Drain Block and/or Fill with 50/50 Antifreeze
- Thread starter tcontic
- Start date
It took me less than an hour to pull the 2 drain plugs, drain the manifolds by pulling hoses, pour some AF down the intake hose (until I see it come out the intake holes in outdrive), pull a hose going to the HW heater loop and blow some air through it (via mouth) and pull hoses to risers and pour some AF down them and then fill the big hose from water pump to thermostat and fill with AF (slightly more than 2 gallons).
So three gallons of the pink RV AF. I would prefer some low tox Sierra, but too hard to find.
So three gallons of the pink RV AF. I would prefer some low tox Sierra, but too hard to find.
on my 4.3, I've got 4 plugs - two on each side. I got kinda caught by these sudden low temps. I drained each plug, but only added a gallon to each side. When temps warm up a bit, I'll do a more complete overall winterization such as oil change, fogging, etc. If you put a jar filled with water and covered outdoors overnight and it cracks, then you might be trouble.
on my 4.3, I've got 4 plugs - two on each side. I got kinda caught by these sudden low temps. I drained each plug, but only added a gallon to each side. When temps warm up a bit, I'll do a more complete overall winterization such as oil change, fogging, etc. If you put a jar filled with water and covered outdoors overnight and it cracks, then you might be trouble.
So can someone explain the advantage to sucking in AF via the outdrive? You want the most AF and yet get a mixed at best via that method.
Details:
0) You did not determine the t-stat was open and no AF (or little) got into your engine (see #2)
1) It appears to be easy but you need to buy a AF contanier.
2) Its a mixing situation so you need to drain and test some AF from the drain plugs to test.
3) Not easy to time stalling engine and turning off engine when engine has sucked up all the AF.
Details:
0) You did not determine the t-stat was open and no AF (or little) got into your engine (see #2)
1) It appears to be easy but you need to buy a AF contanier.
2) Its a mixing situation so you need to drain and test some AF from the drain plugs to test.
3) Not easy to time stalling engine and turning off engine when engine has sucked up all the AF.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- RO Number
- 10314
- Messages
- 850
Plus if you never remove the drain plugs and then have to one day, they may never come out! I have the brass colored metal plugs on my OMC and I just coat them with OMC/Bombardier triple guard grease and they always come out.
Considering the chemistry of rust (oxidation) since it is the oxygen in air or water that causes iron to rust, I think filling the engine and manifolds with antifreeze has got to cut down on the amount of oxygen and therefore corrosion.
Considering the chemistry of rust (oxidation) since it is the oxygen in air or water that causes iron to rust, I think filling the engine and manifolds with antifreeze has got to cut down on the amount of oxygen and therefore corrosion.
If one pulls them every fall and re-screws them back in after the draining, then I doubt one will ever have trouble pulling them. At least you will know where they are as opposed to I think I have some drain plugs for the block. In my boat you are feeling around for them with a wrench in your hand hoping to find them before you get tired. And as others have said, have a piece of wire in hand (or opened up paper clip) to pop in the drain hole to push aside rust and let everything drain.
But as my other posts have said, the best policy is to know what you block should take as far as filling via the hose, when you have poured that much in, you have filled the block, period.
But as my other posts have said, the best policy is to know what you block should take as far as filling via the hose, when you have poured that much in, you have filled the block, period.
BTW - for those who have yet to winterize (is there anyone) NAPA seems to carry both Prestone Low Tox and Sierra which would be my preferred AF for my 5.7L Merc for winterizing. I ended up using the pink RV AF which will certainly not freeze, (since I drained the engine and refilled via the hose) but does not contain the best anti-corrosive package as does a real AF like Prestone Low Tox or Sierra. Given they can be mixed 50/50 with plain water there is less than a $5.00 extra cost for using then in my boat (for a single engine cooling system).
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2006
- RO Number
- 24497
- Messages
- 113
Me too and it has always worked for me
only after I drain the block and pull the stat I just suck it up the drive while fogging the engine with two cans of Fogger in each side of the throttle body. Then I put the stat back in for next year. I use the RV -100 and run 4 gals in the block after it's drained. I believe it starts coming out after the third gal so I just let the rest get sucked in.Seems like a good way of doing it. I remove all 5 brass plugs on my Merc 7.4L; one one each side of the block, one on each manifold, and the one on the oil/power steering cooler. It's important to see a steady flow of water come out of each. If not, then stick something in the hole to make sure it's not clooged. I put the plugs back in and then fill the hoses with antifreeze. A bigblock should use about 6 gallons. I fog my engine prior to doing this. I feel fogging the engine is just as important. Coating the interior of the engine will keep rust from forming. I run the engine at an idle and start spraying in the fogging oil. The stream of fogging oil is not enough to stall a bigblock. While spraying I pull off the 12v wire to the ignition. If you have a helper, they could turn off the engine after 5 seconds of fogging. A little bit of time and a little bit of money will go a long way. Either pay a little now or a lot later.