Coolant level

[gfh77665]

Drained 97' Chevy PU, 4.3L V6. Refilled, drove until hot, and redrained 3 times until water flush flowed completely clear. Refilled with Dexcool and distilled water 50-50.

Now, what level should the coolant mix be at, when looking down the neck of the radiator? It leveled out about half-inch above the core. Overflow tank properly sits at "cool" mark.
Should I add directly to the radiator, until it comes up in the neck? Thanks.

 

[bullwinkle]

Fill it all the way to the top cold-then it'll push out any excess into the overflow tank hot, & pull it back in when it cools off-as long as you have a decent radiator cap & no cooling system leaks.

 

[George7941]

Your rad is supposed to be completely full, with no air in it. If air keeps getting into your rad, then you have a problem and it needs to be addressed, especially since you are using Dexcool.

 

[gfh77665]

OK, thanks. This is just after I refilled it, so, I didn't fill up to the absolute max, apparently. Also thinking some bubbles from deep inside worked their way to the top after driving, too. I topped it off and drove it all day today, and will recheck before running tomorrow. No leaks...everything looking good so far..

 

[George7941]

When everything is working the way they are supposed to, any air left in the rad will be purged out into the overflow tank over a few heat/cool cycles of the engine i.e. after a few days of normal driving.