OK guys... this will be my first time changing the coolant on my car (in fact, the first time doing any real matinence work on my car). My coolant basically looks like turd water so I figure now is as good as time as any to change it. I've searched the board and found lots of topics on this, but I am still kind of intimidated being the first time I am gonna work on the car myself. Thus, I decided to have some of you guys tell me if I am doing everything right/wrong or if you have some advice or something else I might need to get the job done.

Here's a rundown of what I have and what I am planning to do:

Materials:

2 radiator hoses, upper and lower
2 hose clamps
radiator cap
water outlet (pn 84832 -- I think this is also called a waterneck, correct?)
water outlet gasket
RTV silicone gasket sealer
180* thermostat
Prestone Super Radiator Flush
1 gallon antifreeze

Procedure:

1. Add radiator flush and drive car around for 10-15 minutes with heater on high.

2. Let car cool for about an hour.

3. Raise car on stands.

4. Put pan under radiator and unplug drainage plug at bottom of radiator.

5. Remove engine drain plugs.

6. Remove upper hose, water outlet and heater hose.

7. Run water through radiator and thermostat hole from a garden hose until water is clear.

8. Replace thermostat and gasket and install thermostat housing.

9. Replace hoses.

10. Add 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and distilled water to radiator.

11. Top off the plastic tank with the heater running.


That's pretty much what I took from both the boards and my Haynes manual.

If any of you guys have any suggestions or advice, please share! If this looks good, I hope to have the coolant changed tomorrow (gotta work a 12-hour shift at work today... bleh).

Thanks again.

(P.S. - Is one gallon of radiator fluid going to be enough for this whole job? The Haynes manual says I need 17.2 quarts. )

 

the one thing I will add is that one gallon will not be enough to refill your system. keep in mind that there are four quarts in a gallon, so for 17 quarts you will need about 4.5 gallons. I would also use the antifreeze that is premixed at 50/50. good luck

 

Does this procedure look correct or am I doing something I shouldn't?

 

If you are going that far why not add Dexcool, the newer long life coolant. It is superior to conventional coolant. One major thing after a flush, get a package of either GM sealing tablets or use the powered Bars leak when refilling. If you do that you will reduce the likelyhood of replacing the water pump in a couple of weeks. Most domestic cars come factory filled with Bars leak. When you flush the system you remove agents that lube the pump and protect the seals. Prestone also has a little gadget that hooks up to the heater hose and lets you attach a garden hose so you can back flush as well. Don't forget to coat the thermostat housing bolts with rtv or liquid teflon sealer. Aluminum housings usually get torqued to around 10-12 ft/lbs. You will hear some complaints about Dexcool, but that's only in cases where too much water is added or the system develops a leak. I converted my 89 when it was first introduced and it's an excellent way to prolong the interval between changes. Otherwise you seem to have all the bases covered.

 

Ok, I got about half-way through the process (where I replace the waterneck) and got stuck on something that I wasn't expecting.

Apparently on the original waterneck, there is what appears to be a sensor of some sort and a vacuum system with two vacuum hoses coming off of it. I tried to take them off but they proved too difficult to remove and I broke the part of the vacuum system that allows the vacuum hoses to connect to it.

The waterneck that I purchased looks exactly like the one that was on there originally, minus the sensor and vacuum. The box came with a waterneck and two small plugs that screw into the waterneck itself.

At first I was just going to plug them up but I am really inexperienced with this stuff so I figured I'd ask before I just disregard two things I have no idea about (they have to be on there for some reason, right?).

EDIT: After doing a search, the best I could come up with is that the hoses were something called the TVS and the sensor is the CTS. However, I still don't know what they are or what they do. Can someone please explain?

 

You must put them into the empty places on the new housing. The CTS is the coolant temp sensor. It feeds coolant temp to the computer or ECM for proper engine operation. The other gadget I am not sure of, it sounds like a temperature operated vacuum switch. Both items will need to be put back into the new housing. The CTS is cheap, I usually just replace it. The other item you'll need to check with the parts store.

 

Both of them are basically impossible to remove from the old waterneck, so I guess I will have to just buy new parts.

Thanks again.