Changing my coolant - 1 gallon at a time?

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko
Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
I've been doing just a radiator drain and fill on my 94 Toyota every 20K with concentrated Toyota Long Life red, and now at 170K on the odo, the cooling system/radiator are still spotless. I'm guessing the Toyota premix super long life is even better than the old red, so just doing a drain and fill every 50K is probably going to be just fine, although if you wanted to do it twice, maybe 50 miles apart, that will get roughly 70% of the old antifreeze out.

yours should have an easily accessible block drain. Mine does as but I never bother.


Did you have any problem getting the air out of the system??? That's the part that really makes me nervous! I don't want to have an overheating problem!

Ed


Not on the Toyota. If you want to make sure you get the air purged, buy a Lisle spill free funnel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUpXgAJ1gjU

You don't need to rev it up like this guy does, just idle it with the funnel in the rad cap neck until the thermostat opens, which on your Toyota will be the bottom (not the top) hose (inlet side thermostat design), make sure the system is full, and then put the rad cap on.

 

[steve20]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
I have done what you're suggesting since the 80s, and never had a corrosion related issue.

Every 3-5 years (depending on what coolant was being used), a drain and refill of the radiator only was performed. Whether burping was required was vehicle dependent, I don't know about yours but if you park it nose high prior to starting the job that will help.


Same here-drain the radiator and fill up with the Honda pre-mix every 5 years. No problems here. In the olds days of no choice--green only--a/f I used to have a flush & fill kit on every car. Today, I do not think it is necessary