Radiator Flush...

Has anyone flushed their system and if so, did you install a flush system hookup? Is there one made for the Taco?

 

How many miles you got on your truck? I think Toyota says to change it every 100k, but if you'll just drain and refill every 30k or so you'll accomplish the same thing without all the hassle. Get the pink stuff from the dealer, don't try to guess what other kind would mix well.

 

i have a coolant machine at work...i hooked it up and flushed my coolant no problems.

 

I guess what I am looking for is an easy way to do the flush. When I have done it in the past, I insisted on using only distilled water.....so how do you do it? Do you open a drain cock on the bottom of the radiator as in days past, or is there some other method on the Taco?

 

on mine(96) I took off the upper radiator hose and connected a special adapter to the neck on the rad. Take another special adapter and plug it into the hose itself. Theres 2 quick release connectors on these adapters. Connect what looks like a garden hose to these connectors, and flush away! Took me about 20 mins, including filling the over fill. Hardly any mess.

 

Found this:
The Scheduled Maintenance Guide states that the coolant needs to be replaced. But a chemical flush of the cooling system is an important part of the preventive maintenance necessary to prevent scale buildup in the engine. Several manufacturers offer cleaning agents with detailed instructions on the bottle. Always allow the radiator to cool before removing the cap, as the hot water and/or steam that escapes could cause severe burns. Follow local laws regarding disposal of the used coolant. Many municipalities allow coolant to be flushed down the septic system.

The radiator drain is located on the bottom of the passenger side. Remove the radiator cap, then turn the drain valve counterclockwise to open it, but not so far that it comes out of the threaded portion of the valve. A pair of pliers might be required to loosen the valve, just remember that it is plastic, so be gentle. Having a section of 1/4 or 3/8" hose to go on the hose barb will direct the flow into your drain pan. Once drained, close the valve, and add the cleaner to the radiator. Fill the radiator with distilled water and replace the radiator cap. Start the engine and turn your heater temperature control to maximum heat to allow the cleaner to flow through the entire cooling system. After cleaning, allow the radiator to cool, then drain it. Refill with distilled water and run the engine again to rinse out the system. Repeat rinsing at least one more time to be sure all the cleaner is out of the system. Plan on having about four gallons of distilled water to complete the flushing and filling. I have included these steps so you know what is involved in flushing. Please follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the cleaner.

To clean the overflow tank, remove the bolt holding the battery strap, and swing it out of the way. The tank will lift straight up and out. Rinse out the tank with tap water and re-install it. Since you're at the battery, this is a good time to inspect the terminals for corrosion and the caps for any leakage.

Use the red Toyota Long Life Coolant to refill the system, and the overflow tank. Start the engine with the cap off and continue filling while the engine warms up and the thermostat opens, bleeding out any trapped air. Once the thermostat is open, revving up the engine a little will help move any air pockets to the radiator. If the coolant you drained from the system is something other than the red coolant, consult with the dealer to determine which type of coolant should be used to refill your system. The system's capacity is 2 gallons for the I4, 2 1/2 gallons for the V6, and a little more when either one is equipped with the manual transmission. Toyota recommends a 50% mix for protection down to minus 31 degrees F., and 60% coolant for use down to minus 58 degrees.



Radiator Drain Valve Toyota Coolant

 

Will this process work ok for 1st Gen i.e. my 99 v6 tacoma?

 

WoW,,,,,Nicely said..Pster....

 

I posted this in here on this old thread so I wouldn't waste space for another radiator thread for a simple question.
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I have flushed radiators in the past so I pretty much know what to do on this with the "how to" part of it.
I have read on here and with some research on other sites, is that you should not use tap water with the flushing fluid when flushing, and that you should use distilled water. I understand you should not use tap water to fill up the radiator when your done or if your coolant level is low, because it could cause some rusting or corrosion.

But my question is why does it matter when your flushing? If your going to drain it all out anyway why does it matter? I'm guessing the answer is because there is some left over water in the block? So what does everyone else think on this?


Also I plan on using Prestone, does anyone have any bad opinions on this coolant? I don't need a long life coolant because I'll just end up changing it out again in another 30k miles.
Also I heard that there could be some kind of special coolant we need to use for our aluminum blocks? I have never heard of that before, I think using a standard coolant will be just fine, has anyone heard anything about this or is it BS?

 

I guess you can flush it out with a hose (tap water) and a little bit still gets left behind so if you're really particular about using distilled water, you can flush out the tap with distilled water, then run it for a few minutes to circulate and drain again and then use the coolant preference of your choice and distilled water.

 

What's a good cleaner to use?

 

Remember that if you flush your system with water you will only get half of the water out of the entire system with draining the radiator only. Allot of people do this everyday without realizing they are diluting their 50/50 mix down to 25/75 - because half of the total capacity of the cooling system is still in the hoses/engine as water.

This is a really big deal if you live in a cold climate. Double check your mix with an antifreeze tester if you have any doubts.

 

In the past every time I used a cleaner my water pump went shortly after. I used Prestone cleaner. My theory is the cleaner took the lube out then the bearing goes and the leak out the weep hole and I got to change it. I would be afraid to use a cleaner.

 

Every two years I drain out a gallon and replace it with a gallon of the Toyota Pink. Costs me about $20, but it's worth it to me. And I don't have to worry about the ratio that way, it stays right at 50/50.

 

If you take out a gallon of 50/50 and replace it with a gallon of Toyota Pink (100%), how does your ratio stay right at 50/50?

 

He's using Toyota Super Long Life (Pink) that is purchased premixed at 50/50 - not concentrate. The Toyota Long Life (Red) was available in concentrated.

 

Yesterday, I was flushing the radiator.
1. First drained the radiator into a bucket.

2. Filled the radiator with distilled water and radiator cleaner, ran the truck for 15 minutes with the heater on to circulate through out the entire system. Drained the distilled water and radiator cleaner.

3. Filled the radiator with distilled water, ran the truck for 15 minutes, and BAM the radiator cracked.

Question is what did I do wrong to make the radiator crack????

 

The radiator cracked just left of the neck, steam was comming out, truck got very warm. I used the Prestone cleaner.