Write-Up: Coolant Flush and Replacement (info)

[LilRed]

Can someone please a coolant drain, flush and fill write up? I've looked around and I don't know what to do with the thermostat housing unit. I also cannot for the life of me find the "water drain plugs" on the side(s) of the engine block. If some one has pictures that would help me out so much. (not a diagram picture because they all show where it is at, but i absolutely cannot find it under the hood) I really need the steps with what to do during the thermostat process.

 

[Gadget]

Are you swapping the water inlet assembly or are you really thing to flush all the coolant?

G

 

[My68ur8trd]

This is how I usually do it.

Drain the radiator ( drain plug on the bottom drivers side).

Pull the top radiator hose and unbolt the T-stat house ( it will spill more coolant, so be ready to catch it)

change the T-stat ( if you are putting the ARP unit in) and be sure to seal it well and let it dry. and put the top hose back in and fill it.


for cars that use normal 50/50 coolant ( not this high mileage stuff).

I drain the radiator and fill it with water.
Start it and let it warm up to open the T-stat and cycle the water through.
Let is cool, drain and fill with water again and repeat.

Then I fill with 75% coolant mix ( to compensate for the water that is in the block) and let is cycle again and your done.


but that really isnt relevant :smile: since we have that high mileage coolant

Justin

 

[Murderface]

There's also a drain on the passenger side of the block

 

[LilRed]

Are you swapping the water inlet assembly or are you really thing to flush all the coolant?

G

No, just a flush. I read somewhere that there is a "water/coolant drain plug" on both side of the block that drain the coolant in the engine itself. I even have the part number "11415A".

This is how I usually do it.

Drain the radiator ( drain plug on the bottom drivers side).

Pull the top radiator hose and unbolt the T-stat house ( it will spill more coolant, so be ready to catch it)

change the T-stat ( if you are putting the ARP unit in) and be sure to seal it well and let it dry. and put the top hose back in and fill it.


for cars that use normal 50/50 coolant ( not this high mileage stuff).

I drain the radiator and fill it with water.
Start it and let it warm up to open the T-stat and cycle the water through.
Let is cool, drain and fill with water again and repeat.

Then I fill with 75% coolant mix ( to compensate for the water that is in the block) and let is cycle again and your done.


but that really isnt relevant :smile: since we have that high mileage coolant

Justin

Yeah I guess that could do it. I just want to be able to drain the block before, then add the water to rinse. This would probably be safer than having an empty engine with no coolant or water. :vollkommenauf: That would probably be the safest way to go. Mine just reached 55,000 miles. I'm not really confident in 100,000 mile when it use to be standard to have it done every 30,000. So I'm going to play it safe.

There's also a drain on the passenger side of the block

Yeah that was the issue.. I couldn't fine either of those. there is one on both sides of the block. I found the part number though.

When you want to cycle the coolant through the block, this can be done by putting the thermostat on hot, right? (cabin blower)

 

[Gadget]

Yes, there is a spiket on each side of the block to drain the cooling jacket.

They are pretty easy to find and have a 10mm bolt head on them.

The cooling jacket on the 1GR holds a huge amount of coolant compared to the 5VZ.

G

 

[08x]

i hope ur putting back in the toyota long life or super long life coolant and also you do no it is 100,000 mile coolant

 

[LilRed]

Yes, there is a spiket on each side of the block to drain the cooling jacket.

They are pretty easy to find and have a 10mm bolt head on them.

The cooling jacket on the 1GR holds a huge amount of coolant compared to the 5VZ.

G

Yeah that's the only problem, I can't find it or is it the bolt that is between the front and middle cylinder? the little silver guy?

i hope ur putting back in the toyota long life or super long life coolant and also you do no it is 100,000 mile coolant

You know it! Toyota definitely has the best coolant, hands down.
Yeah I know it is rated at 100,000 miles, but I just don't trust something being in the system for that long. I can see changing it out at 80,000 or even 120,000 but for me... well i just feel more comfortable knowing its good to go. Is there any harm in changing it out at 5x,xxx miles? I bought the truck used about six months ago and I don't have any history on it with the previous owner. Besides it has the green crap in the radiator, not completely though, I think it was just topped off with green, either way, I want to change it. LOL
:top:

 

[Torspd]

The bolt head is s brass color, and there is a little drain hole directly underneath that bolt. You can attach a hose to it to HP with the draining process.

 

[LilRed]

okay cool thanks, can you see the drain plug better from the top or underneath the engine?

 

[LilRed]

So this is what I ended up doing.

1. drained radiator
2. disconnected upper radiator hose
3. disconnected thermostat housing hose (tucked it away from fan)
4. flushed radiator with water
5. flushed block by putting water into the upper radiator hose (I could see the coolant coming up and leaving the block)
6. put the water into where the thermostat housing hose was
7. Started the engine with the water hose flowing (I made sure nothing was in the way of the fan, ie water hose, thermostat hose)
8. then put the air on hot (no a/c) letting the engine flush (I could see the water coming out of the upper radiator hose)
9. turned off the truck, and reconnected all the hoses
10. filled up the radiator with 100% Toyota Long Life Coolant:top: (so everyone can stop freaking out about what fluid I am going to use):argh: I filled up the whole empty radiator and it use almost all of one gallon
11. I wanted to verify that it was flowing properly so I left the radiator cap off/started the truck
12. let it warm up (steady rev to 2,000 rpm) (I could see the water mixing slowly with the coolant with the radiator cap off)
13. I'm going to drive it a little tonight, and since the % of water to coolant is off I'm going to drain the radiator again tomorrow when it has cooled off then add another gallon of the 100% Toyota Long Life Coolant :tongue:
14. I did my math and if the mixture is even (which it will be by time I drive it around for a little bit) then adding the other gallon will make my total mixture 60% Coolant to 40% water. Which is perfect for the winter time. :top:


let me know if anybody can see anything that I should not have done. so I will know next time. Or if there is something that is majorly wrong so that I don't cause any damage to my truck.

 

[671PinoyDee]

Im a lil late on this, its already 2013 lol, but I just bought my x-runner and wanted to do the same thing.. This is helpful, But LiLred I was wondering if YOu ever ended up taking pix of the engine block drain plugs? and is it underneat the engine? cause on the service manual it showing bolts on top of the engine unless im looking at it wrong. thanks