6.9 idi coolant drain

[Dodonne2]

I live in colorado its about to freeze in 48 hours and currently cant get my 6.9 running and I have only water in the coolant system. How to I fully flush the block from all water/coolant? Ive read there is a plug near the starter and one near the oil cooler. Any recommendations to make sure I get ALL the H20 out of the block before it freezes here. Thanks

 

[Cubey]

I live in colorado its about to freeze in 48 hours and currently cant get my 6.9 running and I have only water in the coolant system. How to I fully flush the block from all water/coolant? Ive read there is a plug near the starter and one near the oil cooler. Any recommendations to make sure I get ALL the H20 out of the block before it freezes here. Thanks

Maybe I'm wrong on this but it might be safe if you drain as much as possible normally, remove the thermostat and lower hose and leave the cooling system open to the air, and you should be fine. If there is room for for the water to expand as it freezes, it shouldn't bust anything. If it's open to the air and not sealed up, it should be ok. In theory anyway. That's what I would probably do.

 

[PROFG]

Would not hurt to keep track of how much you drain and pour back 1 gal of pure into water pump (remove top plug) or top radiator hose (if thermostat removed). Not into radiator. Would guarantee no more than slushy.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Maybe I'm wrong on this but it might be safe if you drain as much as possible normally, remove the thermostat and lower hose and leave the cooling system open to the air, and you should be fine. If there is room for for the water to expand as it freezes, it shouldn't bust anything. If it's open to the air and not sealed up, it should be ok. In theory anyway. That's what I would probably do.

I've done this myself. It worked for me that one time. I won't promise that it will work the same for anyone else. It should work though.
Dodonne2, if you have a later 6.9 with the brass hex plugs they should come out fairly easily. If you have an earlier one that you need a 1/4" square drive (like a 1/4" ratchet) those were a bear to get out back in the late 90's. You may have to drill them to drain the water. Later, you can use an Easy Out or something similar to remove the rest of the plugs. Then you can put some 1/4" NPT plugs of your choice back in.

 

[BeastMaster]

I guess long gone are the days you would pour the first stuff ( methanol ) along with the back ends ( amyl alcohol, fusel oils, etc. ) from your still in there.

It'l make you sick, maybe even kill ya to drink it, but it made good cleaning fluid, doctoring antiseptic, and antifreeze.

Ummm..I sure miss Grandpa.

I would leave that lower stopcock on the radiator open, and leave the thermostat housing opened to the point of breaking any vacuum holding water in the block.

As long as any remaining water has somewhere to go when it freezes. You do not want any confined in a pipe. Find the lowest spot in hosing, disconnect, and drain. ( Heater core ).

 

[Dodonne2]

I drilled through the 1/4 ratchet style plug just above the oil cooler on the driver side of the block. I drained the passenger side of the block by unscrewing the block heater plug until the coolant began to drain out. I removed the thermostat and drained the radiator. Will this be enough? Supposed to hit 16 degrees tonight.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

You should be just fine by doing that. You've removed about all of the water that you can without pulling the engine and rolling it over on it's side. Also by talking about the plug above the oil cooler, I assume that you mean the one that's above and behind the oil filter.

 

[Brian VT]

My 1987 6.9 n/a has green coolant in it. I'm thinking about changing it to Fleet Charge since it's on sale.
It sounds like I won't be able to drain all of the green stuff out. Should I not even bother with the switch?
Or should I drain what I can and then fill with water to dilute the green that remains and then drain again before filling with Fleet Charge? What to do with all this stuff that I drain? I'm guessing I'll end up with 15 gal. of hazardous waste?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Or should I drain what I can and then fill with water to dilute the green that remains and then drain again before filling with Fleet Charge?

I can't help with your leftover coolant. Everywhere is different on how they handle this. If you full with water once or even twice, you'll have most of the old antifreeze out.

 

[KansasIDI]

I can't help with your leftover coolant. Everywhere is different on how they handle this. If you full with water once or even twice, you'll have most of the old antifreeze out.

Ehhh, my favorite method is to just, ah, well, accidentally, open the valve on a bucket, and set said bucket on the tailgate, and just saunter down a gravel road…

 

[KansasIDI]

My 1987 6.9 n/a has green coolant in it. I'm thinking about changing it to Fleet Charge since it's on sale.
It sounds like I won't be able to drain all of the green stuff out. Should I not even bother with the switch?
Or should I drain what I can and then fill with water to dilute the green that remains and then drain again before filling with Fleet Charge? What to do with all this stuff that I drain? I'm guessing I'll end up with 15 gal. of hazardous waste?

Should only be 6-7 gallons

 

[tbowker]

Ehhh, my favorite method is to just, ah, well, accidentally, open the valve on a bucket, and set said bucket on the tailgate, and just saunter down a gravel road…

Careful with that, you'll make Greta Thunberg shed a tear.

 

[KansasIDI]

Careful with that, you'll make Greta Thunberg shed a tear.

Someone has to upset the potato…

 

[KansasIDI]

Coolant of any kind is weaker than any weed killer

 

[tbowker]

Coolant of any kind is weaker than any weed killer

I used to use diesel as weed killer until I found out that a salt and vinegar solution with a little dish soap for surfactant works much better. Then again, I only have half an acre of property, you most likely have many acres of farmland you're dealing with.