Write-Up: Flushing Radiator Coolant

Jack the R wrote:

I bought 3 containers of the 50/50 Dex-Cool today. Is that enough?

13 qts is system capacity, so you are 1 qt. short, no big deal.

I've got an open jug of 100% from a few year's back. I'll top it off with that. Thanks.

How high does the front have to go up to get all the air bled out? Can it be got up high enough with jack stands?

Is there any way to catch the fluid when bleeding?

A hound has moved in, and if there's a drop of antifreeze anywhere he will find it. Fast. I've got to do this indoors and as cleanly as possible.

No one knows?

You don't have to jack up the front end. If you do, you're wasting your time. The bleeder on the Thermostat housing works just fine.

Unless you have a drain pan thin enough to fit under the trans, you can't catch all the coolant that's going to come out.

Abaddon wrote:

You don't have to jack up the front end. If you do, you're wasting your time.

I thought the front had to be raised to bleed all the air out of the heater core?

Jack the R wrote:

Abaddon wrote:

You don't have to jack up the front end. If you do, you're wasting your time.

I thought the front had to be raised to bleed all the air out of the heater core?

for various reasons some folks find it very helpful but that does not mean it's an absolute must...

Albertj

The Heater Core in the Riv is quite low. And, not only does it have a bleeder valve, it uses a vented cap on the resevoir. Bleeding it is very easy......it almost does it by itself.

I can always jack it up and bleed it again later, right?

You can.....but as many times as I've been inside my car, I've never had to raise up the front end to bleed the cooling system. I'm not saying that you won't have to, but the chances of having to do so are very slim.

Fill it up, crack the bleeder loose. Nothing will come out for a about a minute (if it was empty). Then it will start spitting air/coolant out of the bleeder. When it becomes straight fluid with no air spurts, you're done. Shut the car off, and let it cool down. Start it up again and crack the bleeder one more time. It should be nothing but coolant spewing all over the manifold and crossover pipe making a giant, smoking, stinky mess. You're done.

deekster_caddy wrote:

good writeup on flushing, but here's what I'd do if I were you:

drain the radiator.
Add RMI25 according to instructions on bottle (a good cleaning solution and lubricant)
Refill with proper 50/50 mix (use distilled water for that 50)
repeat next year.

I've never been a fan of flushing the system.

About this RMI-25 -

I've read a few different things. One guy said to put it in, drive 500-1000 miles, than change fluids.

If I put it in it'll be a couple years before I hit 500 miles.

What's a good plan considering my car is basically in storage and occasionally driven?

Also, do any of the parts stores carry RMI-25 or do I have to mail order it?

I allways instal the Prestone flush kit in my cars.It works real nice. Just attach it to your heater hose screw on your garden hose and flush.pull the block plugs & rad plug drain all the water refill.good to roll.

I'm trying to keep my dog's from getting into antifreeze. If I can put in RMI-25 now, and take the car elsewhere to have the antifreeze changed in a year (I'll do the hoses now), that'd be great.

I am putting a Prestone flush kit on my 98 riv. Stupid question: which heater hose is inlet and which is outlet?

Thank you,

roger

Ok, with some help from robotennis (although his 95 is much different than my 98) and some more searching on the web, I answered my own question. On a Grand Prix site, I found this information (which is consistent w/ robotennis'):

"You could splice the T-fitting into either heater hose and it would fush the cooling system, but you should hook it into the heater inlet hose. The reason for this is because the inlet hose usually backs into the thermostat and will back flush the heater core while the heater outlet may just backflow into the engine and not through the heater as well."

I found the arrows on the water pump but still had some questions as to what was the 'inlet' hose. According to the part description that goes with the attached diagram, the inlet hose is the one were coolant runs from the engine into the heater core. (#4 on the diagram).

[img][/img]

I still have one question: if the coolant normally runs to the heater core in this direction, are you really BACK flushing the heater core?

Roger

Well I've been a bad boy and put this job off while working on the comic.

I still need an answer on the RMI - how long can you leave it in before the coolant needs to be changed?

About the coolant reservoir - should it have drained on its own when I pulled the radiator bung? It didn't, does that mean it's clogged?

Abaddon wrote:

The Heater Core in the Riv is quite low. And, not only does it have a bleeder valve, it uses a vented cap on the resevoir. Bleeding it is very easy......it almost does it by itself.

I've got to bleed in two places?

Jack the R wrote:

Well I've been a bad boy and put this job off while working on the comic.

I still need an answer on the RMI - how long can you leave it in before the coolant needs to be changed?

About the coolant reservoir - should it have drained on its own when I pulled the radiator bung? It didn't, does that mean it's clogged?

Abaddon wrote:

The Heater Core in the Riv is quite low. And, not only does it have a bleeder valve, it uses a vented cap on the resevoir. Bleeding it is very easy......it almost does it by itself.

I've got to bleed in two places?

I have used RMI in all my vehicles for the last 10 years. When I use it with water I drain it every year. In my 2003 Ram truck I have never changed it out, I bought the truck new and added RMI to the antifreeze first thing.
Remember on an old engine the RMI will clean your cooling system and will hold all the crud in suspension until you drain it, I would dump your old coolant and add the RMI during the summer so you can use it with water to clean your system then drain and mix with antifreeze if you need it for the winter.

RMI is going to clean the crap that is existing in your system and here in the desert drops operating temps around 5-10 degrees.

What I meant about bleeding the system is this.....



Being that the resevoir cap is vented, some of the "higher" air bubbles will end up venting through the resevoir. The only spot that needs to be bled is the bleeder on the Thermostat housing. It's VERY easy to bleed the Riv...

What about the coolant reservoir? Shouldn't it have drained?

96Riv - Well, we're going int o the winter. At the current rate I'm driving, the Riv won't go out more than a few times over the winter. Just to burn off the old fuel. Will it be o.k. to use RMI?

Abaddon - Thanks for the clarification!

Jack the R wrote:

What about the coolant reservoir? Shouldn't it have drained?

96Riv - Well, we're going int o the winter. At the current rate I'm driving, the Riv won't go out more than a few times over the winter. Just to burn off the old fuel. Will it be o.k. to use RMI?

Abaddon - Thanks for the clarification!

Yes, just add it to your existing antifreeze, drain it next spring or summer.

Okay, call me Mr. Naive, but I checked the acronym file and didn't find "RMI"
So that I might follow this thread, What's that? Thanks

denim wrote:

Okay, call me Mr. Naive, but I checked the acronym file and didn't find "RMI"
So that I might follow this thread, What's that? Thanks

RMI-25

Thanks, what about the coolant reservoir? Should it have drained?

Jack the R wrote:

Thanks, what about the coolant reservoir? Should it have drained?

no.

Thanks!