This is the way I did mine and it worked great. 
Problem Adding Coolant, First Timer
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,078
Likes: 2
From: Northern Virginia
Problem Adding Coolant, First Timer
Changed my coolant this weekend. It is finally done and everything is fine now, but what a pain adding the coolant. I just read this morning and it sounds like adding the coolant is a slow process.
I added fluid to reserve bottle, and could not barely get any coolant to fill the radiator. It would just fill the bottle. If I added any, it would run out the overflow. I took off the return line, burped the radiator lines, and barely got any in. I started the car with cap off to see if it would draw any in, and watched the bottle and my coolant temp. Temp, went to 180 fast, 190, 200, 220, I shut it off fast. Tried adding more, got very little in. Put cap on, ran car, went from 170 to 210 fast, shut it off. removed cap, and squeezed the radiator line until I coud feel it get hot and start burping bubbles out of the bottle.
I guess the key is to add really slooooow. I hate that the temps shot up to 220 so fast when I was adding coolant. Any problems with that happening??? I shut it down right away, but hate that I didn't get more in before starting the car. Once I got it burped, everything was back to normal.
I added fluid to reserve bottle, and could not barely get any coolant to fill the radiator. It would just fill the bottle. If I added any, it would run out the overflow. I took off the return line, burped the radiator lines, and barely got any in. I started the car with cap off to see if it would draw any in, and watched the bottle and my coolant temp. Temp, went to 180 fast, 190, 200, 220, I shut it off fast. Tried adding more, got very little in. Put cap on, ran car, went from 170 to 210 fast, shut it off. removed cap, and squeezed the radiator line until I coud feel it get hot and start burping bubbles out of the bottle.
I guess the key is to add really slooooow. I hate that the temps shot up to 220 so fast when I was adding coolant. Any problems with that happening??? I shut it down right away, but hate that I didn't get more in before starting the car. Once I got it burped, everything was back to normal.
Last edited by CodyC6; Nov 28, 2011 at 09:49 AM.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
Easy way is find that T fitting in the middle that connects to your resivour. Fill up the rez and close the cap and blow into the end that connects to your rez until antifreeze burbles out of the T.
You'll need to fill the rez 3 or 4 times during this and you should be good. I put a bottle over the T fitting so the antifreeze that burbles out went into it and didn't make a mess.
Don't use high pressure (blowing is just fine, but don't use a compressor or something) and don't let the rez go dry. Super easy.
You'll need to fill the rez 3 or 4 times during this and you should be good. I put a bottle over the T fitting so the antifreeze that burbles out went into it and didn't make a mess.
Don't use high pressure (blowing is just fine, but don't use a compressor or something) and don't let the rez go dry. Super easy.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,078
Likes: 2
From: Northern Virginia
I was just worried that I ran it with little to nothing in the radiator, and you are right, once the thermostat opened up when it got hot, it was easier to go in.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,974
Likes: 14
From: Pinellas Park Fl
St. Jude Donor '08-'09 & '12, '14
For future reference, undo the hose that connects the metal crossover tube to the radiator and fill the reservoir until you get coolant to come out of the metal tube. This allows trapped air to escape faster from the block.
BTW, don't sweat the 220* car will run fine at 230* if needed
BTW, don't sweat the 220* car will run fine at 230* if needed
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