fordalex123

hey my truck doesnt overheat until i go up a steep mountain road. itll never overheat around town or on the highway, so im thinkin its the thermostat or i just need to have the rad flush. does anybody know if you can flush a rad yourself or if you have to have a shop do it? thanx

jhelrey

Pull the radiator cap, pull the drain for the radiator, let it drain all out. Fill it back up with water and take it for a drive. Let it cool, drain again. Refill with a 50/50 coolant mixture. Sometimes I pour straight coolant in like a quart. It will even out with the water that is in the system.

spanz

Tried doing a flush that way. I would recommend not. In the future I will get one of those prestone fast flush kits and install it into the hoses.

Since the F150 does not have a radiator cap, you have no way to really get the old stuff out without the fast flush kit. I tried draining the radiator, filling with water, drive, repeat...and after 4 repeats was still getting dirty stuff out. The old fluid just has too many places to hide without forcing it out with a garden hose attached to a heater hose!

mustangGT90210

What do you mean they don't have a radiator cap?

What I did on my old radiator that worked for a year was run a fast flush for about half an hour, disconnect the lower rad hose, drain. disconnect the top rad hose, put a garden hose in there and just ran it through until stuff came out clear.

supercrewzn

97-03 do not have a radiator cap. The resivor has the cap on it instead.

Chacka

Drain the coolant/ water out. Take the radiator cap off. Take the upper radiator hose off at the thermostat. Start the truck, turn the water hose on, stick it in the radiator and let it flush itself out while its running. I have done this many many times. It works great, and beats buying a prestone kit.

Chacka

I forgot about that. You could just dump the fluid, and do what I said from the resevior.

turnerg110

thats what i do.

Chacka

Im doing it this weekend, to my truck. I bet its never been done. I also use a baster to remove all the fluids from the PS, and brake fluid and put fresh in. It makes a world of difference.

supercrewzn

Just did this today. Man was my cooling system dirty!! I used the prestone back flush kit and for 4 bux, you cant beat it!