Flush kit for 95 Grand Marquis?

[AuthorEditor]

I thought it might make coolant flushes easier if I installed one of those Peak or Prestone flush kits (that connect to a garden hose) in the heater hose, but I'm wondering if it won't work on a 95 Grand Marquis because of the lack of a radiator cap on top of the radiator where the coolant is supposed to drain out. I suppose I could pull the top hose on the radiator, but then the flushed coolant will flow out all over the engine. If I just pull the lower radiator hose, I won't get a very good flush. Thoughts?

 

[Kuato]

Well, you've still got the radiator cap on top of the reservoir, if you open that it should work just the same. I've used the kits (cutting a heater hose to attach the hose adapter) in the past, but in the last 10 years or so have changed to simply draining and refilling the radiator every 18 months.

 

[AuthorEditor]

I'm not sure how I could route the overflow from the reservoir so it didn't splash all over the engine compartment.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
I'm not sure how I could route the overflow from the reservoir so it didn't splash all over the engine compartment.


Yeah, that's the trick alright. I used a piece of garden hose to siphon it out as it filled; you can always shut off the hose you're filling the system with if it gets too full.

 

[duaneb9729]

i have used a piece of 3" pvc pipe and caught the used antifreeze in a five gal. bucket.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Here's what I did. I put the Peak flusher fitting in the heater line per instructions. I disconnected the upper radiator hose from the engine and then loosened the hose clamp on the radiator so I could rotate the hose away from the engine and over the fender. I took an old garden hose, wrapped it with a shop cloth, jammed it up the end of the upper radiator hose, and put the hose clamp back over the area. Ran the water through the flusher fitting and the engine, and coolant flushed out pretty neatly into a big bucket. My crude gasket of the shop rag leaked a bit and the red color of the shop rag bled onto the fender. Next time I might wrap the old garden hose with part of an old inner tube before clamping it in the upper radiator hose. This might prevent any leakage. Overall, it worked pretty smoothly.

By the way, used Peak Original Green in my '95 Grand Marquis.