HEy all....
i drained my radiator on the weekend and filled it with glycol based coolant and some radiator stop leak cos it was leaking(der..).
now the temp needle goes to 2/3 in 10 minuts! its frying itself!!!NNOOOOO!!!!......

so what is the correct way to drain the cooling system, then fill it all back up without getting blockages or air pockets or whatever......

Mabey its the stop leak stuff...its these little brown chook pellet looking things in a small container of black liquid, im not sure if they all dissolved and just plugged up the waterjacket or blah blah...I DUNNO!

So can anyone pleaase help cos this is my only car and i gotta keep it running to work and the bus's SUCK!

the FULL way to clean out a cooling system is to
A: remove radiator

b: feel the large hoses for cruddy corrosion within the channels (a crunchy feeling indicates this) if so, best to replace the hoses, there cheap

c: get a hose and reverse flush the radiator with the cap on the radiator. so turn it upside down and stick the hose in, move the radiator so it sits on all 4 sides and the water rush reaches all 4 corners sufficiently.

d: get the hose and stick it up the bottom unlet hose, the one that leads to the water pump, and turn the hose on high blast, this will flush the engine and loosen up all crud within the system.

e: remove top hose and then the thermo and stick the hose in there and flush the water thru, so all the crud comes out the bottom hose.

f: put it all back together

g: fill system up to as much as it can take

h: turn car over

i: fill system up till it cant take anymore

the water will drop due to the pump filling all areas of the block.
this way of doing it ensures the most amount of crud is removed.

also, remember to top up the reservior with coolant! as the radiator will draw coolant from it if it needs it.

Thanks Astron Boy That helps a stack!

I found out the stop leak(basically aluminium powder in pelletty things) wont dissolve in the glycol based coolant, but water is best!
Would it be worth getting "radiator Flush.." stuff?
Or is it a bit of a gimmick

tonight im gonna unplug it all and completely flush the whole thing, then put coolant in the reservior only,
but this doesnt really stop the radiator leaking!

would another bottle of stop leak in only water fix it?
or should i just get a new one...its still the original .....286000km old!

Thanks Guys!

I would suggest getting a new one, unless you take it to a Radiator specific place to see if they can fix it. Flushing and changing it will not fix a leak!! waste of coolant.

Unless you can find one on ebay and change it yourself - or from a wrecker..

Take it to a Radiator place?

Are you SURE you read the instructions on the Radiator Stopleak bottle?!

Last time I looked at one... definitely said to pour it in only when HOT. :redface:

With the engine cold, I'd remove the rad cap then let it idle to warm up.
Only pour the pellets in when the coolant was up to warm temp.


--------------------------


Decent 1st gen radiators are getting really rare in the scrappers;
my TN wept a little bit but its still better than anything else out there.
A brandnew rad will set you back $300-400.

(I'm on firstname terms with Lenny at Natrad :P )




Where is it leaking?
Header/bottom tanks or in the coils?

new magna radiator arnt that expensive, well maybe it was a recon, but before i got my car, the radiator went on it, and they just got it replaced as it was cheaper apparently....

new magna radiator arnt that expensive, well maybe it was a recon, but before i got my car, the radiator went on it, and they just got it replaced as it was cheaper apparently....
Anything under $200 = reCON. :confused:

Old radiators can be rebuilt reusing old top/bottom tanks, cost probably $300.

All new unit from Mitsu nearer $400.



Can't justify that on a 1st gen worth best $500... lol

GRRRRRR

"......Whats your malfunction NUMBNUTS!"

I didnt warm up the Engine! What a kinda nearly silly billy thing to do!....

Ah far out i was really tired though!

But wouldnt the hot water melted the pellets by now??

Last time I looked at one definitely said to pour it in only when HOT. :redface:
With the engine cold,

Im not the smartest tool in the shed but how do u manage this one..?? :confused: :confused:

If water is hot so is engine unless u poor hot water into radiator.. :nuts: :nuts:

Im not the smartest tool in the shed but how do u manage this one..??
If water is hot so is engine unless u poor hot water into radiator..
haha, I learnt :) long time ago not to open hot radiator caps (owwww....)

So begin with a cold engine, cold everything... LOOSEN or remove the rad cap.
Then start the engine and let it idle for 10-15mins with the rad cap loose/removed.

Voila hot engine, hot water, no rad cap & a hole to pour the pellets into. :cool:

Im not the smartest tool in the shed but how do u manage this one..?? :confused: :confused:

If water is hot so is engine unless u poor hot water into radiator.. :nuts: :nuts:
empty the radiator when the engines cold and fill it with hot water

duh....

lol

i wouldnt recomend those pour in leak fix crap. only afects the rest of ure system, and if the stuff is crap, can cause more probs than solve.
get ure rad recond, or replaced.

Anything under $200 = reCON. :confused:

i think it was, but it works and it was cheap.

/me wonders if astron boy has a leightweight Aliminium radiator lol

i think it was, but it works and it was cheap.

/me wonders if astron boy has a leightweight Aliminium radiator lol
nah man, i took mine from a mack truck :P

lol, though i am into weight reduction...... not that extreme







yet. :D

nah man, i took mine from a mack truck :P
Don't joke, my Natrad guy goes a lot of work for truckies on their air2air turbo intercoolers.

Last time I was there, parked next to a huge "radiator" bigger than the TN's tailgate!! :)

ooohhhhh shhhiiiii7

I took it to repco/garage and they did a compression test and said it was really studffed.

then they called back and said it was a leaking head gasket and water was getting in cyl. 4
and theyre not sure if the head is cracked but its gonna cost around $600 to fix...it needs new gasket, head checked and shaved to have no warpage, and all put back together with a radiator/cooling system flush.

is $600.00 too much? i see gaskets on ebay alll the time and a head shave is about $75 here....

Im really thinking this car is going to be sold very soon, atleast while it is still worth something. I took it to a caryard and they said i could get a $1000 trade-in....

far out im almost in tears this is so depressing.....

I took it to repco/garage and they did a compression test and said it was really studffed.

then they called back and said it was a leaking head gasket and water was getting in cyl. 4
and theyre not sure if the head is cracked but its gonna cost around $600 to fix...it needs new gasket, head checked and shaved to have no warpage, and all put back together with a radiator/cooling system flush.

is $600.00 too much? i see gaskets on ebay alll the time and a head shave is about $75 here....

Im really thinking this car is going to be sold very soon, atleast while it is still worth something. I took it to a caryard and they said i could get a $1000 trade-in....

Head problems very common on the AstronIIs.

$600 is about right if you had to pay someone to do everything above at labour rates.

Is it cracked or is it warped? If its cracked you need a new head... and there aren't
many left of those in the junkyards these days. Just parts alone won't be cheap.
(every 1st gen at the junkers' I've climbed onto is missing top half of engine)

the mechi said he was gonna get the head tested before shaving it, and if it was cracked then i will buy one from my uncle... cams and springs, sigma rocker gear...everything!
he built it for a 2nd gen astron2 its in mint condition and he did some extrusion flow porting or something? i didnt understand it but it was like he forced abrasive cream through the intake ports and wierd sh1t like that... apparently it flows really well!

so mabey this is a good thing!

* Hitech Extractors
* superflowed head
* new radiator
* 2 inch exhaust
* ????? who knows what else i need to fix in the future....