Coolant change - not enough came out?

[Crispin]

Busy giving the 120 a new serpentine belt and new pink stuff. I drained the coolant from the drain valve at the bottom of the rad. For a few seconds it gushed out and then slowed to a trickle. The trickle has now stopped and all I have is about 5.5L - far from the 11.5 stated in the book. Before draining, the expansion bottle was on the min mark. Diff between min and max in the bottle cannot be more than one litre.

Am I missing something? I've jacked the back and then the front up to try and tip it out - no diff. Truck is on slightly level ground.

 

[AndyCook]

there will be a load left in the block, heater matrix inside cab

when i have taken thermostat housing off i have got more out - but its a pig to access
there is a drain plug on block somewhere, but i have never found it on the KZN130 engine - its under other stuff..

 

[Gary Stockton]

Isn't there a coolant drain on the engine block? The rest is prolly in engine still?

 

[Crispin]

Bit of a bore seeing as I have bought 15L of it

 

[Crispin]

Having a look on the EPC it looks like there is a drain behind the starter

Still confused at how I can only get half out. I accept some would remain in the block but for them to design it so half stays behind - seems odd...

Does refilling it then mean it's only 50% good as it is now diluted...

 

[Paul]

Is the coolant you have to put in already diluted?
If concentrated you could fill truck back up with water and drain out again a couple of times before replacing with the good stuff at the right mix %

 

[Chris]

Crispin, typically the thermostat has a trickle hole in it so that there is always some flow even if the stat actually fails, closed. When you drain from the bottom hose you get all the water in the rad and the hose to the block but that little trickle is all that comes through the hole. It will drain eventually. I'm going on 80 and 90 series engines and others that I have worked on. I'd expect the 120 to be the same. There should be a drain on the block too, but it should all really come out through the thermostat, eventually. There will be quite a bit in the heater too. Might be worth undoing the hose under the car where it goes in the rear heater system. It's the lowest point.

Chris

 

[Crispin]

I don't have rear heaters so no joy in that

I filled it up again and it only took around 4L.
Ran the engine for a bit and nothing was moving. Temp gauge started to climb and still no coolant moving. I put the power heater on thinking that pump might move the water around. It did nothing other than make itself and one of its pipes really hot. Too hot to touch Off with that and still the rad pipes had air in them.
The whole time the heater was blowing cold air as well. No hint of warmness.

Slow drive down the road and the needle continued its way up with no glimpse of warm air. As it passed the normal halfway point suddenly the hot air arrived and on checking the expansion tank, it was bone dry. Another 2L in brought it to the full mark which is roughly what I took out.

Paul - the pink stuff is pre-mix.

Bit pissed that I now have all this pink stuff left over.

Tony is changing a water pump soon... Oh Tony.......

 

[Nuclear Chicken]

You should have jacked the arse of the LC up as high as poss and you'd have got the block stuff out too, or at least some of it.

 

[Crispin]

I had it full height of jack. Could have put another tyre under it and then some...

Sent from TapaTalk

 

[Paul]

Park it downhill and do it