Flushing Coolant From Block

[Galois]

hey kong, glad to hear the flush worked! change it after 10000km with some better stuff ir you're worried, if it doesn't last 30000km hten the manufacturor is screwed

[jackdanielz]

found where they are, to clarify, one is to the left of ur stock bov (if ur standing facing ur car) and the other one is just under the neo cover like the picture above..

to kong,

think of it as Spark Plugs the platinums arent necessarily better than the copper its just that the electrodes could last longer.. the cheaper coolants, after 30k would have chunks and rusts, the long life ones would have too, but fairly less..

so if u hate flushing ur radiator every 30k then might as well get the long life one...

[KrazyKong]

found where they are, to clarify, one is to the left of ur stock bov (if ur standing facing ur car) and the other one is just under the neo cover like the picture above..

to kong,

think of it as Spark Plugs the platinums arent necessarily better than the copper its just that the electrodes could last longer.. the cheaper coolants, after 30k would have chunks and rusts, the long life ones would have too, but fairly less..

so if u hate flushing ur radiator every 30k then might as well get the long life one...

Would I be wise to have something with a rust inhibiter in the coolant? I'm not sure if mine has any. I don't mind changing out the coolant every 30k, and in fact I don't think it's too bad an idea. Going on how bad various parts were coroding until I discovered them, changing the coolant more frequently I think is a smart move. All I'm concerned about is, will I get better protection with more expensive coolants, or are you only paying for a long lifespan.

[mad082]

you do get slightly better protection, and it will more than likely have corrosion inhibitors in it. i'd check specs of the coolant you put in and just see if it does have the rust inhibitor in it. if it does then i'd just leave it in there for now.

also comes down to how much you drive the car. generally they will have a life span on coolants that isn't just how many kms, but also how many years. i think most coolants are supposed to be changed every 2 years or so if you don't have to change them earlier due to kms.

[jackdanielz]

well said by mad082... but ill change mine after 30k kms, no matter how good the rust inhibitants are really..

[PhilKenSebben]

Soooooo...

I've been checking this thread for nearly 2 months now. Still want to know where the drain plug is.

Some say mission impossible. Any pics?

Mad082, you've said repeatedly to "use the drain plug, that's why it's there!". Where?!?! Pictures would be lovely but I'll settle for a vague description.

It's been alluded to several times but has as yet remains unanswered. Please help, I'm getting my new radiator soon.

[some_cs_student]

Are we referring to the small bolt on the front of the head? Or the bolt they are referring to it this post:

http://forums.nicoclub.com/oil-in-coolant-...5.html#p5577658

[gotRICE?]

The bolt under 5th and 6th exhaust ports I never found it either.. but its there. I just dont think its easy to get to.

[jammie]

Oh i see, so I gotta pull that thermostat out before flushing the bkock to sort of unplug the block in a way?

Also how can I tell the condition of the thermostat?, might as well replace it while im at it if need be...

much appreciated,

tom

good luck dude, best is just take it to some mate that can do it

[sumoftheparts]

Here's a question...

does it matter than I put in some $5 cheap coolant that needs replacing after 30,000kms? I know it's not as good as the Nulon long life stuff, but I have no problem in draining it near the 30,000kms and refilling.

After my flushing the coolant has remained free from any scunge or rust coloured stuff. So it's been a success for sure. Just wondered really what's the difference between the various grades of coolant other than how many kms they last.

Coolants that meet Australian Standard 2108-2004 fall into two different categories, Type A and Type B. You will find the type of coolant printed on the bottle. The main difference between the two is: Type A engine coolant contains antifreeze/antiboil coolant with corrosion inhibitor, while Type B engine coolant contains corrosion inhibitor only. In other words, Type B contains no glycol (antifreeze). This info is straight from the standard which I have in front of me.

Type B is the stuff you will often see labeled "for pre-1984 vehicles only". Type A will have a higher boiling point and lower freezing point due to the glycol. Note that there is no requirement for the premix Type A stuff to have a certain glycol level. This is for the manufacturer to determine.

There are other requirements to meet the standard such as pH, glassware corrosion levels, coolant hose immersion test, etc. One of the ones you can test yourself is foaming. If you shake the bottle of coolant, any foam that forms should disappear within 5 seconds.

I don't want to make recommendations because everyone's situation is different, but any Type A coolant with a glycol level of 33% is 'probably' going to be fine for normal street use in typical Australian conditions. I wouldn't run the Type B stuff because of the lack of boiling protection, especially if you like to give the car a good thrashing.

Nulon are fairly transparent about their product, which I like. You can see a comparison of their coolant's test results and the relevant standard here (click on specifications in the link): http://www.nulon.com.au/products/Long_Life...trated_Coolant/

Some people swear by the genuine Nissan stuff, others swear by Toyota coolant. Or perhaps you have an aluminium radiator and run the red stuff. Do your own research and decide what's best for your Skyline.

[Galois]

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Tu...ato-t67730.html

Seems like a good coolant flush DIY.

Edited September 12, 2010 by Galois

[Wacky Dee]

in relation to the block drain bolt .. from what I remember reading it's on the RHS of the block somewhere near the exhaust manifold.. But anyway, with all the heat/cool cycles over 10+ years I'm sure this mofo bolt has become very rusted on part of the block so I'm not sure unscrewing it for the first time since it was put there in the factory would be the smartest thing to do. ie. what if it breaks? Which is possible considering its probably never been touched before and is rusted onto the block.

I'm starting to think that maybe there is some sort of suction device with a long thin hose that you can feed into the block to "vaccum" all the old coolant out ..

[LUKE R34]

i just did a quick flush on my r34

droped old coolant,flushed radiator then filled and ran car and flushed a few times more

then filled with fresh coolant

what i DID'NT do was bleed the system afterwards(misses rang had to run )

should i be worried ?

should i do this?

seen the nut near plenum is this the one?(do not open when hot)

should i not worry about it?

car seems fine runs nice no overheating never goes past half on the temp gauge

cheers

[Galois]

just open the radiator cap and top it up first thing in the morning, should sort it out

[CrimsonLey]

I just read this thread.

I have rusty coolant in my radiator (GodSpeed) and it literally smells like fish. This situation has promoted me to purchase a new SARD rad, nismo stat, and samco hoses. The hoses are a 'might-as-well' purchase... My track my R34, BTW.

I don't know if there's rust in the block but I want to completely flush out the engine and my Garrett turbo since it's coolant-cooled. How do I completely flush/remove the rust out of the system and not containment the new rad?

[SargeRX8]

When I changed my turbo, I lost my coolant. It took about 7l to full up so I'm guessing most of my block was drained. All I disconnected was the water line from the turbo.

[CrimsonLey]

When I changed my turbo, I lost my coolant. It took about 7l to full up so I'm guessing most of my block was drained. All I disconnected was the water line from the turbo.

I think the turbo should be easy to clean since it's a relatively small coolant passage. My main concern is the new radiator. I want to avoid getting any sort of rusty coolant in it.

[SargeRX8]

I think the turbo should be easy to clean since it's a relatively small coolant passage. My main concern is the new radiator. I want to avoid getting any sort of rusty coolant in it.

Yeah I know, but what I am saying is just by opening the turbo water line, I had most of the water coming out. You can maybe even get a hose into the water port on the turbo and flush the system that way. As long as you can get into the water system and fit a hose there, you can flush it.

[CrimsonLey]

Thanks, mate. I'm going to try a little magic flushing out the block with the old rad removed and the new one uninstalled. I don't have any sort of machines so I'll have to accomplish this with a friend a few cans of beer.