T-flushes

[mechanicx]

I don't think T-flushes installed into the heater hose have really been talked about much. On some cars it is just too much of a pain or impossible to get to the block drains. So some other method is needed to flush out the block.

It probably doesn't get much easier, effective and faster once installed to flush the system than with a T-flush. The installation isn't really difficult either. You really don't even have to open the radiator drain.

I think most people's adversion to them is that they will be left with tap water in the system. I don't think tap water in a lot of case is that bad and is a lesser of 2 evils between leaving some old coolant in and getting it all out flushed with tap water. Also anti-freeze are tested for compatibility with various tap water solutions. I won't argue that for now.

But if you look at the directions for the T-flush, you are to leave the T's cap off and fill from the radiator till you see anti-freeze coming out. From experience though sometimes the heater hose is so high or higher than the radiator that you would have to fill from the T-fitting, or just drain excess water out of the radiator to make room for your concentrate.

What I was thinking one could do is get at least the total cooling system capacity of distilled water and pour it through the radiator or T-flush until all the tap water is displaced. Next add in half the capacity with concentrate. There should be no real bad effects from the tap water that was used to flush through and is now been displaced out. If this displacement is effective one could even add a little over full capacity of pre-mix and end up at 50/50.

You then should have an easy total system flush and now have a mix of anti-freeze and distilled water.

 

[SteveSRT8]

great tip.

But I agree, I have never seen any issues with tap water left in the block.

My 6.1 engine has nifty little drains to get the jackets empty.

 

[Boomer]

I have done what you suggested with my T units and poured two gallons of distilled water through to push out the tap water before adding the anti-freeze. Never had a problem.

 

[demarpaint]

You can open the radiator drain the tap water out, then run some distilled water thru the system and drain it again. Then fill with the proper AF and water mix. It might add a little to the cost but if you're really worried about the tap water it is another option. I don't worry much about tap water in older cooling systems. My E-150 has Prestone green and tap water, I've been using that mix since I did my first T line flush somewhere around 1990 on that vehicle. A peek into the radiator shows a radiator core as clean as when new. When the T-Stat comes out of the cylinder head it is as clean as a whistle.

Now I found just draining about 2 gallons and replacing with a 50/50 mix is working well.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Boomer
I have done what you suggested with my T units and poured two gallons of distilled water through to push out the tap water before adding the anti-freeze. Never had a problem.


Thanks for relaying your experience. I haven't as of yet tried displacing the tap water with distilled. I just reasoned it is possible since I have displaced half the tap water with anti-freeze many times.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
You can open the radiator drain the tap water out, then run some distilled water thru the system and drain it again. Then fill with the proper AF and water mix. It might add a little to the cost but if you're really worried about the tap water it is another option. I don't worry much about tap water in older cooling systems. My E-150 has Prestone green and tap water, I've been using that mix since I did my first T line flush somewhere around 1990 on that vehicle. A peek into the radiator shows a radiator core as clean as when new. When the T-Stat comes out of the cylinder head it is as clean as a whistle.

Now I found just draining about 2 gallons and replacing with a 50/50 mix is working well.


Yeah that is another option. I was wanting to keep the T-flush procedure as easy and quick as possible without having to run distilled water through the engine until the thermostat opens and not even have to open any drains. But opening the radiator drain is an option that I did mention in the OP I think and might be just as easy as slowly filing with distilled water and the anti-freeze concentrate to displaces the tap water.

I also agree with you that tap water is many times not a big issue, and that radiator drains are an OK way if you are not trying to get all of the old coolant out.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I used T-flush in many cars with open the radiator drain, but never use distilled water and never had any problem with Prestone all make and Peak long life. It took less than 15 minutes to flush the coolant with T-flush, why not more people use it to maintain their coolant systems ?

 

[dishdude]

I didn't think they sold these anymore!

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
I didn't think they sold these anymore!


Yep you can get the Prestone T-flush for under $3 at Walmart around here. Some auto parts stores carry them also. Peak also sells one.

 

[Coolant_Man]

I don't hate the T flushes. I hate the city/well water that is usually used. After years of seeing scale from city water form in radiators and not seeing it form from distilled water, it still amazes me that people chose convenience and use city/well water when back-flushing.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: Coolant_Man
I don't hate the T flushes. I hate the city/well water that is usually used. After years of seeing scale from city water form in radiators and not seeing it form from distilled water, it still amazes me that people chose convenience and use city/well water when back-flushing.


