Hey, I need to get some antifreeze in my car ASAP. However I don't have a hose to flush my radiator. Should I just drain it then mix the antifreeze or is flushing a must? Also what's the easiest spot to drain from?
anti freeze Just ck block on either side, around freeze plugs for drain cocks or plugs. Plugs will take about a 9/16 socket to remove. First, remove rad cap, then open drain cock in bottom of rad. When this stops draining, pull off bottom rad hose from rad. If you have plugs in block you might have to use a coat hanger to unplug hole with plug removed. Sometimes it get plugged with crap, or remove old drain cocks and install new 1s.this should drain out any water. Hook up lower rad hose,and tighten drain cock in bottom of rad,plug holes in side of block if you removed any plugs. fill rad with minimum 50/50 concentation of antifreeze, start up car with rad cap OFF.Let idle and watch for fluid level to drop. just keep topping up rad. Once rad(engine) warms up install rad cap and keep eye on temp. After 10/15 min, shut down car. Let it cool down so as not to burn you if you take rad cap off when engine hot. ck fluid level and top off if needed. This way has worked for years for me with no problems. Good luck
You don't need to use the block plugs. Just remove the lower radiator hose ( at the radiator, or open the radiator drain ), and let it drain. Refill with pure antifreeze ( not the 50/50 premixed stuff ). Use any antifreeze that states it will mix with any antifreeze! Fill completely with antifreeze only ( there is already water in the system, as it only drains halfway when draining this way ) You're good to go to - 34°F!
i have, but it was on a recently rebuilt motor. chances of removing 40 year old plugs is slim and when you do the chances of them not being plugged up is none and blockage may be too much to poke out.
You should never run a radiator on pure antifreeze. Antifreeze is an additive to protect your coolant from freezing and boiling, it is not an effective coolant by itself. Water is what cools the engine. 50/50 is a good general rule of thumb, but you only need enough antifreeze to protect you from the upper and lower limits of temp you'll see. Here in the Southern states 70/30 is fine, even 80/20 in the summer.
I'm sure it works as long as your cooling system is far from marginal, but it's a fact... Straight antifreeze has a lot less heat transfer capacity than a proper mix with water.
If the assumption is that the car currently has only water in it, I think Simple Man was right with adding the pure anti-freeze, as it will mix with the water that is left in the heater core and block and give you a final mixture that will be OK protection. But besides this scenario, yes, completely running pure anti-freeze is bad for an engine.
Open the petcock on the rad, and you're sure to get at least 80% of whatever fluid that is in your engine out (water or antifreeze) Then just top it up with a 50/50 mix, and buy yourself a tester, then next time you can test it, and see what temperature its good till.
I believe you misunderstood what I said. When you drain the cooling system from the radiator drain or taking the hose off, only half the coolant comes out. I'm assuming water was being run or he wouldn't have wanted to put antifreeze in. If you fill up your cooling system with pure antifreeze it will come out a 50/50 mix with the remaining water that stayed in the system. It's almost always exactly a 50/50 mix, that protects to -34°F. @ TrotMaverick, I forgot to ask you how cold does it get where you live? I can't imagine anywhere that goes colder than -34°F, but if so bounce the front of the car up and down after it's done draining and more water will come out so you can add more antifreeze! I'll guarantee you I won't be anywhere near a place that gets -34°
You are right of course, assuming he was running straight water. I always use a hydrometer though when I'm not sure. This one's about $3, next to the antifreeze at Auto Zone...
Yep I take off rad cap, I unhook the lower hose let it drain , start the car, eventually your thermostat opens and will pour water from your block. Let it drain a while... until it's a trickle. Shut engine off, hook hose back up. Start car again...pour 50/50 mix in your car, fill up radiator and let the thermostat open up and fill up again. If this method is wrong...I dont wanna be right I prefer Prestone (not premix crap) and find another jug and mix it 50/50.
