Newbie in need of advice again.... Already! (Coolant leak)

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Schurkey

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Coolant was properly drained
Not if you haven't pulled the block drains yet. Same for draining the overflow bottle.

When it comes to overflow bottles, it's nice to REMOVE the thing. Take it into the kitchen, half-fill it with hot water, and a drop or two of dishwashing detergent. Shake it up, dump, repeat. Clean it up as good as you can. Then use less hot water plus a half-cup of sand. The wet sand scrubs the inside of the bottle.

Skipping the flush and fill kit and just using distilled water and prestone flush and running the engine and draining wouldn't do the job?
Better than nothing. Not as good as a proper flush. If that's what you can do...do it.

can someone please confirm that these are the engine block drains? 1 plug on passenger side (if I remember correctly) and the knock sensor on drivers side. Correct?
That's them. As I said earlier, I replace the iron/steel plug on the passenger side with a brass draincock, so that draining it "next time" is easier. (Both sides, if the passenger side hole doesn't have a knock sensor in it.)

Remember to look-up the cooling system capacity in the owner's manual or the service manual; divide by two if you're intending a 50/50 mix. That gets you the total quantity of anti-freeze needed. Half-fill the coolant overflow bottle with anti-freeze, then dump the rest into the radiator. Top-off with your water of choice--I use distilled. Point being, put the water in last, and deliberately under-fill the radiator by an inch or so.

I recommend one of the Lisle cooling-system funnel kits. When the engine is run the first time, it'll burp air into that funnel instead of onto the ground. After the thermostat has cycled a couple of times, all the air is gone except what's in the radiator, and that's easily topped-off without mess.
 
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KCusick81

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Not if you haven't pulled the block drains yet. Same for draining the overflow bottle.

When it comes to overflow bottles, it's nice to REMOVE the thing. Take it into the kitchen, half-fill it with hot water, and a drop or two of dishwashing detergent. Shake it up, dump, repeat. Clean it up as good as you can. Then use less hot water plus a half-cup of sand. The wet sand scrubs the inside of the bottle.


Better than nothing. Not as good as a proper flush. If that's what you can do...do it.


That's them. As I said earlier, I replace the iron/steel plug on the passenger side with a brass draincock, so that draining it "next time" is easier. (Both sides, if the passenger side hole doesn't have a knock sensor in it.)

Remember to look-up the cooling system capacity in the owner's manual or the service manual; divide by two if you're intending a 50/50 mix. That gets you the total quantity of anti-freeze needed. Half-fill the coolant overflow bottle with anti-freeze, then dump the rest into the radiator. Top-off with your water of choice--I use distilled. Point being, put the water in last, and deliberately under-fill the radiator by an inch or so.

I recommend one of the Lisle cooling-system funnel kits. When the engine is run the first time, it'll burp air into that funnel instead of onto the ground. After the thermostat has cycled a couple of times, all the air is gone except what's in the radiator, and that's easily topped-off without mess.
Thanks again for the info and yes, the system hasn't been COMPLETELY drained properly as of yet. I was making the point that I didn't just let it go on the ground or dump it down a storm drain or in the woods. Haha.

I like the draincock idea for future use. Do you know off hand what size the threads are and/or suggestions on good brand or where to pick one up? I need something for the radiator too. Previous owner just put a plug in it. That was a pain in the ***!
 

Schurkey

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I'd expect 1/4" pipe thread. Any home-improvement or hardware store should have 'em. Same for automotive parts stores.

Pontiac V-8 uses 1/8 pipe thread. Some Buick engines don't have block drain plugs. Rat bastages.

It appears that I'm going to find out if Ford V-10s have drain plugs in the next week or so. I just got rid of that damned Focus, and now I get to dick with a 400,000 mile Ford pickup. Pray for me.
 
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