I concur. I have made the mistake many times here of assuming that my conditions apply to everyone else in the world.

My well water is beyond horrible (iron, calcium, magnesium) and I don't want a drop of it in my radiator.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Coolant_Man
I don't hate the T flushes. I hate the city/well water that is usually used. After years of seeing scale from city water form in radiators and not seeing it form from distilled water, it still amazes me that people chose convenience and use city/well water when back-flushing.


Scale doesn't happen with my city water. Anyway, that was my whole point in this thread that it's possible to get a quick, effective and complete black flush ith a T-flush and then add in distilled water to displace the tap water.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I don't have problem with city water in my area, if I can drink tap water I don't think it is bad for my cars.

In some area, using distilled water to displace the tap water via the T-flush is a good idea.

 

[Coolant_Man]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Scale doesn't happen with my city water. Anyway, that was my whole point in this thread that it's possible to get a quick, effective and complete black flush ith a T-flush and then add in distilled water to displace the tap water.

Yes it does. It doesn't form from coolant but the water mixed with the coolant.

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I don't have problem with city water in my area, if I can drink tap water I don't think it is bad for my cars.

In some area, using distilled water to displace the tap water via the T-flush is a good idea.

Just because the water is drinkable to you doesn't mean the same for the car. You can buy spring water and drinking water which most people like to drink, but their use in a cooling system is a bad idea. Distilled water is one of the cooling system's best friends.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Coolant_Man
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Scale doesn't happen with my city water. Anyway, that was my whole point in this thread that it's possible to get a quick, effective and complete black flush ith a T-flush and then add in distilled water to displace the tap water.

Yes it does. It doesn't form from coolant but the water mixed with the coolant.


OK, you know better than I do about what my area's tap water does or doesn't do to many cooling systems that I observed over several years

.

Quote:
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I don't have problem with city water in my area, if I can drink tap water I don't think it is bad for my cars.

In some area, using distilled water to displace the tap water via the T-flush is a good idea.

Just because the water is drinkable to you doesn't mean the same for the car. You can buy spring water and drinking water which most people like to drink, but their use in a cooling system is a bad idea. Distilled water is one of the cooling system's best friends.


And I suppose you know more about the condition of cooling systems using tap water in his area than he does.

No one is saying distilled water isn't a good idea, just the opposite. But this is kind of like your Dexcool sky is falling arguments. Sometimes it because an option between leaving significant old coolant in or getting it all out with tap water. Of course, I proposed another way that can address both issues.

 

[Coolant_Man]

If you believe the contaminants in tap water do not cause scale to form then (I won't be insulting).

 

[Coolant_Man]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
But this is kind of like your Dexcool sky is falling arguments.

Dex-Cool sucks. Plain and simple. Instead of GM admitting to using an inferior product, they have probably spent millions to make an inferior product work in their cooling systems.

It kind of reminds me of the Space Race Days. America was so determined to have an ink pen that would write in the space and spent millions developing one. And the Russians? They used pencils.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Coolant_Man
If you believe the contaminants in tap water do not cause scale to form then (I won't be insulting).


What I believe is depending on the mineral level or contaminate level in a particular tap water it may or may not cause scale deposits since anti-freezes are designed to work with average tap water.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: Coolant_Man
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
But this is kind of like your Dexcool sky is falling arguments.

Dex-Cool sucks. Plain and simple. Instead of GM admitting to using an inferior product, they have probably spent millions to make an inferior product work in their cooling systems.

It kind of reminds me of the Space Race Days. America was so determined to have an ink pen that would write in the space and spent millions developing one. And the Russians? They used pencils.


Yeah those darn Russian are a lot smarter than Americans. Anyway, after all the discussions it looks like we are back to square 1 on Dexcool

.

 

[timish]

Originally Posted By: Coolant_Man
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
But this is kind of like your Dexcool sky is falling arguments.

Dex-Cool sucks. Plain and simple. Instead of GM admitting to using an inferior product, they have probably spent millions to make an inferior product work in their cooling systems.

It kind of reminds me of the Space Race Days. America was so determined to have an ink pen that would write in the space and spent millions developing one. And the Russians? They used pencils.



That is a total [censored] story about the US pen and Russian pencil.

NASA NEVER requested the money spent. Fisher went Snopes Space Pen about it on their own to create the "pressure pen"




Maybe snopes has a Dexcool section too.