Coolant change with pump?

[VicMatson]

Just bought an 8 dollar pump and changed my tranny fluid out, worked great!

Now I want to try the coolant through the filler, will it work, or are there obstructions (fins)that would prevent it?

I can't get under the car because of an accident.

 

[KB2008X]

What year, make and model of car is it ?

How many miles on the car ?

Keith

 

[VicMatson]

Sorry, I thought the question would be the same for all Rollas,but it's a 98 with ~270,000 miles on the beast.

 

[tomcat27]

unless I am missing something, I dont think you will be able to get much coolant out of the radiator - specially if the cap is in the center, like my yota.

 

[Donald]

A long time ago when the radiators were brass and part of the radiator was the expansion area, you probably could have. But thanks to the modern miracles of plastic, no more in most cases.

Can you reach down from inside. Open the petcock, pull a lower hose?

We may need to see pictures of this accident beast.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: VicMatson
Just bought an 8 dollar pump and changed my tranny fluid out, worked great!

Now I want to try the coolant through the filler, will it work, or are there obstructions (fins)that would prevent it?

I can't get under the car because of an accident.


If you only pumped out via the dipstick you only got out about 1/3 of the ATF (it varies upon ratio of pan to total).

 

[VicMatson]

Originally Posted By: Donald
A long time ago when the radiators were brass and part of the radiator was the expansion area, you probably could have. But thanks to the modern miracles of plastic, no more in most cases.

Can you reach down from inside. Open the petcock, pull a lower hose?

We may need to see pictures of this accident beast.


I'll try, but don't think so. It may be out of reach, but by getting hit by a car it causes pain to do normal gymnastics. But I do have pills for that, but they make me drowsy so I can't drive. Then it's nap time!

The lower hose is out of the question.

 

[VicMatson]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: VicMatson
Just bought an 8 dollar pump and changed my tranny fluid out, worked great!

Now I want to try the coolant through the filler, will it work, or are there obstructions (fins)that would prevent it?

I can't get under the car because of an accident.


If you only pumped out via the dipstick you only got out about 1/3 of the ATF (it varies upon ratio of pan to total).
Yea, I know, but according to the manual the approved method is to take the plug out of the bottom and recover about 2 and a half quarts, about the same amount as I got using the dip stick pump.

 

[LeakySeals]

Use the plastic drain plug located at the bottom of the radiator. Much much easier than what your trying to do. And you get gunk off the bottom of the radiator which is a good thing.

Only use Toyota Red Concentrate mixed with distilled water!!!DO NOT substitute. Once you mix the concentrate with distilled 50/50 you end up with 2 gallons which is not that expensive.

Jack up car via support cross member just enough to get a gallon plastic milk bottle under the radiator drain. Open the radiator cap. Slowly open the radiator drain at bottom (its only hand tight) till it starts to pour out. Takes about 20 mins, approx 4.5 qts (of 6 total). Close the valve, let it down.

Fill with Toyota Red you mixed 50/50 with distilled until radiator is full. Start the car. Add some more till it starts to overflow then quickly put the cap on before the engine heats up. Your done. Top off the expansion tank in a couple days.

 

[VicMatson]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Use the plastic drain plug located at the bottom of the radiator. Much much easier than what your trying to do. And you get gunk off the bottom of the radiator which is a good thing.

Only use Toyota Red Concentrate mixed with distilled water!!!DO NOT substitute. Once you mix the concentrate with distilled 50/50 you end up with 2 gallons which is not that expensive.

Jack up car via support cross member just enough to get a gallon plastic milk bottle under the radiator drain. Open the radiator cap. Slowly open the radiator drain at bottom (its only hand tight) till it starts to pour out. Takes about 20 mins, approx 4.5 qts (of 6 total). Close the valve, let it down.

Fill with Toyota Red you mixed 50/50 with distilled until radiator is full. Start the car. Add some more till it starts to overflow then quickly put the cap on before the engine heats up. Your done. Top off the expansion tank in a couple days.
Thats the real way of doing it, and have done it many times like that, but if you read my posts, I can't anymore. One day I was standing on a sidewalk, them bam, a car hit me causing more damage that I want to get into here.

Actually, I used to do a triple play, using a lift I drained the oil. trans fluid, and the coolant at the same time. Then after letting the car down filled all three. The first time I did it a mechanic laughed and said you just saved 150 bucks in fifteen minutes!

Anyway if I can't find a suitable work around I'll have to pay someone to do it. Thats when my prides takes a hit, because I don't trust all lot of shops.

 

[LeakySeals]

I'm sorry about that. As long as you don't damage/bend the radiator fins with the insert, using the pump should be fine.

 

[KB2008X]

Hey Vic, don’t expect to get much out trying to suction the upper tank of that little radiator, you’ll get maybe a quart to a quart and a half - which is probably 10% of the system capacity. If I were in your situation this is what I would do.

Take off the upper radiator hose at the radiator and at the thermostat housing. Remove the thermostat housing and the thermostat. Protect the electric fan motor on the radiator and the distributor and wires - we don’t want to soak those with coolant. Crank the engine over to pump some more coolant out. If the engine starts that’s OK, but there is no need to let it run more than a few seconds as it will quickly stop pumping coolant out.

Reinstall the thermostat, thermostat housing and the radiator hose. Make sure the stat goes in the right way – spring into the engine. And this is critical, be sure that the little hole in the stat is at the 12 o’clock position when you reinstall the stat. If you have any question about that, ask and I’ll try to clarify.

Fill the radiator with your 50/50 mix of coolant/distilled water. Fill it slowwwwly so that the air in the engine and the radiator has time to work it’s way out. Stop filling when the coolant is one inch from the top of radiator neck. Be sure the side tank has been drained and refilled with the 50/50 mix.

Start the engine and add 50/50 mix as needed to maintain the level at one inch from the top of radiator neck. You may need to add some right away, or not. Squeeze the upper radiator hose repeatedly as that can help push some of the air out. If there is a big pocket of air behind the thermostat it’s possible that the stat will not open because it is not submerged in coolant. If that happens you’ll have an overheating issue pretty quickly, but it is a rare occurrence. Once the coolant level has stabilized fill the radiator to the top and put the cap on. Turn the heater on in the car, keep an eye on the temp gage and make sure the cooling fan comes on. Squeeze that hose a few more times. If everything is OK then drive it. The next day, before you start the engine, double check the side tank level and the level in the radiator.

Keith

 

[VicMatson]

A quart and a half is fine, because it's fast and easy! I had a flush done a few years ago, so I'm just looking keep turning over the coolant for it's corrosive protection. My theory is that if you keep it fresh you may save a water pump or heater core. Anyway what started me down this road is seeing rusty coolant on the payment in parking lots, and cars on the beltway smoking and smelling like [censored].