How exactly do I flush the radiator? Just open the drainer and let it drain then fill it back up again? How many gallons of coolant will I need? Is that pre mixed dexcool approved stuff ok?

 

There should be a plug underneath the radiator that you use to drain to the coolent. One bottle of coolent should be good. If by dexcool you mean the red coolent then DON"T USE IT. The red coolent is made for aluminum engines. Use the green stuff.

 

Isnt there a machine at the lube shop that actually forces pressured water through the radiator to clean out any build up? Or does it just simply drain and refill?

 

you could probably just use a garden hose

 

You can. I just did it....

You get a 'flush kit' from the local hardware store. You cut the coolAnt line going from the heater core to the water pump, and you put this thing on. It is a tee fitting that has an attachment for a garden hoe, and a cap to screw in when you are done. Then you remove the rad cap, and put a garbage bag over the hole. Then attach it with an elastic band or string or something. Drape the garbage bag over the front of the car and cut a hole in the bottom. Screw in the garden hose and start the engine. Turn on the garden hose and wait until everything coming out of the garbage bag is clear, and congradulations, you have reverse fushed your coolant system the proper way.

 

In the shop manual they claim you should drain the coolant out. Then fill the system with water, run the engine. Drain the water out. Continue to do this until the water is mostly clean. Then fill with coolant.
-Greg

 

That doesnt get all the scaling off the inside, because the coolant is still going the same way. Though it is better for the environment to drain the coolant and fill with water before doing the procedure I wrote out..

 

Back in the 80's before the earth was so sensitive to anti-freeze i would open the valve at the bottom of the radiator and put a garden hose in the top hole of the radiator running just fast enough to keep the radiator full. Run the engine this way until the water coming out of the bottom of the radiator valve would look fairly clear. Just be sure that the water is going in fast enough. Because at first the thermostat is not open so there is no water circulating and when it opens it starts sucking water out of the radiator from the bottom hose.

 

There will be plenty of crap left in the radiator, after a primative reverse-flush. You live in New York, not in some boonie town north of the Arctic Circle. Pull the thing, and take it to a real radiator shop. They will soak it, pressure-test it, and braze or solder any possible leaks.

Seth