Ideal Water-to-Antifreeze Ratio

[shortsguy1]

Are you guys able to open your block coolant drain? I tried, but couldn't really get to it. After messing with it for a while, I gave up. I hoped that using hose power was good enough when I did a reverse flush with simply water, but would have preferred to drain the block correctly.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

IIRC, you can get to the block drain from underneath. Be careful, the handles break easily.

 

[steveg]

IIRC, you can get to the block drain from underneath. Be careful, the handles break easily.

Sometimes it's easier to wrench it off.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Sometimes it's easier to wrench it off.

Yup.

 

[steveg]

Yup.

If you wrench it off you'll get a better drainout, especially if, as is likely, there's crud in the bottom of the block.

 

[Keoke]

Are you guys able to open your block coolant drain?

Yep!!;

But sometimes it is not easy best to use a wrench as has been stated.
Long arms help too.

 

[AUSMHLY]

When I change the old coolent out (which I just did yesterday afternoon), I back-flush the system first. I use the Prestone kit and Prestone flush.

Drain all the old antifreeze out.
Unclamp the heater hose from the block, clamp a new short hose in it's place, install the Prestone t-section between the two hoses and connect the garden hose there.
Leave the radiator cap off and plug in the Prestone right angle textention tube in there.
Put heater on high.
Radiator drain plug still open.
Turn the garden hose on. When water is flowing out the top and bottom of radiator, start the car and let it run till water comes out clean.
Turn car off.
Remove hose, put the Prestone seal cap on there.
Drain radiator till it's 1/2" from top. Close the drain plug and pour in a bottle of Prestone flush. Put the radiator cap on.
Run the car 10 minutes till warm. Run the car another 10 minutes.
Turn car off, drain everything.
Put hose back on, radiator plug open, radiator car off, Prestone tube in where the cap was, turn on hose. When water is flowing out both ends of the radiator, start the car. Run till water comes out clean.
Turn off car, remove garden hose, drain all water out.
Remove the t-section from the heater hose, reconnect the heater hose, close Radiator drain plug.
Add one gallon of your choice of antifreeze and one gallon of distilled water.
Leave cap off, start car and run to get all the air out. Check for leaks.
No leaks, take the car out for a ride and check the antifreeze level when home.
Pat yourself on the back, job well done!

UPDATE: with the procedure used above, I realized that the engine block drain on the side should also be fully opened (or removed) along with the radiator plug fully opened.

After doing two full flushes (with the engine plug closed) I was still getting light brown water with only the radiator plug being opened.
After opening the engine drain plug A LOT MORE DARK BROWN CRUD came out of the engine drain plug!
After having both drain plugs open, water was finally clear.
Lesson learned, it's not a complete flush unless both drain plug are open.