coolant

Edmond · 09-04-02, 08:54 PM

I was thinking about changing the coolant in the reservoir. Getting a flush is pretty much out of the question because I don't want to pay anyone to do anything to the Vette' unless it's the last resort.

How much coolant, percentage wise, will I change if I just do the reservoir? Will that help any? My coolant temp. is normal @194 during non-highway driving. I just want to do some routine maintanence.

Thanks,

vettl83 · 09-05-02, 01:39 AM

Edmond, if your talking about the overflow reservoir under your girl friends side headlight, only about half a gallon. I'd get a flush kit and two gallons of new antifreeze, drain the old (via plastic plug at the bottom right outboard side of the radiator) drain, flush, and refill with 50/50 mix of new antifreeze. Should be done every two to three years according to my friends that own radiator shops. The alternative is R&R radiator for a rodding job, now that gets expensive. Good luck 84 CF 91 ZR-1

rdgfx3 · 09-05-02, 04:49 AM

Man,you MUST flush your radiator.
1988 model?Flush it.Ya gotta.It's not hard.

How are your hoses?(I'm afraid to know)

This is your car_

This is your car if you don't take care of it

Routine maintenance includes flushing the cooling system and replacing the aging coolant.If you don't it's gonna be

soon

09-05-02, 07:18 AM

I just got through flushing the system in my '88. I tried draining, filling, draining, filling,...... and it just didn't get anywhere. You need to raise the car and find the center bottom of the block just above the oil pan. There will either be a drain plug or a connection for the oil cooler. Whichever it is, remove it to more completely drain the system. Also, of course, loosen the radiator drain at the lower, passenger side radiator tank.

Drain and fill this way several times until water is coming out clear. Remove the overflow tank and clean it out as best you can after everything else is flushed.

As rdgfx3 said, check all hoses, etc. before refilling. The system takes 14 quarts, so 7 quarts of antifreeze should go in, then top off with water. You will have to run the engine at idle until the thermostat opens to get it topped off, and even then the low coolant will probably come on when driving it for the first time. So, cool it off after that drive, remove the cap, and top off.

Also, don't use DexCool, it has been known to gel and cause problems, use regular ethylene glycol antifreeze.

Good luck,

rrubel · 09-05-02, 07:55 AM

The knock sensor (lower right side, above the exhaust and not far from the starter) is also a drain point. Don't ask me how I know this one

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Edmond · 09-05-02, 08:00 AM

But I swear that someone told me that flushes aren't good for higher mileage vehicles. I have 92,000 on a 14 year old car, is that high mileage?

Vettelt193 · 09-05-02, 08:45 AM

there are people that believe in the if it aint broke, don't fix it theory... people believe that the crapola in cooling systems may be plugging a leak, or just holding things together, and by flushing it will make things worse.... I feel if you flush it, and get a leak (which hardly ever happens) then the leak would have happened very soon anyway.

rrubel · 09-05-02, 11:54 AM

One bad thing about flushing the system on an older car is that it can dislodge crud that will get caught elsewhere and possibly (probably) block something important. I speak from experience - a week after flushing the radiator on my 89 Subaru with almost 100k miles, it plugged up and overheated. The shop that rebuilt the engine (turbo, overheat, and aluminum heads don't mix) looked at the radiator and said that the blockage was most likely caused by something the flushing had dragged out.

Their suggestion was to either have left it alone, or flush it *again* a couple days after the first one.

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