Drain coolant without a lift/jacks?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,515
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From: Arizona
Drain coolant without a lift/jacks?
Is there an easy way? I want to replace all of my 20 year old radiator hoses which looks like can be done from the top. I don’t have a lift or jacks etc. is there any easy way to drain the coolant without lifting the car? Thanks.
Tech Contributor
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
POP off the lower radiator hose! 
If it were me, I would fill with distilled water and drain and repeat until you get a clear clean drain. That way you will get ALL the old coolant out.
NOTE.. GM up-dated the old 15 lb over flow tank cap with an 18 lb cap. Recommend that you get the new cap.
Make sure that you use the steam cross over vents (loosen up the cross over pile fitting/ fastener until coolant comes out.) on FRONT of both cylinder heads to burp out any air in the block/heads when you are filling and running for the first time.
Bill
If it were me, I would fill with distilled water and drain and repeat until you get a clear clean drain. That way you will get ALL the old coolant out.
NOTE.. GM up-dated the old 15 lb over flow tank cap with an 18 lb cap. Recommend that you get the new cap.
Make sure that you use the steam cross over vents (loosen up the cross over pile fitting/ fastener until coolant comes out.) on FRONT of both cylinder heads to burp out any air in the block/heads when you are filling and running for the first time.
Bill
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
More pressure allows the system to operate at a higher temp before you reach the boiling point of the coolant/water mixture. REMEMBER, Out cars operate at a higher designed engine operating temp than cars of the past. Any advantage that you can get to keep the coolant from reaching the boiling point is a benefit.
Most people find that their OLD OEM caps start to fail. The old OEM capsget clogged up and don't allow the cooling system to vent when it completely cools down and a vacuum is pulled on the system resulting in collapsed radiator hoses. That's a great time to replace the cap with the up-graded cap.
Bill
Most people find that their OLD OEM caps start to fail. The old OEM capsget clogged up and don't allow the cooling system to vent when it completely cools down and a vacuum is pulled on the system resulting in collapsed radiator hoses. That's a great time to replace the cap with the up-graded cap.
Bill
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,515
Likes: 441
From: Arizona
My cap just recently failed! Haha. Dealer that I go to gave me the new cap for free. Bill knows his stuff.
Im going to swap out all the hoses tomorrow. Thanks for the advice. Although, I’ll probably have another question later when it comes to the burping procedure.
Im going to swap out all the hoses tomorrow. Thanks for the advice. Although, I’ll probably have another question later when it comes to the burping procedure.
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POP off the lower radiator hose!
If it were me, I would fill with distilled water and drain and repeat until you get a clear clean drain. That way you will get ALL the old coolant out.
NOTE.. GM up-dated the old 15 lb over flow tank cap with an 18 lb cap. Recommend that you get the new cap.
Make sure that you use the steam cross over vents (loosen up the cross over pile fitting/ fastener until coolant comes out.) on FRONT of both cylinder heads to burp out any air in the block/heads when you are filling and running for the first time.
Bill
If it were me, I would fill with distilled water and drain and repeat until you get a clear clean drain. That way you will get ALL the old coolant out.
NOTE.. GM up-dated the old 15 lb over flow tank cap with an 18 lb cap. Recommend that you get the new cap.
Make sure that you use the steam cross over vents (loosen up the cross over pile fitting/ fastener until coolant comes out.) on FRONT of both cylinder heads to burp out any air in the block/heads when you are filling and running for the first time.
Bill
I cannot find the steam crossover vents to burp the system. Is there a pic or video showing the location on the engine.
Thanks
Richard
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Arizona
I wasn’t sure what Bill meant either. I read many other posts where burping was just getting up to temperature so the water pump is circulating and then releasing the surge tank cap when it cools down. Is burping with the steam vents “better” or faster? I’m not sure.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
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From: Arizona
.
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St. Jude Donor '14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22-'23
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,515
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From: Arizona
That’s one of the rubber hoses I couldn’t find for sale by GM. It’s small and comes off the throttle body. I did come across this part number but wasn’t sure if it was the same since it’s listed as a Camaro part.
Theres also another hose i can’t find. Goes from bottom of the surge tank to the fire wall. Gm only sells it on a 25’ roll apparently. (The other 6 are pretty easy to find the part numbers.)
Theres also another hose i can’t find. Goes from bottom of the surge tank to the fire wall. Gm only sells it on a 25’ roll apparently. (The other 6 are pretty easy to find the part numbers.)
Last edited by STRMLNE; Jun 22, 2019 at 04:43 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
You can just see it at the very top of this picture:
https://smg.photobucket.com/user/bil...cions.jpg.html
Here is an early style that runs under the intake 97-2000
https://smg.photobucket.com/user/bil...cions.jpg.html
Here is an early style that runs under the intake 97-2000
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,515
Likes: 441
From: Arizona
i think what he was asking is what do you mean by this.