Hey guys - it's been a while.

I continue to put-off/delay/procrastinate flushing my coolant system. I think I'm on to a strategy that I'm comfortable with. Let me know your thoughts.

For the 74 big block, the heater hoses are two seperate sizes. And I'm not exactly sure which is which, but after draining the radiator I would hook up a garden hose to some heater hose and connect that to the water pump. (There's garden hose repair fittings available at your friendly neighborhood hardware store.) That's the heater inlet - right? Then get some heater hose from the intake and run it into a bucket for the first 5 or so gallons so I don't poison the local children and wildlife. Then let her run until she runs clear. And doesn't everyone want to run clear?

So, here it goes:
1 - drain the radiator, and refill with plain water
2 - hook up my garden-heater hose to the water pump
3 - hook up my heater hose outlet to the intake
4 - turn on the garden hose
5 - start the car and have the water pump discharge the coolant from the engine block

Then I can proceed with the normal flush activities. There's two jugs of Prestone SuperFlush standing by. Hey, it's not like I can't commit.

I'm doing all this to avoid the nightmare scenario of bad things happening while trying to remove the block drain plugs.

Let me know your thoughts. GM

 

I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to accomplish.
I've flushed cars before, and I never did what you did.
I don't know if you are looking to restore the anti freeze,
flush the radiator, or the engine, or both.

The water pump inlet is bigger than a garden hose, and I
don't understand how you are going to connect those
two together. This is the lower radiator hose connecting
to the bottom of the water pump.

What I have done is drain the radiator and pull the top
radiator hose and pull the thermostat. I refill the radiator
and start the car. Heater on. This will just run out the
fluid, replaced as you stand and fill the radiator with a hose.


Be forewarned, sludge can be good. After a good cleaning
you may see leaks in your radiator, your heater core, or your
water pump may go south. When you add new antifreeze,
some BARZ leak/cooling system conditioner is in order.

 

I see exactly what you are trying to accomplish. The prestone backflush kit does the same thing. They have you splice a gardenhose into the heater hose, but they have the water coming out of the radiator cap/fill opening. My brain isn't functioning to the point where I can tell if your methodology is correct, ie direction of flow and if it will flush the entire system.... will it bypass the radiator the way you have it hooked up? MJ

 

Whatever you do, don't try to open the radiator drain fitting like I did on my
rusted shut '71.

$600 later I've got a shiny new radiator!

:cry

 

I think what you're doing is much better than installing a Prestone Flush n Fill kit. They suck. The T-fittings, with the little cap, are crap. Eventually, they leak and suck in air. Not good.

 

probably right. Their instructions make the plastic T fitting a permanent installation. I have a heaterhose shutoff valve installed, so when I flush I just replace the shutoff valve with the prestone T, and when I am done I put back the shutoff valve. MJ