Coolant - Engine Block Drain.

gcretro · Post by **gcretro** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:04 pm

2004 Neon SE.

Is there a drain plug on the engine block? to get rid of the coolant trapped in there when doing a flush?.

I figured:
1. Drain the radiator, fill with water + prestone super flush
2. Remove the T-Stat. Drive? or Idle? around 10 mins with heater in high.

3. After cooling, drain the radiator, disconnect upper & lower rad hoses. Stick the water hose into the upper rad hose and run water for a minute or two.

4. Remove the coolant bottle, clean it out.

5. Fill 100% coolant (valvoline zerex) and then top of with distilled water.

OB · Post by OB » Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:30 pm

When I flushed mine and went to green coolant, I just popped the lower radiator draincock and drained what was in the radiator. Kept it open, then proceeded to add water to the rad while the engine ran. Once the T-stat opened, the majority of the old stuff came out with the water. When it started coming out totally clear, I swapped the water flow for Green coolant, and repeated until I felt like all the pure water was out. This is tough to get perfect without a flush machine, but you can always use a hydrometer and verify the mix via specific gravity. I just eyeballed it, bled it, and it's been perfect since. Getting the mix perfect isn't critical, especially here in CA where freezing coolant simply isn't an issue. I can run more water than antifreeze pretty safely, as long as the water used it distilled, to lessen the chance of deposits developing.

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:36 pm

You never want to use 100% coolant.

The absolute max you want is 70% coolant/30% water and that would only be if you lived in an extremely cold climate.

50/50 is good for most areas of the lower 48. 60% coolant/40% water is probably good for anywhere in the 48.

OB · Post by OB » Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:42 pm

^He might be talking about using the premixed long life stuff Frank.

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:50 pm

I hope so. If that is the case then you don't want to add any water. Use it as is with no dilution.

However, it does cost more to buy the 50/50 premix than it does to buy a gallon of coolant and a gallon of water.

darthroush · Post by **darthroush** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:16 pm

He is just saying he is going to use 100% [full-strength] antifreeze and then add the distilled water to it.

OB · Post by OB » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:40 pm

Then yeah, that's not a good idea at all. Antifreeze doesn't have anywhere near the cooling ability of water. While antifreeze has many functions in a cooling system, like inhibiting corrosion, protecting aluminum parts, and preventing freezing, water only has one - cooling. It should be 50% of any cooling mixture per recommendation. Some coolants already have water in them, so they don't need any added, as stated above.

OP, you wanna clear up exactly what your plans were?

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:43 pm

Like I said before, you can go up to 70% coolant depending on you climate conditions but you wouldn't want to keep it in for the summer because of the cooling issues.

OB · Post by OB » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:51 pm

You could, but there is no reason to whatsoever. If 50% antifreeze wasn't enough to perform the job, the OEM's building these engines for the last 100 years would have changed the specs. Very few climates in the world see temps that could possibly require special mixtures that can withstand -60F temps (average freeing point of a proper 50/50 system). I do know for a fact that changing the ratio towards pure water is common in race and performance builds, to aid in cooling. At any rate, back on topic.

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:01 pm

50/50 is about -33*F

68/32 is about -92*F

DammitFrankyourlinkistoolong.(That's what she said)
page 332

Shortened link - occasional demons

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:48 pm

gcretro wrote:

Is there a drain plug on the engine block? to get rid of the coolant trapped in there when doing a flush?.

There is, but it will not be easy to access. It is in the back of the block, under the exhaust manifold. Let's just say, it is more or less not worth the effort to get to.
Just add a touch more ethylene glycol to make up for the water you can't drain from the block.

Also don't forget to remove and clean any sludge from the overflow/recovery tank.

Edit: Also, leave the t'stat in for the flush. It needs to be hot to do it's thing. Prestone Super Cleaner is actually a better choice, but it needs 10 hours of drive time, so not the best for winter climates. But it will actually do something, unlike the 30 minute flush.

gcretro · Post by **gcretro** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:24 pm

OB wrote:Then yeah, that's not a good idea at all. Antifreeze doesn't have anywhere near the cooling ability of water. While antifreeze has many functions in a cooling system, like inhibiting corrosion, protecting aluminum parts, and preventing freezing, water only has one - cooling. It should be 50% of any cooling mixture per recommendation. Some coolants already have water in them, so they don't need any added, as stated above.

OP, you wanna clear up exactly what your plans were?

I am never going to get the system totally empty. After I flush with water, there is going to be plain water already in the system.... that's why I figured I add 100% coolant. Perhaps not the full gallon but perhaps 50%.

On second thought, I figure I'll just take to a shop and get the cooling system flush done. But they might not use HOAT coolant.... Is it ok to go with regular coolant if a flush is done?

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:06 am

Meh, just do the 50/50 mix, use an inexpensive coolant tester. If it is too weak for your area, just drain some out, and add antifreeze. No big deal. Why pay $50 or more to have it done?

Post by **racer12306** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:41 am

When a full flush is done it is ok to use regular green coolant, however your intervals will change from 5 years/100,000 miles to 2/3 years/30,000 miles.

gcretro · Post by **gcretro** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 5:36 pm

So why should the T-stat not be removed? Do you mean to say the prestone flush is effective only when the engine/water reaches operating temp and without t-Stat that won't happen?

I figured:
1. Drain radiator, remove t-stat, fill with water + flushing agent (incl coolant res.).
2. Run (perhaps a short drive?) for about 15 mins with heater on high
3. Drain, fill with distilled water, run for 15 mins... then again drain

4. Now will I need to figure out how much full strenght coolant to add, then fill rest with distilled water...

hmm seems too much redundant & time consuming. I do have access to a water hose. Can anyone refine my steps.
hose... Can anyone

darthroush · Post by **darthroush** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 6:57 pm

If you are using Prestone Flush, here are your steps:

1. Drain cooling system.
2. Follow directions on Prestone Flush bottle.
3. Pre-mix two gallons of coolant and distilled water (one gallon of each), 50/50, and fill until full (you'll need an extra 1 gallon, obviously). The last step on the flush bottle, IIRC, tells you to drain and refill with your coolant mix.

Linda27 · Post by **Linda27** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:16 am

BANNED

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Coolant - Engine Block Drain.

Coolant - Engine Block Drain.

Re: Coolant - Engine Block Drain.