engine and drivetrain Changing Out My Cooling System -- Any Tips?

[bcarey]

Hi all,

 

After I removed my leaky radiator, I realized that my hoses were also leaky, that my thermostat was kaput and that my water pump had a bunch of gunk in it. So I figured I'd just replace everything at once (the fan blade, too).

 

This is my first major mechanical undertaking on this or any car. I've been reading about similar efforts here on the FAQ, and I have read the Haynes section on this a couple of times, but I was wondering if you all have any tips I should follow on how to do this right the first time.

 

Thanks! 

[GoFaSSter]

Drain the engine block and flush the whole system.

[bcarey]

Drain the engine block and flush the whole system.

 

Yup, I did that before I removed the radiator, and will probably do another flush once I get the new one in, before I add new coolant. Is everything else pretty straightforward? 

[GoFaSSter]

When you refill it, do it with the car nose elevated and try to burp the hoses as it warms up. Also, open the heater valve to hot.

[Simeon]

Drill a small (2mm) hole in the bottom plate of the thermostat. Helps with bleeding air out.

Get a three row radiator core installed by a radiator specialist.

With your spiffing new coolant system you will not need to run a cooler thermostat, so get an 82 degree one. Your engine will appreciate running (controllably) hotter.