Coolant Flush

[Final Maxim]

ok so im gonna be getting some coolant monday and i wanna do a flush of the system. never done one before but i wanna give it a go.

im scared of removing the hoses on my radiator as they look a bit on the rusty side and im guessing they will split if i so much as look at them with a spanner, is there any other way i can get the coolant out of the rad without taking the hoses off from down there or am i just gonna have to go for it

when the coolants emptied and the hose is back on, do i fill the radiator up and then the header tank? do i take a top hose off the radiator and use a funnel to fill the rad? then top up the tank when the hose is back on or does it just all go into the header tank?

do i keep the cap off the header tank for a while til all the air bubbles stop coming to the surface, then put it on and bring upto temp, let it cool, then check the coolant level again, topping if i need to? anything else i should know or should do?

cheers

 

[The Dominator]

You will need to drop the bottom hose, What car are you doing it on?

 

[Final Maxim]

mk1 clio, gtt engine but i think its running the clio rad, could be wrong though

 

[Final Maxim]

will there definatly be a rubber hose on the bottom as i had a quick look yesterday but didnt see one, could only see metal pipework going in half way down and a top rubber hose

 

[The Dominator]

is there a rad cap on the radiator if so fill the radiator once flushed ect do you have an expansion tank with markings? you may also need to bleed it unless this can can leave the expansion tank lid of and let it self bleed

 

[Final Maxim]

no rad cap, thats why i though id drop the top hose off and fill it like that with a funnel?

 

[Final Maxim]

 

[The Dominator]

No then fill it from the expansion tank put collant in the expansion tank until it stops filtering through run it up to temp and leave the lid of the level will start dropping once the thermostat opens so you will need to further fill it leaving the lid of will also let any air out the system whilst filling

 

[Final Maxim]

awesome cheers

 

[Dan519]

there's a bleed nipple in the upper hose, right near the water pump. Remove this, fill the system up until coolant comes out the bleed, the replace the screw. done.

 

[Final Maxim]

right, done all the flush and topped it up, sweet, but my radiator fan aint kicking in now? its going just past 3/4 on temp guage, the fluid is bubbling and the fan aint kicking in, ideas? coolant is coming out the nipples when i open them so theres no air in the system

ideas?

 

[Final Maxim]

its going past 3/4 now, nearly upto max temp, ive just truned it off to let it cool down a bit, f**k sake -.-

the fan worked fine til ive done the coolant flush

 

[Chip-mk1]

As danny says, it will be an airlock, just need to bleed it through. Run it up a couple of times and stop it and keep doing it if in doubt, and leave the cap off while doing so.

 

[Final Maxim]

all good, safe to leave it til tomorrow yeah? as im getting pissed off at it now

my new actuator rod end dont fit, think its slightly to small, wont thread onto the needle thing

 

[Final Maxim]

oh and coolant tastes f**king horrible, im there blowing into the header tank and it went in my mouth, still taste it now

 

[Chip-mk1]

lol @ the tastes

Thats a bummer about the actuator rod end, Im surprised at that, all the ones Ive seen have been the same thread.

 

[Final Maxim]

reading up and apparantly some are metric and some are imperial (thread)

 

[The Dominator]

LOL type d coolant tasted like s**t had that happen a few times

 

[Chip-mk1]

reading up and apparantly some are metric and some are imperial (thread)

Which one do you need?

 

[Final Maxim]

no idea, this is the one i bought

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320893966742?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

its longer than a normal one,

comparrison

 

[Laine_16v]

The actuator arm (turn buckle), and actuator will 99% either have an imperal 1/4" UNF thread or metric M6 thread.

1/4" UNF turn buckle arms can be bought from the forge motorsport website (£15), or if its M6, i have a spare you can have.

I've just gone through the same problem with my new actuator.

EDIT: looks like you need a 1/4" UNF one.

 

[Final Maxim]

cheers for the info!