Radiator flush

[tenugent]

Have flushed my cooling system.Removed thermostat and bypassed heatercore at the water pump.After doing this 3 times ,measured drainage after blowing out with shop vac and all I get is a little over 3 gallons.Manual calls for 18 quarts.What am i missing?

[Wayne R]

Yes  i have seen that over the years---ignore it ---it must  be  incorrect,--and i  only  get just over  two and a half gallons  in my 64 Electra.

and that is  same  as you---  bypass my heater  core  as well,----dont require heater where i live, and my car never over heats.

[tenugent]

After more thought,the engine is lower in the back.Im going to jack the car up to where the motor is lower in front,I'll drain and see if I get more fluid that way.Will report back.

[telriv]

Remove the drain plug on each side of the lock.  There is a MINIMUM of 1 1/2 gallons additional.

 

Tom T.

[tenugent]

Thanks Tom,where are they located

[RivNut]

At the bottom of the water jacket in the boss next to the middle freeze plug. There’s one on each side.  On one of my cars, someone replaced the plug with a radiator drain style petcock.  

[tenugent]

Thanks Ed

[Wayne R]

Same here---thanks  Telriv  and Ed----i had forgotten that.

[tenugent]

Pulled side block plugs out,jacked rear of car up to where valve covers were past level (forward).Total fluid removed 3 gallon 85 ounces.Manuel calls for 18 quarts?Heatercore bypassed.

Edited March 25, 2022 by tenugent (see edit history)

[OldGerman]

3 gallons are 12 Quarts. Does the manual refers to the entire cooling system including radiator ? That will maybe add 6 quarts. 

Edited March 25, 2022 by OldGerman (see edit history)

[tenugent]

Measured heatercore 18oz,each heaterhose 8oz.Whith all added up I'm at 4 gal.The reason I'm being so anal about this is I'm replacing fluid with Evan's which calls for no more than 3% water.

 

[RivNut]

Can you hook up you shop vac and suck the rest out?

[tenugent]

I'd like to do that if I knew where it was?Can't find a block diagram to show the low points of the water passages.

[RivNut]

2 minutes ago, tenugent said:

I'd like to do that if I knew where it was?Can't find a block diagram to show the low points of the water passages.

I think the low points are at the bottom of the water jacket where those drain plugs are located.

[tenugent]

Could be Ed,I had both plugs out before jacking back of car up to get the engine leaning forward and didn't get anything out of holes through the whole jacking prosess.Hoping all the total system holds is the 4 gallon I've removed.Thanks Tim

[telriv]

Stick a screwdriver in the holes where the drain plugs came out they are FULL of rust.

 

Tom T.

[tenugent]

Tom stuck the screwdriver in holes,passenger side seems blocked it only went in about 5/16.When I took that side off no fluid came out (no rust on either).The drivers side is about 7/8 deep,fluid came out of it,about 20oz.Its a 425 with a build date 12-d-62.Thanks.Motor was rebuilt about 4000 miles ago.

[tenugent]

33 minutes ago, tenugent said:

Tom stuck the screwdriver in holes,passenger side seems blocked it only went in about 5/16.When I took that side off no fluid came out (no rust on either).The drivers side is about 7/8 deep,fluid came out of it,about 20oz.Its a 425 with a build date 12-d-62.Thanks.Motor was rebuilt about 4000 miles ago.The passenger side hole has something metal blocking hole,not rusty.

 

[telriv]

Hit it harder has Mucho rust build-up. Your not going to hurt anything as you'll be hitting cast iron & UNLESS you poke it really, really hard nothing bad will happen.

Obviously the block wasn't cleaned to well during the rebuild process.

Makes one wonder.

 

Tom T.

[tenugent]

Update,drilled 1/16 hole in passenger side hole.Got 48 ounces of fluid out of that side that puts me in range for new coolant.Thanks for all the help.