Changing out coolant

[KennyV36]

I'm planning on doing this myself here soon but wanted to get some tips from you experts here on the procedure as i'm a bit confused on a few things.

I'll be changing the coolant out on my 94 Ranger v6. I plan on draining the radiator by removing the drain plug, then i'm going to install one of those back flush kits on the heater hose. Now, after I drain everything and back flush it, the block should be completely filled with water, correct? Do I need to just add straight anti freeze to the radiator being the block has water in it? This is what always throws me. The last time I did this, I mixed things 50/50 and added it in but after running the truck for a while, the coolant was weak with too much water. I had to drain some out and refill until I was able to achieve a perfect 50/50 mixture. I'd really like to avoid all that crap and get it right the first time.

Secondly, i'm planning on using this new 5/150 coolant in the Ranger. Will this hurt anything being the truck originally came with the old style coolant?

Finally, I see they do sell already mixed 50/50 coolant. How would I go about using that stuff being the block is full of water already. It seems to me that this 50/50 premixed stuff is just for top-offs.

Any suggestions to make this easier for me would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, fellas!

[KA9MOT]

OK V6. That means either 3.0 or 4.0.
You pretty much described you coolant replacement real well. To get rid of the water in your engine you will need to remove the drain plugs in your engine. There will be one on each side of the Ford V6 usually down close to the oil pan and midway on the block. BOTH SIDES! <-----------That is very important.
As to the 50/50 premix I always mix my own but there is a premix available but why bother with it? I think it is a waste of time.

[1fatcat]

As for the water in the block, you can either do what Beefy said and drain it from the block drain plugs, or you can leave it in.

I usually leave it in and still get a perfect mix the first time. It's real easy, here is how you do it:

1. Look in the owners manual for cooling system capacity.

2. Divide that number in half.

3. Add this amount of straight coolant.

4. Top off with water untill full.


There, that was pretty easy wasn't it?

[danny]

thanks 1fatcat that was a great post.

[KA9MOT]

Yeah! That would work great if say the engine held 1 gallon and the radiator holds 1 gallon.
What if the engine holds 1.5 gallons and the radiator hold one gallon.
Wait! What if the radiator hold 2 gallons and the engine only holds 1 gallon?

And what bearing does the overflow tank have on this equation.

Oh and I forgot to mention that we have to remember the heater system capcity as well.

If he has a 4.0 he is likely good to go with this method. If he has a 3.0 then his radiator holds less then a gallon if it is an automatic. Less then that if it is a manual.

It only takes a little time and sometimes some light hammer work to do it correctly.

[danny]

re-read number 1 on the list.

[KA9MOT]

I know what number 1 is.
So the engine and heater system holds holds 1.21 Gallon, the radiator holds .75 gallon and the reservoir hold .04 gallon. Total system capacity is 2 gallon. It should all add up if my brain didn't fart. So we have 1.21 gallons in the system and we add .79 gallons of 100% Anti-Freeze we are not at 50/50. We are close but we are not there. SO to get "there" we must drain out enough water to get us "there" or .21 gallons. If we are going to drain .21 gallons (which would be a pain to measure) why not do it correctly and drain it all, and put in a mixture we know is correct.

You can ask 1fatcat, in Minnesota it is very important that your mixture is exactly 50/50 and up here some folks mix 60/40 because it gets down to 30 or 40 below.

When you are not in the "Icebox" you can play a little. There is no room for error up here.

[KA9MOT]

I just saw your "slow down there" statement. I am not angry but my post makes me sound angry. I AM adamant because it is a big deal up here and if I took my new car to Mr. Goodwrench and it was guessed at I would be angry. Very angry.

[KA9MOT]

And why do I understand this crap so well and can not correctly rebuild a carb is beyond me.

[1fatcat]

The overflow tank and the heater core is all included in the cooling system capacity found in the owners manual. Example; if there was not one drop of coolant in the engine, radiator, overflow tank and heater core, then the cooling system capacity found in the owners manual would fill the ENTIRE COOLING SYSTEM to the proper level.

If the radiator holds more than the engine, then refer to step 4 in my previous post.

If the engine holds more than the radiator, then poor the remainder of straight coolant into the overflow tank without using water. It will mix in with the engine/radiator coolant alot faster than one might think. Personaly I have never had to do this as every vehicle I have ever flushed coolant on, the engine block holds less coolant thant the radiator. But I'm not saying that holds true for all vehicles.

[1fatcat]

Originally posted by Beefy's Bronco
if I took my new car to Mr. Goodwrench and it was guessed at I would be angry.

It's simple mathamatics man, no guess work involved! Last time I checked, 10 divided by 2 equals 5.

[KA9MOT]

My F-150's radiator holds more then the engine. My bronco II does not. If his Ranger is a 4.0 with an automatic it has a huge radiator and it will hold more then the engine. If it is a 3.0 then it had the small radiator (The same size as mine) and holds less then a gallon. The remainder is in the rest of the system.

BTW, The 2.8, 2.9, 3.0 and 4.0 Ford V6 engines are all the same blocks. They have drastically different heads and all are based on car engines originating to the 2.8 Mustangs and Pintos. They are good engines but until the 4.0 none were very powerful and the heads on the 2.9s were prone to cracking if the engine overheated.

So, I am thinking that I am starting to understand your method but to my mind it is back asswards.

I guess all that matters is that the system is full of a 50/50 mixture of Anti-Freeze, which by the way is the correct term.

[KA9MOT]

Reckon we confused the original poster yet?

My advice is to read the instructions in your repair manual. Don't have a repair manual for your car? Shame on you!

Opinionated aren't I?

[danny]

i think i read on the bottles/jugs that it comes in calls it anti-freeze/coolant. i always mix 60/40(less water) because i believe that not only will it protect to a lower temp it will protect to a higher temp. i lived in northern idaho(near can-a-da aye?) for a while and do know what cold temps are and what anti-freeze or the lack of can/will do to the engine of a car.

[KA9MOT]

Allot of folks here do the 60/40 thing.

As far as the cooling part they say that water cools better but anti-freeze has the additive necessary to make your water pump live. I think even Sam and Dave said that. LOL