barneyb

Well, if you don't pull the block drain, some coolant is going to stay in the engine. If you run enough garden hose water through the radiator filler opening you will eventually rinse this out put now you have a little tap water in the engine instead. I'd just fill with 50/50 mix.

Buying the premix to me seems silly since you are paying for water. Plus, I like knowing what I'm putting in is mixed with distilled water.

If you are worried about the concentration being thrown off by whatever stays in the block, buy a tester and adjust later to the concentration you want.

Better yet, figure out how to get the block drain out. Then you can till me how to do it.

bbyevo8u

iTrader: (14)

do i fill the radiator to the top? i just took off the cap and looked in my radiator but the antifreeze is not at the top, and the antifreeze is below the low mark in the coolant tank (car is cold) so i'm guessing i need antifreeze badly right, or does the radiator not get filled to the top?

barneyb

The radiator should be full at all times. As the engine heats the coolant expands and moves over to the jug. When the engine is shut down and cools coolant is pulled from the jug to the radiator. So, if the radiator is low either the jug is empty or one of the hoses going to the jug is loose. A bad cap could also cause this.

So, normally the level in the jug should be changing all the time and the level will depend on the temperature of the engine. That is why there are full and low marks on the jug (marks that are far apart). Having the jug too full is not important. The excess will just dump on the ground. An empty jug, however, means you have a less than a fully operational cooling system.

roger smith

iTrader: (4)

You don't have to worry about the coolant in the engine that doesn't drain out. If you are worried about that then just do a drain and fill every 6 months or something. Everytime you drain and fill you'll be draining a half of the stuff you didnt' drain in the previous drain. (example, if you drain and fill 4 times I believe you'll have 94% new fluid if you count the engine as 50% and radiator as 50% of total fluid volume).

When filling up you will want to run your engine so the fan cycles. You will see the fluid level will drop when the fans come on (it is cycling the fluid through the engine). When the fans come and and the level drops just fill up to the top and cap it. It should be okay then.

Then check your overflow tank level after you've driven a few times and fill it to the proper level if it changes.

Then you're done until next change time.

bbyevo8u

iTrader: (14)

^^ ok so your saying fill the radiator up to the top, then start the car with the cap off? and wait until the coolant go's down then fill back up and cap??

thanks guys!

barneyb

Either method works (see my post above). I've done both. The procedure I wrote is from the service manual. With the cap off the coolant may expand enough before the thermostat opens that it will overflow the radiator some before the level goes down. In either case you are running the engine until the thermostat opens and lets the air out trapped below. The cap on method just avoids the mess.

bbyevo8u

iTrader: (14)

thanks but im a little confused, are you saying fill up the radiator then cap it run the engine until warm then open the cap and fill back up??? the anti freeze wont spray everywhere?

barneyb

Yes it will - you could be injured. What I wrote is.........

Idle the engine until the upper hose is hot (thermostat is open). Rev the engine to 3000 rpm several times. Let the car sit until the engine is cold.

Then open the cap and add till full.

bbyevo8u

iTrader: (14)

^^^ ok thanks alot, you tha man!

fanbelted

ok, I'm restarting this thread. I love my Evo and I wanna do right by it. Anyone have pics of what the block drain looks like? Either a pic or a link to a pic or diagram would be great. I don't like the idea of tap water circulating in my engine (from doing the hose flush without removing the block drain).