Guys,

Thanks for the replies to my recent questions regarding pulling a copper radiator and replacing it with a Dewitts. I've a few additional questions:

- Is it important to remove the drain plugs on each side of the block when draining coolant or is just the petcock sufficient?

- If I plan to reuse the radiator hoses, any tricks to getting them off easily and putting them onto the new radiator?

- And lastly, when I go to refill the system, how do I avoid creating any air pockets and having to "burp" the system to get rid of them? Does everyone do the initial fill from the themostat opening or start at the expansion tank?

Thanks everybody.

Jeff

 

you don't NEED to open the plugs on the engine block but if you don't know the last time it was done you might want to consider it as that is really the only way to get the last amount of old coolant out of the system and if I recall correctly JohnZ mentioned in a prior posting that by not opening those plugs on the block there is still approx a gallon of old coolant left.

If the hoses have been on for a long time they can be a bear to get off, especially the lower hose. My recommendation is to make life easy on yourself and just use a utility knife to carefully slice the hose open to get it off the radiator, waterpump, and t-stat housing and replace the hoses with new ones. Be sure that you get the correct lower hose with the internal spring in it so the hose doesn't collapse. Also, be very careful to put the lower hose back on oriented the correct way, it's easy to put it on backwards and not realize it and if you do that your belt will rub against it and wear thru it...... ask me how I know.

To refill the coolant I always fill up as much thru the t-stat housing as possible than close it up and fill the rest thru the expansion tank. Than run the car until it gets up to operating temp and the t-stat opens up and check the coolant level. add more as needed to bring it to the correct level.
Also a good idea to check or replace your t-stat before you refill and close up the t-stat housing.

 

if you are going to reuse the antifreeze in the car now you dont need to drain the block. you only need to drain the radiator.

 

You can sometimes get under the hose with a plastic Popsicle stick and loosen the hose. If the hose's are stiff, you should probably just replace them.

PS, when did you order you Dewitt’s radiator, and did you get the replacement or factory correct model ?

Mark

 

If you'd really like to save the hoses, I have been successful in very carefully pushing a small thin screw driver inside the hose opening. You must be careful not to score the radiator outlet or nick / cut the hose. Once you have a "break" in the seal, you can usually work it until it goes completely around by pushing firmly against the end of the hose with your fingers, or by carefully inserting the screw driver again in other positions. Worth the effort? I guess it depends on how old the hoses are.......

If I ran into a problem putting the hose back on, I'd look for something handy to lubricate the hose or opening with.....antifreeze, a few drops of engine oil, even a couple of drops of liquid soap....

Good luck!

Bob S.

 

I would open the drain ***** if you haven't changed the coolant in a while as others have recommended. If you don't know when the last time the hoses were replaced I change them too. Be careful of the heater core hoses and don't stress the connection to much as that is a weak point for the heater core...

As Bob said about putting the hoses back on if you put a little bit of soap on the inside of the hose it will slide back on. While you have this all apart I'd replace the thermostat with a Robert Shaw. These I believe are sold also under the Mr.Gasket name. The reason why I recommend these is that if they fail they fail in the open position.

If you decide to replace the hoses make sure that you get a lower hose that has a spring in it. The spring is there to make sure it doesn't collapse at higher speeds. The ones that you gets from the FLAPS usually don't have the spring but are made out of stronger material that is supposed to resist collapsing. However I have never wanted to take that chance.

For coolant the best coolant out there right now it the ZEREX G05. I mix mine 50/50 but I live in the south..

Dave

 

Thanks to Bob, Dave, Barry, Mark and others for their replies to my questions - good information from individuals more experienced than I !!

Mark, I'm planning on ordering a "restoration" radiator this coming week from Dewitts. It's correctly dated and painted to appear as original. I've a 65 coupe that received a frame off restoration and to replace the rad with anything less than the above seemed half-baked. I believe there's a 3-4 week wait per Dewitt's for the rad.

Anybody, where's a good source for hoses and (Robert Shaw) thermostats? I'm pretty sure most of the initial restoration items were from Paragon but would local auto shops here in Nashville carry the above?

Jeff

 

Skip that last question. Was just at DeWitts site and they've got the correct hoses. Could've used a V8!

Jeff

 

I have drained mine on many occasions, never had a problem refilling from the tank, add water wetter as well.

 

I thought that stuff was snake oil??

 

Dave - A few years back I worked with a technician whose family built and ran circle track cars. When the subject of water wetter came up one day, he said it worked.

I don't know if he had any objective evidence to back his opinion.....wasn't important enough to me at the time, and I guess I didn't feel the need to ask.....he's a straight shooter / no B.S. kinda guy. I've never used it myself, but I'll bet others here have.

Maybe someone else will chime in...

Regards,
Bob

 

Bob, I'm not sure I've heard pros and cons. I'm sure it can't hurt. Does anyone else have any info on water wetter? Thanks.

 

I used Water Wetter in a BB Pro Street Nova I had about 7 years ago. I worked fine.
Then I heard from my friend with a Speed Shop he heard it was causing problems with Aluminum Radiators. I drained it and haven't used it since.
If you have a stock or moderatly modified engine. I don't feel you need additives such as Water Wetter, as long as your Cooling system is working properly.

 

JohnZ speaks...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...4&postcount=30

 

I have used this product for years in my corvettes and am very satisfied with it. Water Wetter can reduce temp by as much as 30 f, it helps prevent rust and corrosion. There are many factors that can affect cooling, so I figured that using the product can't hurt. I am using the original Harrison rad and I use a 7 blade air con fan, I have blocked all air escape possibilities, to force as much air as possible through the rad. The car generally runs about 180 f in heavy stop and go traffic it may get to 215 f.

Paragon has a Tech session on the product.

 

It's funny how some myths just never die. No matter how many times we discuss them and prove otherwise, it just keeps coming up again and again.

The reason you have people claiming it works is because when you follow the directions, and run 100% water, with wetter water, you will most likely see a reduction in temperature. Sometimes this reduction could be as much as 20 degrees however you would have the same results if you ran straight water and two bottles of food coloring. It isn't the additive that is making the system run cooler but rather the fact water cools better than a 50/50 mix, everytime.

I challenge anyone that thinks otherwise to prove me wrong. Drain your system and fill it back up with straight water without the wetter water and tell me how much the temperature goes up. It won't!

If there was a magic fluid, don't you think the chemist at Prestone would have figured it out by now? Wouldn't they put the same thing into their coolant package? Guess what, they do! They have a surfactant and an inhibitor, and a lubricant but they are designed to run 50/50 and that simply doesn't run as cool.

If you are running on a track that requires 100% water, by all means use the wetter water. If you have one of these modified frankin motors that run hot no matter what, run on the watery side and throw in a bottle for good luck. But don't let people think they can fix a dead radiator or compensate for some other ignition problem with a $15 bottle of magic. Wetter water has sold millions of dollars of additive that resolved nothing, and no one ever questions the value. Soon, I will just quit arguing this issue and start packaging my own "DeWitts super coolant". I'll buy the G05, add red die 12, come up with a bunch of graphs and curves and I'll be able to retire 10 years earlier.

 

I beleive that you may be right, however I live in Ontario and use a mix of anti freeze and water. A few years ago I had an overheating probem. I tried a number of things to resolve thhe probem including W/W. It turned out to be a faulty clutch fan. So the W/W may not have had any effect, however if I drain the system I add the W/W. I beleive that it does help.

 

HUH?