• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

Draining Coolant Completely

SyntheticShield

SyntheticShield

New member
How would I go about draining all of the coolant out of the system? Heater core, block, etc. If I wanted every drop out, how does one go about doing so?
 


remove all hoses intake manifolds, heads too. turn car upside down, let it all run out :D

lol no really, i'd venture to guess that without either complete disassembly and/or pressurizing with air, you'll not empty the system completely.
 
Toasty said:
remove all hoses intake manifolds, heads too. turn car upside down, let it all run out :D

lol no really, i'd venture to guess that without either complete disassembly and/or pressurizing with air, you'll not empty the system completely.
Click to expand...

I agree. It would be virtually impossible to get rid of all the fluid without total disassembly. You can get probable 75% of the fluid out, but not all of it. And even 75% is pushing it.
 
you can take the hoses off and run straight water from your hose through thatll get the coolantout but you will have most of the coolant out
 
Okay, thanks for the suggestions. I figured there was some sure fire way to get it all out, but I'll just use the suggestions made (short of turning the car upside down) and try and get as much out as I can.
 
i was told to drain all you can from the rad. then add water then run car with heater on full blast and let it run for awhile then drain and repeat a couple times until the water comes out completely clear without any color of the coolant . the big thing is running it with the heater on full blast though !
 


Yeah, I do believe running the heater is the big thing. However I want all the coolant out. No water, no coolant, no nothing, or at least as much as I can.
 
well, this is a very easy way to get the coolant out..but then again, you shouldnt do it unless you have a ****ty shop vac that you want to destroy by sucking coolant through the fan bearings and motor.

but i used a shop vac when i was taking everything apart. cleanest ive ever been when i was doing a rebuild.
 
Bio248 said:
well, this is a very easy way to get the coolant out..but then again, you shouldnt do it unless you have a ****ty shop vac that you want to destroy by sucking coolant through the fan bearings and motor.

but i used a shop vac when i was taking everything apart. cleanest ive ever been when i was doing a rebuild.
Click to expand...


i would surmise that you could use one of those home-made vaccum bucket things with a shop vac and not ruin your shop vac. i know there was a link on here back in december/january outlining the use/construction of such a bucket.
 
SyntheticShield said:
You know, I remember seeing something to that effect. And I just spent $80 on a new wet/dry Shop-Vac so I am in no hurry to mess it up.
Click to expand...


i cant for the life of me find the tread now, but essentially, you need a 5 gallon bucket w/sealing lid, with both a pvc sized fitting for the shop vac hose, and a fitting for some pvc tubing to insert into the cooling system. - also best to have a short length of tubing inside the bucket on the intake side to keep the fluid entering at the bottom of the bucket.

---see poor ms paint drawing---
 

Attachments

  • vaccum tool.JPG
    vaccum tool.JPG
    8.7 KB · Views: 14


My next door neighbor has a cat and buys kitty litter in these 5-gallon buckets and I bet one of those would serve the purpose well. Id just have to find the fittings for it.

I think it was on the other site that I saw a similar set up with pictures. I'll have to see if I saved them to my drive.
 
i'm also seeing reference to pulling the front knock sensor to help remove coolant from the block....
 
Yeah, that I planned on doing, though I think the Water pump and that knock sensor are at about the same level and I will usually pull the lower radiator hose to drain out extra coolant.
 
I used a wet dry vac last night on Drew's cooling system. Scotty you are probably right about the water pump. Drew was holding the vac (small craftsman wet/dry) while I hit the LIM/Tstat housing area and bottom opening of the radiator. When I got to the water pump and started to vacuum coolant from there. He and I were both amazed how much coolant was extracted.
 
IndeedSS said:
I used a wet dry vac last night on Drew's cooling system. Scotty you are probably right about the water pump. Drew was holding the vac (small craftsman wet/dry) while I hit the LIM/Tstat housing area and bottom opening of the radiator. When I got to the water pump and started to vacuum coolant from there. He and I were both amazed how much coolant was extracted.
Click to expand...

Even with all the hoses removed? Did you pull the knock sensor?

What was your process? Were you vacuuming from the Tstat housing and he was doing the same from the water pump? Give me some details, and when I get around to draining mine out I will see what I can come with. I definitely want to build something like Toasty posted though just to spare the poor Shop-Vac.
 


SyntheticShield said:
Even with all the hoses removed? Did you pull the knock sensor?

What was your process? Were you vacuuming from the Tstat housing and he was doing the same from the water pump? Give me some details, and when I get around to draining mine out I will see what I can come with. I definitely want to build something like Toasty posted though just to spare the poor Shop-Vac.
Click to expand...

He was holding the vac because it is a smaller unit and the hose doesn't have much reach.

With the lower radiator hose, radiator cap, thermostat, and thermostat housing removed, I put the vac hose in each of the following loactions; the LIM tstat opening, upper radiator hose, lower radiator hose opening, and the directly to the water pump. I used a damp cloth wrapped around the vac hose to help seal the extraction points. I'm not going to pull the knock sensor, since it's not that important to me. Plus I would have to buy a 7/8 deep walled socket.

When we pull the alternator tonight I'll vacuum out those points as well.

The fluid collected looks to be about 2 - 2.5 gallons, not including what went all over the floor.:th_shakinghead1:
 
If I remember correctly, I believe the cooling system total fill was on the order of 11 - 12 quarts. So you have gotten nearly all of it out if your measuring judgment is close.

I know trannyman is probably going to drive down here and shoot me for saying this, but I think Im just going to put my spare differential back in the tranny just so I can get the car to a point where I can move it around, 'cause Im getting kinda sad looking at it everyday on jack stands, and Im not sure when I am going to have everything together to pull the engine and tranny out. Id be really happy with just the tranny and engine on stands so I could at least tinker with them.

The point though is that I want to get to a point where I can drain all of the coolant I can as I really want to try the Evans coolant and they recommend draining the coolant completely. If I get the tranny and engine out, then its really a mute issue, but if I do it in the car then I would love to know the methods available to get everything out or as much as possible.
 
Understood. I would pull the knock sensor and let you know how much additional coolant came out, but I don't really want to spend the additional time right now. Drews car is taking up my nice warm parking space. This morning, the 24* leather seats in my car were very cold.:(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top