Thread: Coolant/Water Flow Direction

Here is a question that I can't get a straight answer for, from anybody. It might sound like a silly question, but you will be surprised by how many people that don't get the answer correct.

What direction does the coolant/water flow from the engine into the radiator?

Top Hose or Bottom hose.

water flows out from the t stat to the upper rad hose. the lower hose is cooler water going back into the engine.

Originally Posted by jimzssei

The top ... Are you trying to trick us?

Maybe....lol

Originally Posted by Flip97GTP

Here is a question that I can't get a straight answer for, from anybody. It might sound like a silly question, but you will be surprised by how many people that don't get the answer correct.

What direction does the coolant/water flow from the engine into the radiator?

Top Hose or Bottom hose.

on a 3800 and most non mixer style cooling systems the upper hose is hot water discharge from T stat to radiator, lower is cold water supply to engine.

this is not always the case with newer mixer style thermostat engines, in this case it could be either way depending on packaging constraints

Originally Posted by Turbocharged400sbc

on a 3800 and most non mixer style cooling systems the upper hose is hot water discharge from T stat to radiator, lower is cold water supply to engine.

this is not always the case with newer mixer style thermostat engines, in this case it could be either way depending on packaging constraints

Yes, that's what I thought, but there is a few people I know that want to debate with me about this. They say I'm wrong and that it's the other way around.

I googled it and I got both answers for this question!

Tell them to pull a hose and find out

how i flush my coolant. this does work, many here have done it this way.




remove the t stat, put the t stat housing back on, take the upper hose off the radiator, then push it down to the ground to a bucket or let it fly.


get your garden hose out, put it in the rad turn it on, then fire up the car, let it run till clear water pumps out the top hose.


then turn the hose off, run the car till no more water comes out the upper hose. then turn it off.


put your t stat back in, with new gasket, the upper hose back on.





now take 1 gallon of full strength green antifreeze, not the 50/50 crap. ( parts store cheap green is fine to use) dump the whole gallon in the radiator, fire up the car, fill the rad with hose water till its full. top as needed till its ready to be bled of air. it will burp and take coolant as the water in the block warms up the t stat opens up for a few seconds till cold coolant hits it and it shuts again.


now to bleed the air out, let it idle rad cap off till the fans turn on, (when the fans are on the temp is over 195 deg, the t stat is wide open) then open the bleeder screw on top the t stat housing a few turns till a steady stream of coolant comes out the hole, shut the screw, top off the rad. cap it.


done.

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

Tell them to pull a hose and find out

Even better... Have them put their face up to the top hose if they are so sure of themselves.

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

Tell them to pull a hose and find out

Yea, that is exactly what I'm going to do! This weekend.....Lol this is going to be good.

Originally Posted by Scottydoggs

how i flush my coolant. this does work, many here have done it this way.




remove the t stat, put the t stat housing back on, take the upper hose off the radiator, then push it down to the ground to a bucket or let it fly.


get your garden hose out, put it in the rad turn it on, then fire up the car, let it run till clear water pumps out the top hose.


then turn the hose off, run the car till no more water comes out the upper hose. then turn it off.


put your t stat back in, with new gasket, the upper hose back on.





now take 1 gallon of full strength green antifreeze, not the 50/50 crap. ( parts store cheap green is fine to use) dump the whole gallon in the radiator, fire up the car, fill the rad with hose water till its full. top as needed till its ready to be bled of air. it will burp and take coolant as the water in the block warms up the t stat opens up for a few seconds till cold coolant hits it and it shuts again.


now to bleed the air out, let it idle rad cap off till the fans turn on, (when the fans are on the temp is over 195 deg, the t stat is wide open) then open the bleeder screw on top the t stat housing a few turns till a steady stream of coolant comes out the hole, shut the screw, top off the rad. cap it.


done.

This is a good flushing system, Scotty!

About a year a ago I bought the flushing and that seems to work good, also!

Thanks for the well detailed post.

Originally Posted by Frosty

Even better... Have them put their face up to the top hose if they are so sure of themselves.

Exactly......not a bad idea, Lmao! They won't do it though.

tell em to change the thermostat and "upper" hose on a quad4

I would have gotten this wrong. Good to know.

Yes it is