Radiator Drain Plug?

[kramocramed]

I want to flush my radiator and put some new collant in. I'm at 59,000 miles.

Anyway, is this the plug that I turn? I want to be sure before I pull out any tools. Forgive my newbishness.

 

[exbass94]

Yes, that's the one.

 

[kramocramed]

Are the precedures the same as an oil change basically? Minus the new filter.

Take off top cap.
Drain old collant from bottom plug
Use a hose to further flush it? (read this somewhere I think)
Put bottom plug back on
Fill with collant until it's full to the top cap.
Replace top cap.

Correct?

 

[stmitch]

You should also be careful about getting all of the air out of the system. If you have air pockets, they can cause you to overheat.

 

[88_Eddie]

yeah, there's a kit you can get from autozone for $7 or $8 that you can use to flush it as well.

 

[Rearanger]

I don't know if Ford has upgraded that plug since my 2003. If not be careful because you can break the plug very easily, as I did. Advance Auto has a fix it one to replace, which seems to be a better design than the OEM.

 

[mixwell]

I would advise getting the flush kit @ Autozone.. It's no more than $10.. I'm doing a flush this weekend also.. By backflush you get everything out not just the radiator.. To me that drain plug was crap and slow.. Also remember the cap doesn't come off all the way, it gets to an open point and then that's it.. I usually drop the lower radiator hose because I'm impatient..

 

[Rearanger]

I would advise getting the flush kit @ Autozone..

If you mean the Prestone Kit that uses a garden hose adapter installed inline in the heater hose then I would recommend against it. The adapter is plastic and can produce a leak point from the plastic cap - as mine did. It's also a big hassle collecting and properly disposing of all the water/anti-freeze mix.

At 59k and 3 years he doesn't have much in the way of deposits in the system if he has the original coolant, or the proper mix. Consider doing as I do and just drain the rad once per year and replace with a 5 year 50/50 mix. I buy Walmart's. I also add a proportionate amount of Prestone additive to help lub the water pump.

 

[McCormack]

Warm up the engine and then drain as much coolant as possible via the radiator petcock, then stick a garden hose in the filler neck and start the engine and run the engine until the water overflowing out of the filler neck comes out clear. Shut off the engine and let the radiator drain, close the petcock and fill with 50/50 antifreeze mix.

It's only on vehicles who's engine's head(s) are the highest point of the cooling system that you have to worry about air pockets (and those types of vehicles will usually have some type of coolant system bleeder valve on their engines), so you don't have to worry about cooling system air pockets on Ranger trucks.

 

[locovaca]

If you mean the Prestone Kit that uses a garden hose adapter installed inline in the heater hose then I would recommend against it. The adapter is plastic and can produce a leak point from the plastic cap - as mine did.

x2. My Dad put one on my sister's Taurus and it was leaking after only a year or so.

 

[Rearanger]

x2. My Dad put one on my sister's Taurus and it was leaking after only a year or so.

I found the standard hose washer failed quickly. I put a good quality o-ring in it's place and that has held, but I'm always checking and suspecting a leak. I also replaced the plastic cap with a brass one.

 

[Big Jim M]

What?

Warm up the engine and then drain as much coolant as possible via the radiator petcock, then stick a garden hose in the filler neck and start the engine and run the engine until the water overflowing out of the filler neck comes out clear. Shut off the engine and let the radiator drain, close the petcock and fill with 50/50 antifreeze mix.

It's only on vehicles who's engine's head(s) are the highest point of the cooling system that you have to worry about air pockets (and those types of vehicles will usually have some type of coolant system bleeder valve on their engines), so you don't have to worry about cooling system air pockets on Ranger trucks.

I have found our Rangers to be among the hardest of all vehicles to fill with coolant! One must know to have the vehicle level or better yet with the radiator higher than the rest of the vehicle.. AND then one must know to turn the heater on and fill till hot coolant is flowing thru the system.
Many ranger engines have been ruint from under filling.
Take your time and be SURE the system is completely full.
Big JIm

 

[kramocramed]

Awesome, thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[McCormack]

I have found our Rangers to be among the hardest of all vehicles to fill with coolant! One must know to have the vehicle level or better yet with the radiator higher than the rest of the vehicle.. AND then one must know to turn the heater on and fill till hot coolant is flowing thru the system.
Many ranger engines have been ruint from under filling.
Take your time and be SURE the system is completely full.

Yes, Rangers aren't unique in that you should have the heater on when refilling with coolant, and that you should run the engine for awhile and keep topping off the radiator until it's full - with some exceptions that's how it's done in just about every other make of vehicle.

I've done various projects to my Ranger and have emptied and refilled the cooling system many times, and the procedure has been no more difficult than I've experience on the many other vehicles I've owned through the years, so I think there's some exaggerating going on with the claim that many Ranger engines have been "ruint" from under filling. Perhaps you could supply us with some documentation for that wild claim.

 

[Big Jim M]

Sure I can!

Yes, Rangers aren't unique in that you should have the heater on when refilling with coolant, and that you should run the engine for awhile and keep topping off the radiator until it's full - with some exceptions that's how it's done in just about every other make of vehicle.

I've done various projects to my Ranger and have emptied and refilled the cooling system many times, and the procedure has been no more difficult than I've experience on the many other vehicles I've owned through the years, so I think there's some exaggerating going on with the claim that many Ranger engines have been "ruint" from under filling. Perhaps you could supply us with some documentation for that wild claim.

My OWN son did a radiator flush and afterwards burnt his head gaskets. The reason? He didn't know to turn the heater on.. So he had a huge air pocket and that air was right there in the heads.
I'd bet a large part of my inheritance on low coolant being the cause of most if not all headgasket and head failures.
BTW Most other vehicles I see today have a constant coolant flow thru the heater core. Heat is applied by opening a air flow gate in the system. I don't know of any others that actually shut the flow of coolant off and on.
Big Jim