Getting DexCool Out of Toyota 4.0 V6

[Gannet167]

I have a 2004 4Runner 4.0 V6. The previous owner put DexCool in it. I would like to put Toyota Super Long Life back in, but I need to get all the DexCool out.

I'm planning on draining, attaching a flush T to the heater line, blasting tap water through the engine for about an hour to really push all the Dex out, then flushing the system with distilled water to remove the tap water minerals, then drain and refill.

The problem is, I will almost certainly have water remaining in the engine and adding the pre-mix TSLL will result in diluting the mix to less than 50/50. It gets very cold in my area, so I need proper freeze protection. TSLL is not sold as a concentrate, or this would be easy.

Should I just go with a TSLL equivalent (like this: ) in concentrate and add 50% of the cooling system capacity, then top up with distilled water? TSLL is by all accounts great stuff and about the same price as any other option at my local dealer, so I'd really like to use it if I could. Thoughts?

Potential concentrate equivalents are:

http://www.recochem.com/products/oem_pre..._coolant_toyota

(also made by Recochem) http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motoma...ml#.VQMb-Y7F-So

 

[Trav]

Start by draining the radiator and popping the upper and lower radiator hoses, heater core hoses and thermostat housing. Open the block drains.
Use a garden hose to flush the block out from where the thermostat sits, flush the heater both ways.Flush the radiator though.

Now take a few gallons of distilled water and pour it through every part and let it drain, continue until its totally clear.
Use an air hose with about 20 psi not more and blow everything out. Close the drains and connect all the hoses.

You should have it clear enough to run the OE coolant. Do a couple of drain and fills over the summer just to be sure.
I did my Grand Prix's this way to rid the system of dexcool before doing the LIM gaskets, it worked very well. I used JD CoolGuard II in them after.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Use Zerex Asian Vehicle coolant. Very,very close to the OEM product and half the cost. I think Zerex makes the OEM coolant. The distilled water remaining in the block will have minimal effect on the 50/50 mixture. For my 04 V6, the coolant tester still read -34F. I think you are over thinking this. After all, your vehicle is fourteen years old.If the Dex-Cool was in there for any length of time, the damage is already done. Putting OEM coolant in your system(probably $28.00 a gallon) isn't going to be of any measurable benefit. Regards

 

[OneEyeJack]

Stick with the Toyota coolant.

This advice above about flushing is right on target.

We have messed with other coolant in a couple of Toyota V8's used as industrial engines in a mining operation and have gone back to Toyota long life pink. These engines do more work in one day than a street engine does in a week or more. They get run at 3-4K rpm for 10 or more hours fully loaded. We found that other coolants darken and leave deposits. On the one engine with a universal Asian coolant we had 2 water pump failures as well. Again, the Toyota pink is good stuff. If you can't suffer a few bucks more for the coolant give up a couple of hits of coffee. You'll survive and your engine will thank you.

 

[86cutlass307]

If you don't want to use harsh chemicals, go to a hardware store and get a small box of TSP-trisodium phosphate...the REAL stuff, not the substitute. It looks like white laundry detergent, in fact, it's what they removed from most detergent a few years ago, that's why laundry doesn't seem as clean sometimes. After you drain, mix 1/4 cup in a gallon of distilled water, takes a little stirring but make sure it's dissolved. Pour it in and fill with your distilled water, run your truck for 20-30 minutes with the heater on. Drain and refill with distilled water and run a rinse cycle or 2 if need be, use your compressed air as you outlined, then fill with your SLLC pink and go. Diesel guys use that mix all the time, it cleans any oil contamination from the cooling system without any harsh acids harming seals and gaskets. I've used that formula on a couple of DexCool repairs over the years and it worked like a champ.

 

[weebl]

I believe you can buy Ford Specialty Green Coolant in concentrate form. From what I understand, it is made by the same supplier that makes Toyota SLL. Used in Ford vehicles with engines from Mazda.

Chemical composition supposedly mostly the same, with possible minor variations, apparently 100% compatible in mixing, and of course, a different dye colour. Several other OEMs purportedly use this coolant that is essentially the same, but with their own proprietary differences and dyes.

I can't recall the name of the supplier, but I'll see if I can dig a bit.

 

[weebl]

This is the supplier I am talking about:

http://www.ccijp.co.jp/en/

 

[Oro_O]

I had to do this to a similar vintage Lexus V6 last year. This is what I did:

a) drained radiator and both block taps.
b) filled with dH20 from grocery. Ran until thermostat opened, heater on high, for a few minutes - maybe 10 total.
c) Drained, repeated b. Drained.

Your way will work, but I think is overkill.

Now as to your concentrate quandry, what I did was then I filled it with the Toyota Red* (see below) at what I computed to be ounces needed to get to 55% concentration (total system capacity in ounces x .55). Pink only comes in 50/50, and with residual heater core water will be more like 45/55 or less if you use pink. I prefer 55/45 for more protection. Then I topped up with dH20. I don't mind draining the radiator and rerfreshing the red every other year vs the longer life of pink vs. the better freeze protection. And I don't live is as cold a climate as you.

I had no appreciable prior fluid left (I calculated it out and figured maybe just less than one ounce in the system). I had no precipitate or anything; too little to make an issue.

* good sources for Toyota Red are carquest ($26/gallon concentrate), or Napa or O'Reillys for Pentofrost A1 (identical to Toyota Red/LLC), same price.

 

[kschachn]

Why does he need TSP? If you put that in there, then you are going to have to flush that out too, not just the Dexcool.

Originally Posted By: 86cutlass307
If you don't want to use harsh chemicals, go to a hardware store and get a small box of TSP-trisodium phosphate...the REAL stuff, not the substitute. It looks like white laundry detergent, in fact, it's what they removed from most detergent a few years ago, that's why laundry doesn't seem as clean sometimes. After you drain, mix 1/4 cup in a gallon of distilled water, takes a little stirring but make sure it's dissolved. Pour it in and fill with your distilled water, run your truck for 20-30 minutes with the heater on. Drain and refill with distilled water and run a rinse cycle or 2 if need be, use your compressed air as you outlined, then fill with your SLLC pink and go. Diesel guys use that mix all the time, it cleans any oil contamination from the cooling system without any harsh acids harming seals and gaskets. I've used that formula on a couple of DexCool repairs over the years and it worked like a champ.

 

[86cutlass307]

A weak TSP mix breaks the bond of any clumping or thickened crud from the DexCool. If there is no clumping/thickened crud in their, drain, distilled water rinse, fill & go. Here is what Amazon has for a little less than $4
TSP 1lb box