Going to be replacing the water pump on my fathers 02 this weekend approx 175K miles. What is the best way to drain/flush all the coolant out and start fresh.
I guess we will just drain the radiator via the drain plug that is on the drivers side the best we can then pull off the water pump and catch everything that comes out when the water pump comes off since coolant spews everywhere when the truck is running. After the new water pump is on, we will fill it with water bring the truck up to temp then drain it again. Repeat this untill fluid comes out clear. Any other tips you can share would be great Thanks

 

Wynns

Seriously, There is no real good way without a flush machine, Theres all types of techniques but its about personal pref. i guess!

 

Attach a piece of tygon tubing to the drain valve nipple so you can route the coolant into a container. This will help to keep it from splashing all over everything.

After you get some coolant out, remove the upper hose from the thermostat and also remove the thermostat. This will help vent the block. Refill through this area too.

Pull the lower hose off to get as much out as possible. This is usually stuck on there pretty good.

Don't forget, the drain valve only turns about 1/4 (?) turn, and then you have to gently pull it out a little. It has an O-ring on it. If it leaks later on, don't freak, just replace the O-ring.

Some other good info here:
http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/maint/3rd_Gen-24v.htm

 

I just flushed all of my conventional coolant and switched to an extended life coolant. I drained the radiator, removed the thermostat, replaced the thermostat housing, remove the upper hose from the radiator. :deep breath: Stick garden hose in radiator where upper hose was, point upper hose away from the fan, turn on garden hose wide open, start truck, turn heater on full, wait..............., shut off truck, shut off garden hose, repeat with distilled water, remove lower hose from radiator, let radiator and block drain, reinstall hoses, reinstall thermostat, pour 1 gallon of concentrated coolant in radiator, continue filling with 50/50 coolant and distilled water, start truck, turn heater on full, fill radiator with 50/50, allow engine to reach operating temp, reinstall radiator cap, go for a quick spin, take a gallon of 50/50 with you to top off as needed, check coolant level the next few times you drive.

 

Don't forget to remove the radiator and intercooler when you do this. You'llbe surprised how much crud is built up on them from the oil weeping out of the puke bottle. Removing and cleaning them will probably make more of a diffrence than new or better coolant.

Do a search. There's a few folks with pics on here of some really nasty looking radiators.

 

Thanks for the tips guys, we will be doing this on saturday

 

I use Dawn dishwashing liquid or Cascade & fill it, let it sit, then remove the thermostat & lower radiator hose. I heard of a guy saying that CLR works best, but haven't tried that.

 

You should definatley pull the radiator and clean out between it and the intercooler. It is very easy to do, and you have a good opportunity since you are going this far anyway.

 

The water pump is the lowest point in the cooling system. If you can get the nose of the truck down enough (or the back high enough) that the valve cover is tilted down in the front, you can get eveything out of the system. Disconnect a heater hose and backflush through the heater core. this will clean the system very well.

 

Leaving the cap on and using the petcock to drain the system will get alot of the coolant out. Takes awile, and if it's a 4x4 just use a 5 gallon bucket. You'll need it.


......and I've done three of these in a week and a half for the complaint of: runs hot pulling grades. Unfortunately one guy already had another shop install a t-stat, clutch fan, and even a h2o pump.





Most of the time the breather bottle will cause this, but I have had a couple that a failed timing cover gasket caused it too.