ueww40

Here is my dilemma. I have thoroughly flushed and cleaned the entire cooling system, because i had to replace the radiator because the right side plastic tank was cracked and the whole thing was leaking. According to my manual the entire system has a capacity of about 20 quarts. In order to get the proper 50/50 mix of coolant and water I need to be able to put about 2.5 gallons of pure coolant in to the system. With the system completely drained as good as it can be done by removing the lower hose from the radiator, there is only enough room in the system to add about 1.6 gallons of coolant before it is full. Almost a full gallon short of coolant and therefore I am not able to come close to a 50/50 mixture. Short of messing with the drain plugs of my 4.6 ltr engine and remove the water from the engine block as well what can I do to get the correct 50/50 mixture? Thanks for your tips.

BareBonesXL

Remove as much water as you can then do the math. If you can get 0.8 gallons out you're golden. Refill with 0.8 gallons of antifreeze and you'll be at 50/50. Then mix the 50/50 blend up before you add more, to top it off.

mbb

Well you could drain it after after adding coolant and mixing, to add more coolant.

Or ....remove plug from block.

Or siphon out

Or blow out with low pressure

My radiator hold precisely 1/2 system volume.

Jbrew

Agree with the above, but after a system flush, a good flush so all that's left trapped in the block is clean water. The math will work out then or close enough. All you need then is a coolant tester to verify the math lol. Should always check your math.

ueww40

I am a little confused now. All of you who are telling me to do the math must realize that I did do the math, nothing but math. If my system holds 20 quarts (or 5 gallons) of total capacity and a complete drain enables me to remove only 1.6 gallons of clean pure water that means I am short 0.9 gallons to achieve a 50/50 mix. I think mbb got it right. I will have to try one of his suggestions. Applying air pressure thru the upper hose seems the way to go, if I can figure out a way to keep the stat open long enough.

white89gt

By doing the math, they are saying to apply it to your mixture of 50/50. If you are flushing with water, and only water is in the block when you fill, be sure to compensate for that water with the concentrated mixture. In other words, if you know there is 1 gallon in the block, put 1 gallon of concentrate in first, then go to your 50/50 mixture.

BareBonesXL

Complete drain made it sound like you had it dry. You meant "attempted to get a complete drain". In your first post, my first thought was that your actual system capacity was only 1.6 gallons. You used the word "coolant" also, which is the blend of antifreeze and water. Water is a coolant too. Water + antifreeze = "coolant", at least in my brain. Hence the confusion.

So what you're really saying is that you need to drain 2.5 - 1.6 = 0.9 gallons more out of the system. How about jacking up the back of the truck? That might drain a little more from the block.

And are you including the reservoir tank in your calculations?

Ford recommends using a tool like this and getting the level to -34 F. If you get to a point where you're not positive about capacities.
Forgot to say also that Ford's procedure in the owners' manual to adjust the ratio is to drain and add antifreeze until it measures right. Drain-add-drain-add... Seems goofy.

LWJ

Moral to this story (post), just add a 50/50 mixture to begin with until the system is burped and full.

BareBonesXL

His basic problem is that after flushing the system he can't get all of the water out. It doesn't drain completely. So if he started with 50/50 it would be diluted by the water that is "stuck" inside.

Blow it out with air seemed like a good idea. But is the block drain really that hard to get get to? It's just a short bolt in a hole, isn't it?

BigEd54

Drain the block and your problem will be solved.