I'm looking to change my coolant. However I was warned that I could kill my engine if I stuff it up.

I've never changed it before (on any car), so is it any harder than changing the oil or do I require a special tool to get all air bubbles out?

ooh.. I have an '87 turbo

 

It's really no different to any other car. Use a coolant system flush and follow the directions. Make sure you drain the block as well as the radiator. There's a drain plug at the bottom of the center plate on the spark plug side of the engine.

Once you've flushed the system clean, refill it with a 70/30 mix of water and quality coolant. To make sure all the air is bled from the system as you fill it, leave the radiator cap on and pour the coolant in via the filler cap on top of the thermostat housing. Unscrew the little bleed plug on the side of the top radiator hose connection so the radiator is bled too. Fill the system until it overflows from the radiator bleed hole, then replace the plug and keep filling until it reaches the filler neck. Then start the engine and idle it until there are no air bubbles visable in the filler neck. Replace the cap and you're done.

Don't forget to empty and refill the overflow reservior to the correct level too.

 

I think Kevin and I both recommend a 50/50 or 60/40 mix instead of the 70/30. You really need all the anti-corrosion agents you can get in there.

 

One piece of additional advice. When you buy those coolant flush follow the directions. The specific direction I am talking about is where it says to let the engine cool between steps.

If you just drain it hot and then pour in the cold hose/tap water to complete the next step the temp change will be hard on the system. You can damage your water pump. The seals that seal the shaft from coolant leakage can break causing a leak through the weap hole.

Allowing your system to cool will take a long while. And it will probabaly take at least six hours to do a chem flush.

I believe the steps are:

1. Drain old coolant (RAd/block)
2. Fill system with flush
3. Operate car till thermostat opens then for 10 mins
4. let car COOL
5. drain flush
6. fill with water and repeat 3
7. let car COOL
8. refill car with new coolant/water

Also, consider using distilled water for step 8. You can buy it at the grocery store for less than a buck. Using this water may be better because it has no mineraral content.

I rememeber there was a controversial flush technique that ReTed endorsed. It was different but intresting because that guy really knows what he is talking about.

James

 

thanks for your help guys.

 

adding cold coolant to a hot engine can also mess up your head gasket