coolant and distilled water. There will still be some water into the system, so you'll need to know the cooling system capacity to fill it. Ie if the cooling system has a capacity of 7.5 qts, pour in at least 3.25 qts of coolant and then fill the remainder with water.

[touringcamry]

I meant the openings on the engine block where the upper and lower hoses attach.

In number 4 I meant the radiator cap opening and the upper radiator hose opening.

[hooRAH]

This may not be the correct way of getting EVERYTHING out, but its the way I do it to save time.

Disconnect head coolant hose exit.
Disconnect hose at bottom of radiator (let radiator drain)
Reconnect bottom hose, fill radiator with water, leave top hose off.
Run car (heater on) filling the radiator while letting the water drain out for about 15 mins, system should be all water now.
Reconnect top hose, disconnect bottom hose, drain radiator of water.
Reconnect bottom hose, fill radiator with 100% coolant.
Run car for awhile, heater on, expansion tank on. Add coolant/distilled water to taste to even out the mixture.

I realize this isn't the most exact way of doing it, but its quick, and I think its close enough. I don't have to get underneath the car to drain the block or worry about stripping the bolts.

Yes, you still have tap water in the system, but if you live in the US and don't have ridicously hard water, you should be okay. No, the mixture won't be exact, but well, meh.