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Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon 

 

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 Post subject: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:14 am 
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Tomorrow I plan on doing a coolant flush on my EL falcon. I would like to know the best way to get all of the existing stuff out of the cooling system?, last time I did a coolant flush I didn't know as much as i thought i did and i put some radiator flush out in the surge tank, ran the car for 20 mins with the heater going and removed only the lower radiator hose... The problem I had was that I got no where near 16 litres of old coolant out meaning when I put new stuff in it would have been diluted with old crap.

This time I would like to get it right. If I were to remove the upper and lower radiator hoses, aswell as the heater hose, should that allow the coolant sitting in the engine to be drained out? or is there a better method? Also I am wondering which coolant would be best to use? I plan on buying concentrated antifreeze/anti boil (as well as flush out) just wondering if there is a particular brand I should use or just get something with a decent amount of glycol/L. Lastly, what is the appropriate mix of coolant and water for an EL falcon? 50/50?

Thank you in advance for you help.

Shano.
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:26 am 
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You wont get it all out.

Every 2 years I remove the thermostat and undo the top hose from the radiator and i have a hose running into the rad as I have the engine one.

I block off the outlet with my hand to compress and release.

If you leave the thermostat in, it'll take a good 20 minutes to open when you have tap water flowing through the engine.

Coolant, My Preference is Tectaloy xtra cool gold, refit all pipes, Add entire 1 litre bottle and top up with deminerilised water.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:31 am 
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The way I do mine is remove the plug at the bottom of the radiator . And I remove the thermostat . I then stick the hose into the thermostat housing and flush out till the water coming out is clear . The heater tap will be open so it flushes out the heater box , heater tap / valve closes with vacuum .

I use nulon long life coolant . It's green and is in a 5 L bottle . It's a concerntrate which makes up to 15L . So any water left in the system will mix with it . I put the thermostat back on and use blue silicon , think it's permatex or something . Pour the green coolant into the reservoir , followed by tap water until its full . I start the car . Turn the heater to hot and leave the cap off . Usually let it run for 10 minutes . The coolant won't be green yet as the thermostat probably hasn't opened ,after a 30 minute drive it will open and mix , I usually leave the heater on hot for a few drives

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:38 am 
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so is it essential to remove the thermostat to do a proper flush?
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:42 am 
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Yes to do a proper flush ,water will get past thought a tiny hole but won't do much , they say to put the heater on hot to make the engine hotter so the thermostat opens . But by the time you stuffed around it would be shut . Just easy to remove it .

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:52 am 
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thanks for the help! atleast this time I will know I have done the job properly :lol:
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:29 am 
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ef_falcon_95 wrote:
Yes to do a proper flush ,water will get past thought a tiny hole but won't do much , they say to put the heater on hot to make the engine hotter so the thermostat opens . But by the time you stuffed around it would be shut . Just easy to remove it .


Who says this? Putting on the heater ensures a good coolant flush as the coolant in the heater core is removed aswell, it also helps prevent airlocks in the heater core, usually one of the highest points of the coolig system. if anything opening the heater increases the time for the thermo to open as the heater is using heat from the cooling system that it would usually use to heat the thermo.
But anyway you don't turn on the heater and crank the fans to boost, you just turn it on so it opens up, don't have to have the fans on at all.

To get a more successful coolant flush you'd wanna drop off a few hoses, radiator and thermo ad a heater hose (be very careful if removing a heater hose to the core not to brake the plastic heater core) and flush it clear with the hose, hook all the hoses up, fill with water, drive around for a few ks to mix up any remaining old coolant with the water, go home and drop of another hose, flush it clear, reinstall the thermostat and hose then fill her up with coolant and water.
We use valvoline zerex glycol.
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:46 am 
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The gregorys manual says it , I just assumed it was to open the thermostat , after I wrote it I had a think and yeah makes more sense as to have the heater on to flush out the heater box.
The heater core is metal , I think it's brass .

 

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Aiming for 300 rwkw

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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:13 am 
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The core itself is,pretty sure the hose connections are plastic, break them and you're up for a full new unit.
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:18 am 
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nope, the heater core and pipes are brass ive had to replace a few in the past...
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:57 pm 
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thanks for your help guys, did the flush today (properly this time :lol: ) and did a 50/50 mix of concentrated coolant and demineralised water :D
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 8:40 pm 
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33% like the factory suggests would be sufficient, get many frozen mornings on the sunshine coast?

 

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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 1:25 pm 
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TROYMAN wrote:
nope, the heater core and pipes are brass ive had to replace a few in the past...

Thanks for that, you can still damage the internals if you're too rough.
Dunno who's idea it was to use plastic ones on some cars, grand design.
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 3:12 pm 
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Pakrat wrote:
TROYMAN wrote:
nope, the heater core and pipes are brass ive had to replace a few in the past...

Thanks for that, you can still damage the internals if you're too rough.
Dunno who's idea it was to use plastic ones on some cars, grand design.



yep,
the copper pipe is pretty soft especially where the pipes are soldered to the core.
ive learnt if you ever need to remove the heater hoses from the firewall, just cut a slit in the hose to remove them, otherwise any excess movement or force on the heater core pipes results in a leaky core..
cheaper to replace heater hoses then a heater core...
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 Post subject: Re: Advice wanted for Coolant flush - EL Falcon
Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 6:45 pm 
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Gee you lot stuff around doing this.

It simple, take the cap off, take the bottom hose off at the radiator end and take a heater hose off.
Put your garden hose up the heater hose and clamp it in.

Turn the tap on and and leave it until clean water come out all the openings.


Going in through the heater gets you on the engine side of the thermostat and flushes your heater core, dropping the bottom hose opens up the lowest point and empties the radiator.
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