Do I need to drain coolant to flush heater core?
Simply draining the radiator may get rid of most of the old antifreeze but could leave some coolant and contaminants behind, which would then mix with and pollute your new antifreeze and cause overheating. You want a full flush, a forced removal of anything old so you can pave the way for new fluid.
Does coolant flow through the engine block?
The coolant follows a path that takes it from the water pump, through passages inside the engine block where it collects the heat produced by the cylinders. It then flows up to the cylinder head(s) where it collects more heat from the combustion chambers.
How does coolant run through an engine block?
A liquid cooling system works by passing liquid continually through the passages in the engine block. Powered by the water pump, the coolant is pushed through the engine block. If the liquid’s temperature falls below a certain level, the solution bypasses the radiator and instead is diverted back to the engine block.
How do you flush coolant from Radiator block?
Drain the fluid, fill the system with water, start engine for 30 seconds and turn it off. Drain the liquid again. Do this a few times untill the liquid is clear. Put thermostat back. Fill with 50/50 antifreeze. And please dont flush the old liquid down the drain! There are probably as many ways to do this as their are AFM members.
What happens when you flush and drain a radiator?
If you don’t use a kit, but just flush and drain radiator multiple times as mentioned above, when you fill the radiator with fresh coolant in the last step you will be leaving just plain water in a portion of the engine block. Plain water in the system is going to cause corrosion to some degree.
Is it better to drain or flush your coolant system?
Keeping your cooling system healthy. Regular preventive cooling system maintenance will eliminate the need for more drastic — and expensive — measures. If you follow the service schedule and do the drain and fill when recommended, you should be able to avoid a situation where a flush becomes necessary.
How much water do you need to flush a radiator?
You should have between 1 1/2 and 2 gallons in the fluid bucket or catch basin. Be sure the radiator cap has been removed which will help you get most of the coolant out if the system. Then tighten the drain plug or reinstall the lower radiator hose. To flush the cooling system refill the radiator with plain water.