How many gallons needed to drain and refill on a 2003?

 

When I flush my system I believe I use 3 gals of antifreeze along with 3 gals of distilled water. Let system go through a heat cycle and check...will probably take another 1/2 gal or more.

 

That's about right. I usually have a full bottle of 50/50 left over when I do mine.

 

If you had 100% of all the coolant out of the system it takes just over seven gallons. The capacity is 29.5 qts which includes the reservoir.

 

What is the easiest way to get all the coolant drained?

 

Remove the lower radiator hose, and one of the heater hoses from the back of the head.

If your apt to it, may as well change all the hoses out, including the one on the side of the engine, just under the turbo (be a foil wrapped hose), the t-stat and the water pump (can get them new from Cummins, or NAPA).

 

Not wanting to do a bunch of needless work or spend needless money. Just changing antifreeze. So how much comes out when lower radiator hose and heater hose disconnected?

 

Bout another 1/2 gallon.

 

Also turn the heater to hot and flush with a water hose until you know all the old antifreeze is out. Then flush with distilled water. Put in 3.5 gallons of anitfreeze, then finish filling with distilled water, you will then have the correct 50/50 mix

Take out the plug in the top of the head next to the thermostat before filling, fill until the antifreeze comes out of the hole then reinstall the plug and finish filling. This will make sure that you do not trap up to a gallon of air in the engine. The air is difficult get out any other way and if there will cause heating problems.

The correct antifreeze is HOAT, do not go by color. Zerex G-05 is cheaper than MOPAR, Zerex is light yellow and MOPAR is red. Ford and Mercedes also have it. NAPA can get it if not in stock.

 

I just did mine this past weekend. I found that I got 6 gallons out by parking the truck pointing downhill. I filled the rad with 2 gallons of coolant and 2 gallons of distilled water. Then I spun the truck around so it was pointing uphill. Then I could get another 2 gallons in it by repeatedly squeezing the upper rad hose.
Another trick I came up with was I took and old section of radiator hose and put it over the fill neck. That effectively raised the fill neck height and by filing to the top of that hose, it made the system take the coolant faster since the top of the engine sits higher than the radiator.