Flushing cooling System
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 728
Likes: 276
Thread Starter
5 Year Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,642
Likes: 651
From: Durham, NC
5 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 277
Likes: 53
Thank you so much!
I plan on switching to the yellow coolant, and plan on flushing. I typically remove the thermostat, and fill the system with distilled water (I'll find the answer to my question here). I run the engine for awhile, with the heater on. I then drain the system. I repeat doing this, until what I drain is clear, and I know there is only distilled water in the block.
I plan on switching to the yellow coolant, and plan on flushing. I typically remove the thermostat, and fill the system with distilled water (I'll find the answer to my question here). I run the engine for awhile, with the heater on. I then drain the system. I repeat doing this, until what I drain is clear, and I know there is only distilled water in the block.
Flaccid Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,168
Likes: 588
From: Maine
Funny, I just flushed my 2016 5.0L in the driveway a few weeks ago.
A LOT of coolant stayed in the block. I wished I'd found a better way to drain than using the radiator. I put a hose in the coolant fill and ran the truck at temp (thermostat is 190°) with the water running. I feel good about the flush in that I'm sure that eventually I flushed all of the old coolant out... but I don't believe I was able to get all of the tap water out of the block when I was done flushing. The capacity is around 4 gallons. When I was satisfied with the flush, I attempted to drain all of the flush water out. When the drain stopped completely, I shut the drain and put in undiluted coolant. After adding the requisite 2 gallons of coolant (for a 50/50 mix), there was barely any room left for distilled water. I added maybe a half gallon, which means there's around 1.5 gallons of tap water in there. Not ideal, given the tap water is pretty hard where I am.
I stuck with the orange Prestone Dex Cool. Yesterday I bought 2 gallons of premixed Dex Cool and today I'm going to try to drain enough coolant to add it. That should let me expel at least some of the tap water.
A LOT of coolant stayed in the block. I wished I'd found a better way to drain than using the radiator. I put a hose in the coolant fill and ran the truck at temp (thermostat is 190°) with the water running. I feel good about the flush in that I'm sure that eventually I flushed all of the old coolant out... but I don't believe I was able to get all of the tap water out of the block when I was done flushing. The capacity is around 4 gallons. When I was satisfied with the flush, I attempted to drain all of the flush water out. When the drain stopped completely, I shut the drain and put in undiluted coolant. After adding the requisite 2 gallons of coolant (for a 50/50 mix), there was barely any room left for distilled water. I added maybe a half gallon, which means there's around 1.5 gallons of tap water in there. Not ideal, given the tap water is pretty hard where I am.
I stuck with the orange Prestone Dex Cool. Yesterday I bought 2 gallons of premixed Dex Cool and today I'm going to try to drain enough coolant to add it. That should let me expel at least some of the tap water.
Thread Starter
5 Year Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,642
Likes: 651
From: Durham, NC
Funny, I just flushed my 2016 5.0L in the driveway a few weeks ago.
A LOT of coolant stayed in the block. I wished I'd found a better way to drain than using the radiator. I put a hose in the coolant fill and ran the truck at temp (thermostat is 190°) with the water running. I feel good about the flush in that I'm sure that eventually I flushed all of the old coolant out... but I don't believe I was able to get all of the tap water out of the block when I was done flushing. The capacity is around 4 gallons. When I was satisfied with the flush, I attempted to drain all of the flush water out. When the drain stopped completely, I shut the drain and put in undiluted coolant. After adding the requisite 2 gallons of coolant (for a 50/50 mix), there was barely any room left for distilled water. I added maybe a half gallon, which means there's around 1.5 gallons of tap water in there. Not ideal, given the tap water is pretty hard where I am.
I stuck with the orange Prestone Dex Cool. Yesterday I bought 2 gallons of premixed Dex Cool and today I'm going to try to drain enough coolant to add it. That should let me expel at least some of the tap water.
A LOT of coolant stayed in the block. I wished I'd found a better way to drain than using the radiator. I put a hose in the coolant fill and ran the truck at temp (thermostat is 190°) with the water running. I feel good about the flush in that I'm sure that eventually I flushed all of the old coolant out... but I don't believe I was able to get all of the tap water out of the block when I was done flushing. The capacity is around 4 gallons. When I was satisfied with the flush, I attempted to drain all of the flush water out. When the drain stopped completely, I shut the drain and put in undiluted coolant. After adding the requisite 2 gallons of coolant (for a 50/50 mix), there was barely any room left for distilled water. I added maybe a half gallon, which means there's around 1.5 gallons of tap water in there. Not ideal, given the tap water is pretty hard where I am.
I stuck with the orange Prestone Dex Cool. Yesterday I bought 2 gallons of premixed Dex Cool and today I'm going to try to drain enough coolant to add it. That should let me expel at least some of the tap water.
Flaccid Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,168
Likes: 588
From: Maine
Yes, next time I’ll do that. I’d never flushed a cooling system before a few weeks ago.
Alright, so I just came in from doing this. I got about a gallon of free-flowing coolant out of the radiator before it started to slow down. After maybe twenty minutes, I’d squeezed 1-3/4 gallons out. I put 1-1/2 gallons of premix back in. I’ll work the air bubbles out over the next few days and get it topped off.
Alright, so I just came in from doing this. I got about a gallon of free-flowing coolant out of the radiator before it started to slow down. After maybe twenty minutes, I’d squeezed 1-3/4 gallons out. I put 1-1/2 gallons of premix back in. I’ll work the air bubbles out over the next few days and get it topped off.
5 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 697
Likes: 185
From: Saskatchewan
Pretty obvious to me your dealer staff doesn't read the tsbs or the special service letters.
Read this similar thread from last winter.
https://www.f150forum.com/f118/winte...p-task-459104/
Last edited by MF cowboy; Jun 14, 2020 at 03:17 PM.
5 Year Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 3,263
Likes: 1,177
I would think that since the new coolant is backwards compatible with the orange coolant Ford will do like the Japanese manufacturers and phase out the older coolant when the current stock runs out in inventory. When Toyota went from the red long life coolant to their current pink super long life coolant they stopped selling the older red coolant and only have the pink coolant at dealerships.