Pulled from the mailing list archives, originally posted by Joel Blanchette:
---------------------
Well, I just did it a week ago. What is a "flush kit"? This is what I did:
1) Let the car cool and do the usual battery disconnection (negative
terminal) that's always recommended when you're under the hood. Remove the
plastic lower shield that covers the bottom ot the radiator. It has
something like 8 screws. You might want to put the car on jackstands to be
able to get under there, but it isn't absolutely necessary.
2) Set up a container that can hold all the old coolant, about 5.5 quarts
(check that number first).
3) Mix yourself a 50/50 mix of ethelyne glycol and water.
4) Remove the cap from the expansion tank. Then remove the radiator drain
plug from the driver's right side of the radiator. This sounds easy but
it's the hardest part of the procedure. There is very little room to work
in, and the plug is a rubber screw, very easy to strip the head, use a
really big bit. Somebody here mentioned they remove a hose to drain the
fluid because of these difficulties, but I wouldn't know which hose to
remove.
5) Let the fluid drain out into your container. Label the container as
super-hazardous and put it out of reach of pets and children.
6) Flush the system by using a hose to pour water into the expansion tank.
I've read to let it flow until the water is clear, but it was dark when I
did my flush (it's dark at 2am, and Snake Lights are very useful tools) so
it was hard to tell. I just let it go for about 5 minutes, and took a
sample of the drained water, and it was clear.
7) Put the radiator drain plug back in, I found this easier than removal for
some reason.
8) SLOWLY pour your 50/50 mix into the expansion tank until it reaches the
MAX line. If you pour too quickly, you'll get an air bubble in the system
which could cause overheating problems. Put the cap back on tightly
afterwards.
9) Start the car and let it idle until it reaches normal operating
temperature. Check to see if the fluid is still at the MAX line in the
tank. If it has dropped, stop the engine, let it cool, and add more coolant
as necessary to reach the MAX line.
10) If it overheats, let it cool completely (overnight) and see if that
corrects it. It could just be an air bubble trapped in the system.
11) Put the radiator lower shield back on. It has some clips at the front.
I still haven't been able to get mine back on. I think I'll get my wife to
hold it in place because I don't have enough arms.
This information is from personal experience and the Haynes manual. It's
really not very difficult, evin in the dark at 2am. The only thing I had a
hard time with was getting the drain plug out. That's a new low in odd
design choices. I'm betting even the service techs at a Ford dealership
have a hard time with them.
Again, what is a flush kit? Does it have
some chemical cleaners in it? Or is it just some coolant and a funnel or
something? Because unless you have a serious corrosion problem in your rad,
a funnel (if you don't have one already) and coolant is all you really need.
If I left anything out, please correct me.
Joel
