Coolant question

[japickar]

I finally got around to changing the belts and coolant and heater hoses on my 1008. I flushed the cooling system and went to fill the system, but this is where I ran into a problem. The system capacity is 24.8 quarts, which of course comes out to a little over 6 gallons, so I bought 4 gallons of coolant to go back in the system. However, after I started adding coolant, it only held about a gallon of water and about 1 1/4 gallons of coolant. Thinking there may have been air in the system, I started the truck and let it run and the coolant was circulating fine. The new thermostat is opening properly as well.

What I am wondering is if there is something else I need to drain to completely flush the system. I first drained it by pulling the lower radiator hose, and then drained it by opening the petcock the next time. Both times maybe 2 gallons of coolant came out. So where is the rest and how do I change it?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[rickf]

The rest is trapped in the block, there is a drain plug on both side of the block. It has been a long time since I worked on them but the plug is below the freeze plugs and offset more to one end but I do not remember exactly where. It will be a 1/4" pipe plug, hex head.

Rick

 

[japickar]

Thanks. I will look for them today.

 

[japickar]

After a little more research I read on here that these plugs in the block are not accessible as they are behind the motor mounts. Is this true?

Also, I need to know the best way I can get the right coolant/water mixture back in the system. Right now I am probably running 20/80 coolant to water, which is definately not sufficient. Any suggestions?

 

[BigDuck]

,

thanks for the update

 

[rickf]

I do not think they are behind the mounts, Passenger side should be somewhere near the back end of the starter and drivers side should be close to the mount but in front of it. They should not be hard to find looking up from underneath with a flashlight.

 

[jongainey]

looking to do the same thing to my truck and looking at them they are both blocked by the motor mounts. anything short of pulling the motor and/or pulling the motor up and disconnecting the motor mounts.?

 

[NCBloodhound]

I ran into the same thing yesterday. I got a lot more fluid out by making the lower radiator hose as straight as I could so it would drain the block. A lot more came out, but still not the full capacity.

 

[rickf]

Moving the lower radiator hose will make no difference since the coolant coming out there has to come through the water pump. It will get no lower than the pump ports in the block. If I have time tomorrow I will look at mine to see where they are. I am sure they are the same place as a big block Chevy and my 502 in my boat they are in front of the mount on one side and behind the mount on the other side. I know for a fact that the mounts are the same because a big block is a bolt in for a CUCV.

Rick

 

[jongainey]

I was just under my truck this afternoon looking at it. I Know for a fact that the plugs are blocked by the mounts. as a side note just because the mounts are in the same location for both motors does not mean the drain plugs are. and a 6.2 diesel are a different beast than a big block gas motor. just putting that out there in case you didn't know.

 

[Grega]

Disconnect the outlet side of the heater hose and backflush with an air or/and water hose with a tapered end. This should get the old coolant out of the block. Refill with straight coolant into the radiator leaving the outlet side of the heater hose off below the fill hole on the radiator. Water will come out as your pouring coolant in. When coolant starts comming out, reconnect the heater hose. Figure how much coolant you have left and add acordingly.