Draining Coolant

[sjbsuperman1425]

Hey guys/gals,

im storing my car for the winter, and just last night, i started thinking/worry about coolant in the block expanding and cracking the block. i know there are freeze plugs but most of the time, dont work or are corroded into place. so heres the question.

Should i drain the coolant out for the winter or leave it?Also, how hard is it to get to the drain plug. the FSM says its on the rear left side of the engine, which is the intake side right?

Thanks.

[superJoy]

Are you running a antifreeze/water mix or just straight water? If you're running like a 50/50 water/antifreeze mix you shouldn't have any problems. If you're just straight water, you need to drain it out and fill up with the proper mixture ASAP.

The drain plug is on the exhaust side of the block, but you could probably get away with draining from the radiator only and filling it back up with antifreeze. Reasoning being, that should be enough volume of antifreeze and not all of the coolant needs to be changed since it doesn't have many miles on it (fresh swap, right?)

[sjbsuperman1425]

yea i just put it in this August. im running 50/50, well antifreeze/water mix. I never run straight water, even though it is the best coolant, i'd still never do it lol. Thanks for the info.

[Rin5]

yea i just put it in this August. im running 50/50, well antifreeze/water mix. I never run straight water, even though it is the best coolant, i'd still never do it lol. Thanks for the info.

water is the best coolant?

[Kaforlife]

X2

[sjbsuperman1425]

water is the best coolant?

sorry, let me correct myself. running 60% antifreeze - 40% water is probably the best for cold climates.

100% antifreeze used = boiling point of 330 degrees60% anitfreeze used = freezing point of -60 degrees

In summer you dont have to run antifreeze in water, since water boils at 210 degrees and freezes at 32. i guess thats what i was trying to say.

btw, do yo

[rico05]

Distilled water is the best coolant, but you have to run distilled or you will get rust issues (TRUST me...). I run diltilled water and RedLine Water Wetter.

[sjbsuperman1425]

unless of course you have an aluminum block, but we dont so thats not rellivant lol

well i couldn't get the drain plug out of the block and i was to worried about snapping it off trying to get it out, SO heres what i did

took the upper and lower rad hoses off, drained them, then blew through the top rad hose with my mouth to push the coolant out lol it actually worked!

[Buddyworm]

lol, you can tell which dudes are from warmer climates.

[sjbsuperman1425]

lol, you can tell which dudes are from warmer climates.

i gotta do what i gotta do lol

[Rin5]

Distilled water is the best coolant, but you have to run distilled or you will get rust issues (TRUST me...). I run diltilled water and RedLine Water Wetter.

flushing with hose water and filling it with 50/50 wont hurt it right?