Snap-On coolant tester / multiple uses??? pull a vacuum to remove air?

riotwarrior · Dec 11, 2013

K this came across my path last night and was told keep it in your shop I don't need it back you'll get more use out of it anyway and if anything does leak it's coming to your shop ;Sweet

So This was used today to test the Aerostar van and ya..it's got a leak that I'm not wanting to repair! Appears to be the timing cover DOH -cuss

Here we are with unit

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So here is my thought...The cap adapter I"m pointing too, I'm thinking could be used to create a vacuum in the system to pull all the air out???

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Cause I'm thinking that the adapter above coupled to this here...

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This ought to make one hell of a fine super sucker to draw a vacuum on the system and remove all the air.

Would this work like the other vacuum tools for clearing air out of our engines??? I"m curious as to your thoughts.

Anyone?

towcat · Dec 11, 2013

i have that pressure tester and the "super sucker". i don't think the supersucker will draw down to 29" effectively. also, i've seen the coolant vac tool go as cheap as $60 for the home DIY plastic version. just do yourself a favor snd get the damn thing, you use it once and you'd wish you done it sooner. i did a radiator change on a buddy's '88 f350 last nite (actually i supervised) but we got done in less than 45 mins from start to cleanup.

riotwarrior · Dec 11, 2013

Calvin, I'm all for tools...buying more, just damn...I don't want to buy something if this could work LOL

guess it's time to try eh? What have I got to loose?

If I have to buy the coolant vac tool, I'll not be buying a consumer grade tool, that is equivalent to say something like purchasing used condoms to me...just aint gonna happen nope...

icanfixall · Dec 11, 2013

I think some modifying will make this work great. I watched this done on a honda engine. That vacuum was pulled by the shop air and then the other line was placed in a barrel of coolant and it stayed under vacuum till the system was full of coolant. Now burping the air of bleeding off any thing. Because my driveway has a drop where the truck parts uphill I never have an issue with coolant refills because the radiater is the highest point in the cooling system. I do make sure the recovery bottle is kept full and moniter it for a week or so after coolant system work.

riotwarrior · Dec 11, 2013

Gary this issue isn't that our rad tank is lower than the engine, it's that the thermostat outlet is lower than the heads and such this is why I want to draw a vacuum on my system so there is NO room for air and only coolant in the heads etc.

Suppose I could put a gauge on the vacuum canister and see how much I get...if not enough maybe time to get out the AC recovery system and USE it to do same! :sly

My mind is always in gear and it's really annoying to not be able to stop! LOL

icanfixall · Dec 11, 2013

Al.. Find any broken home water cooler or refrigerator. Remove the compressor from that but be careful of the probable full system of freon. Once that black kettle looking thing is removed find the wires to make it run when its plugged in. The power it up and find which copper tube sucks and which one blows. Soldier on a fitting to either side and you have a very good vacuum pump or very small air pump. You will be surprised how much vacuum these things pull. Also any appliance repair store has these sitting on the shelf waiting for a buyer at around $25.00. But why buy when you can find one on the road side usually from dumpers doing the bad thing.

rattleonby · Dec 11, 2013

I imagine this could be easily adapted to your fluid sucker but not nearly as quick or powerful as a vacuum filler like i have. Yes they are pricey but im a mechanic so its an investment and time is always money. Theres also other uses other than automotive for it too. Just never anything other than coolant or water use. Whenever i come across a stubborn to bleed cooling system such as anything european

, or a larger cooling system like our idi's, powerstrokes, and larger i grab it. Youll thank yourself when ya bought it when u go to reuse your freshly bought 16$ a gallon fleetcharge to repair a simple stupid leak.

towcat · Dec 11, 2013

rattleonby said:
I imagine this could be easily adapted to your fluid sucker but not nearly as quick or powerful as a vacuum filler like i have. Yes they are pricey but im a mechanic so its an investment and time is always money. Theres also other uses other than automotive for it too. Just never anything other than coolant or water use. Whenever i come across a stubborn to bleed cooling system such as anything european, or a larger cooling system like our idi's, powerstrokes, and larger i grab it. Youll thank yourself when ya bought it when u go to reuse your freshly bought 16$ a gallon fleetcharge to repair a simple stupid leak.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!
i can't tell you how fustrating dealing with these cheap ****** here who want good stuff for free or better yet....pay them to take it off your hands. all these years i've serviced these IDI cooling systems and worried about airlocks in the head and cracking the heads if things didn't get bled properly. I come across a godsend and all these guys here want to do is cry that "it's too much"!!!! guess they want to burn down a motor and figure out just how much more that will cost.

rattleonby · Dec 11, 2013

No problem. Even though these engines are peanuts in price comparison to the cost of a powerstroke longblock its the labor cost to install it that we want to avoid...or in my case time. Which is almost non existent for me most of the time haha.

fordf350man · Dec 12, 2013

this is what i use and its great because it makes the coolant the highest part of the system so it forces the air out, it takes time because you have to allow the engine to get warm and the thermostat to open but it has never failed, when i was at Roush they actually made us stop using the vacuum fill tool because they actually were not getting all the air out of the system on the new ford vehicles, they kept having vehicle overheating, once we stopped using the vacuum fill tool and using these funnels had no problems, its cheap and easy to use, like i said hasn't failed me once

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...google&utm_campaign=gpla&utm_content=22970131

79jasper · Dec 12, 2013

How does that work? (The funnel)

Sent from my USCC-C6721 using Tapatalk

riotwarrior · Dec 12, 2013

towcat said:
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
i can't tell you how fustrating dealing with these cheap ****** here who want good stuff for free or better yet....pay them to take it off your hands. all these years i've serviced these IDI cooling systems and worried about airlocks in the head and cracking the heads if things didn't get bled properly. I come across a godsend and all these guys here want to do is cry that "it's too much"!!!! guess they want to burn down a motor and figure out just how much more that will cost.

Calvin,

has nothing to do with being cheap...has lots to do with wanting to do best I can with what I got...***** ive never even seen a coolant vacuum tool in person and just one picture.

I am sure in time ill own one...like just getting a stud gun for tyres...

as for the funnel...cool

fordf350man · Dec 12, 2013

79jasper said:
How does that work? (The funnel)

here is the basic idea in the video, i do it a little different, i fill the system before i put the funnel on and once the system is completely bled out before you take off the funnel squeeze one of the radiator hoses and hold it then install the plug, this way when you take the funnel off it doesn't spill every were, also don't fill the funnel all the way up, right before the thermostat opens it will fill and if the funnel is to full then it will spill over, learned that the hard way

EDIT: another this i don't do that this guy does in the video is turn the fan on high inside the car, i turn the fan on the lowest setting, it helps the engine warm faster because the fan will cool the coolant down and if there is a valve on the system it will still flow coolant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUpXgAJ1gjU

riotwarrior · Dec 21, 2013

I'm curious if this is the UNIT Towcat is speaking of?

http://www.amazon.com/UView-550000-Airlift-Cooling-Checker/dp/B0002SRH5G

I'm maybe having to do a well, coolant refill on a system with a heater core much higher than the rest of system in a van and as such I'm now considering one of these tools. DOH!

**** looking tool too!

Snap-On coolant tester / multiple uses??? pull a vacuum to remove air?

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