Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
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From: Los Angeles , California
Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
well i made a Write-up on how to flush your radiator cause i notice some people don't know how to do such a simple job like so here it goes.
sorry for the blurry pics
step1
pen your hood and take off the radiator cap off
step2:take off the drain plug
step3:if your water came out dirty than it's a good idea to clean it with your water hoses and let the the dirty stuff come out.once it's clean put the plug back on.
step4k get 50/50 mix antifreeze (needs 1 gallons but get 2 to be sure), and pour it in (it's a good idea to use a funnel)
step5nce you pour the antifreeze in start up the car and leave the top off so the air bubbles can come out
and turn on the heater to the fullest so the thermostat can open faster
or you can loosen that bolt to allow air to come out. which located next to the head
step6 : once the thermostat opens put a nice cap on and you done!
sorry for the blurry pics
step1
pen your hood and take off the radiator cap offstep2:take off the drain plug
step3:if your water came out dirty than it's a good idea to clean it with your water hoses and let the the dirty stuff come out.once it's clean put the plug back on.
step4
k get 50/50 mix antifreeze (needs 1 gallons but get 2 to be sure), and pour it in (it's a good idea to use a funnel)step5
nce you pour the antifreeze in start up the car and leave the top off so the air bubbles can come out and turn on the heater to the fullest so the thermostat can open faster
or you can loosen that bolt to allow air to come out. which located next to the head
step6 : once the thermostat opens put a nice cap on and you done!
Thread Starter
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,343
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles , California
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 472
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From: Stockbridge GA
Re: Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
I was looking for this very thing yesterday and I couldnt find one on the site. Call me a dummy all you want but I didnt know you had to do anything with the heat controls.
Props man.
Props man.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 547
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Re: Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
You turn the heat on so the coolant will circulate thru the heater core. You should also keep the cap off for a little bit to get some air bubbles to percolate to the top. If you have air in the system, it causes a false reading causing your temp gauge to spike up.
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From: I am Tyson
Re: Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
Or just bleed the system properly after you're done with the bleeder screw...
The OP nicely illustrated this step with a close up of the bleeder screw. Lol
The OP nicely illustrated this step with a close up of the bleeder screw. Lol
B*a*n*n*e*d
Joined: Nov 2010
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Re: Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
Good for nubes, here are some posative additions.
There is a kit that locates a " t " fitting in the heater core line. By adding this t fitting you can hook a hose to the vehicle and flush the entire system. Most of the crap collected in the water system will settle in the bottom of the blocks outter cylinder walls or the heater core. And done per the instructions on the t fitting kit you can rinse the whole system but make sure the heater is in the full hot position so it will also flush the heater core.
Simply draining and flushing the radiator is a better idea than none as when antifreeze hit a certain age it become acidic and will start to eat the engine and gaskets from the inside out. Draining the heater core simply by leaving you controls on full hot, draining and rinsing the radiator and pulling the drain plug on the block itself will replace enough of the fluid to re start your antifreeze aging process. With that said the t fitting kit will help push some of the crap that settled out.
The block holds alot of water and knowing that age of the fluid is a factor not draining the block is kind of like using 2 quarts of new oil and 1.5 of used in your oil change, it helps but go the extra .5 mile by pulling the block plug and opening the heaters hot valve. The extra mile would be the t fitting kit.
Funny fact..... Caddies say after a flush to add stop leak as normal maintenance, they must feel real strongly about the strength of their head gaskets. Almost as funny as dodge having a motor with a " tolerance " for a crack in the head.
Most hondas as they were before mods commonly eat head gaskets and some of the mating surface just by someone leaving the antifreeze in to long. Heater hoses, heater core, bypass valve, radiator etc..... all abused by this chemical change.
Brake fluid is similar, if not changed out periodicly it will collect water, get filled with contaminates, function poorly and rot the entire system.
Be patient burping the air out of the water system as a trapped steam pocket can " push" out a gasket. It would likely be a weakened gasket but one that would have lasted longer burped properly.
There is a kit that locates a " t " fitting in the heater core line. By adding this t fitting you can hook a hose to the vehicle and flush the entire system. Most of the crap collected in the water system will settle in the bottom of the blocks outter cylinder walls or the heater core. And done per the instructions on the t fitting kit you can rinse the whole system but make sure the heater is in the full hot position so it will also flush the heater core.
Simply draining and flushing the radiator is a better idea than none as when antifreeze hit a certain age it become acidic and will start to eat the engine and gaskets from the inside out. Draining the heater core simply by leaving you controls on full hot, draining and rinsing the radiator and pulling the drain plug on the block itself will replace enough of the fluid to re start your antifreeze aging process. With that said the t fitting kit will help push some of the crap that settled out.
