question about draining coolant/antifreeze

[donald]

Hi, all.

This is in regards to my R50 2001 Qx4.
Does everyone follow the process provided by the FSM for draining and re-filling coolant/antifreeze?

My main concern is in regards to step 4 and 5, where it directs to open the drain plugs on the "right side" and water pump side of the engine.
If I release the water pump drain plug, does that mean coolant will drain from there? The FSM says "do not let coolant come in contact with drive belts", but the water pump side is directly above the belts.
Or perhaps, if I drain the radiator, there should be very little that drains out of the block and won't spurt out like I think it will, and is relatively safe from getting on the belts?
OR can I just drain from the radiator, forget about the other 2 engine block drain plugs, and do a 4-step drain and refill (similar to what's advised for changing out transmission fluid over a AT flush)? I'd prefer to not have to drain from the engine block if it's not completely necessary

Here's the section of the FSM that I'm referring to.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U ... directlink

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Slumpert]

By actually using the drain plugs on the block you are more likely to purge gunk if present in the system.

Coolant on the drive belts makes them slippery but nothing a garden hose cant wash away.

Doing multiple radiator drains with short engine runs in between is my perfered method.

[skiski329]

I've never done this before, but maybe an idea could be to get a large diameter funnel with a tube connected to the end and catch what flows out of those drains. if you get a large enough diameter then it shouldn't clog up and you can focus the flow into a container or drain pan.