Thread: preparing for spring

So if I run straight coolant in the summer time is it slower to warm up? And stay cooler then water & coolant mix?

dont ever run straight coolant. thats no good. dont run just water either cause then your engine can and will rust from the inside out.

using coolant mixed properly it,

1, lowers the boiling temp of water.
2, prevents rust.
3, keeps your engine block rad and so on from freeing and cracking the block or its parts.

get the cheaper store brand coolant. its the same damn thing.

the t stat is a 195. it has a rubber ring around it, it costs like a 1 bucks or so, grab one. yours maybe shot out like mine was.


wind chill has nothing to with how cold it really is. its for humans, what it feels like.

if your coolant is slushing up now. suck your rad dry with a thin plastic tube, its sold at the parts store, put it to the bottom of the rad and siphon it out, and add new coolant. or your'll be sorry.

Originally Posted by Pontiac Racer

And that wind chill still affects the car. My coolant has already froze so it does

Wrong.

A quick google

The only effect wind chill has on inanimate objects, such as car radiators and water pipes, is to more quickly cool the object to cool to the current air temperature. Object will NOT cool below the actual air temperature.

damn oops. figured it would. so oreilly coolant is fine? i have a gift card there. do they have their own flush liquid too or is that name brand. and this rubber thing around the thermostat. won't i get a new one if i order it online?

well maybe it didn't freeze. cause it got -35 with the windchill and maybe -10 with the air temp... not sure why the light came on at that time then

when you get the t stat at the counter ask for the rubber ring, its a separate part, it dont come with the t stat. just like the gasket dont come with it.

i found one online for 10 bucks with the gasket. but ill see if its cheaper in store. what if they have no idea what I'm talking about

They will. Just tell them you need the thermostat gasket.

that rubber ring for the t stat will show up in the parts list.

ok ill ask. so lets see if i got this straight:
1. take off upper radiator hose (do i take it off from the rad or thermostat side?)
2. get a large drain pan and put it under the car and let the coolant drain into it
3. get a garden hose and flush the rad and entire cooling system (do i stick the hose where the rad cap is or the end with the tube off?)
4. once clear water comes out, kick the pan away and let it all hit the ground
5. start the car with the water still flowing through the system to make it flow better
6. turn the car off and take the hose out. put the rad flush fluid in and add water. flush for like 5 or 10 minutes with flush liquid in. (do i have to reattach the hose to keep the liquid in or just let it drain out?)
7. flush system again with water while car is running
8. put hose away and start adding unmixed green coolant until it starts coming out of hose
9. put in remaining coolant and put a total of about 2 gallons in with the rest being water
10. run car with coolant water mix and top off as necessary as a week or so passes
DONE???

how about the overflow tank. was thinking of taking it out and rinsing that out as well as that tube running from the rad. how much orange coolant has to be in the car in order to cause it to sludge up. a cup? quart?

thanks for the help everyone!

oh and i forgot to mention to take the thermostat during this process. when do i put that back in?

take the top hose off the rad, leave it on the t stat housing, but take the t stat out, put the housing back on, you old coolant will pump out the upper hose.

garden hose goes in the open rad via the rad cap hole. start the car, then turn on the hose. this will let most of the rad be drained when the clean water goes in.


once the flush is added you want the t stat out still, and all the hoses back on, then drive it around for a few miles, let it cool some, and re flush.

and you'll get by with everything else.

Originally Posted by Pontiac Racer

oh and i forgot to mention to take the thermostat during this process. when do i put that back in?

in your case after you put green coolant in and you see green water come out the upper hose, turn the engine off, then re install the t stat, add the extra 1/2 gallon. fire it up, top off with water.

ok i think i got this down now. i really appreciate the help. id be sure to f*ck something up without consulting you guys. i did see however oreilly 50/50 mix was cheaper than non mixed. should i still go with non mixed?

being you'd need 3 gallons of 50/50 how much cheaper is it? when your done after buying the 2 gals of straight coolant you'll have a full gallon of 50/50 pre mix left over on hand.