The block holds alot of water and knowing that age of the fluid is a factor not draining the block is kind of like using 2 quarts of new oil and 1.5 of used in your oil change, it helps but go the extra .5 mile by pulling the block plug and opening the heaters hot valve. The extra mile would be the t fitting kit.
Funny fact..... Caddies say after a flush to add stop leak as normal maintenance, they must feel real strongly about the strength of their head gaskets. Almost as funny as dodge having a motor with a " tolerance " for a crack in the head.
Most hondas as they were before mods commonly eat head gaskets and some of the mating surface just by someone leaving the antifreeze in to long. Heater hoses, heater core, bypass valve, radiator etc..... all abused by this chemical change.
Brake fluid is similar, if not changed out periodicly it will collect water, get filled with contaminates, function poorly and rot the entire system.
Be patient burping the air out of the water system as a trapped steam pocket can " push" out a gasket. It would likely be a weakened gasket but one that would have lasted longer burped properly.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 5,191
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From: Portland, OR, USA
Re: Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
nice write up! rwdsohcef speaks the truth... i know from experience. non bled cooling system plus ebay headgasket = wasted money.
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 372
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From: In ThE hEaT
Re: Write-up : how to flush your radiator (with pics)
Good for nubes, here are some posative additions.
There is a kit that locates a " t " fitting in the heater core line. By adding this t fitting you can hook a hose to the vehicle and flush the entire system. Most of the crap collected in the water system will settle in the bottom of the blocks outter cylinder walls or the heater core. And done per the instructions on the t fitting kit you can rinse the whole system but make sure the heater is in the full hot position so it will also flush the heater core.
Simply draining and flushing the radiator is a better idea than none as when antifreeze hit a certain age it become acidic and will start to eat the engine and gaskets from the inside out. Draining the heater core simply by leaving you controls on full hot, draining and rinsing the radiator and pulling the drain plug on the block itself will replace enough of the fluid to re start your antifreeze aging process. With that said the t fitting kit will help push some of the crap that settled out.
The block holds alot of water and knowing that age of the fluid is a factor not draining the block is kind of like using 2 quarts of new oil and 1.5 of used in your oil change, it helps but go the extra .5 mile by pulling the block plug and opening the heaters hot valve. The extra mile would be the t fitting kit.
Funny fact..... Caddies say after a flush to add stop leak as normal maintenance, they must feel real strongly about the strength of their head gaskets. Almost as funny as dodge having a motor with a " tolerance " for a crack in the head.
Most hondas as they were before mods commonly eat head gaskets and some of the mating surface just by someone leaving the antifreeze in to long. Heater hoses, heater core, bypass valve, radiator etc..... all abused by this chemical change.
Brake fluid is similar, if not changed out periodicly it will collect water, get filled with contaminates, function poorly and rot the entire system.
Be patient burping the air out of the water system as a trapped steam pocket can " push" out a gasket. It would likely be a weakened gasket but one that would have lasted longer burped properly.
There is a kit that locates a " t " fitting in the heater core line. By adding this t fitting you can hook a hose to the vehicle and flush the entire system. Most of the crap collected in the water system will settle in the bottom of the blocks outter cylinder walls or the heater core. And done per the instructions on the t fitting kit you can rinse the whole system but make sure the heater is in the full hot position so it will also flush the heater core.
Simply draining and flushing the radiator is a better idea than none as when antifreeze hit a certain age it become acidic and will start to eat the engine and gaskets from the inside out. Draining the heater core simply by leaving you controls on full hot, draining and rinsing the radiator and pulling the drain plug on the block itself will replace enough of the fluid to re start your antifreeze aging process. With that said the t fitting kit will help push some of the crap that settled out.
The block holds alot of water and knowing that age of the fluid is a factor not draining the block is kind of like using 2 quarts of new oil and 1.5 of used in your oil change, it helps but go the extra .5 mile by pulling the block plug and opening the heaters hot valve. The extra mile would be the t fitting kit.
Funny fact..... Caddies say after a flush to add stop leak as normal maintenance, they must feel real strongly about the strength of their head gaskets. Almost as funny as dodge having a motor with a " tolerance " for a crack in the head.
Most hondas as they were before mods commonly eat head gaskets and some of the mating surface just by someone leaving the antifreeze in to long. Heater hoses, heater core, bypass valve, radiator etc..... all abused by this chemical change.
Brake fluid is similar, if not changed out periodicly it will collect water, get filled with contaminates, function poorly and rot the entire system.
Be patient burping the air out of the water system as a trapped steam pocket can " push" out a gasket. It would likely be a weakened gasket but one that would have lasted longer burped properly.
QFT
nice newb write up however
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