radiator filling ?

[bjmunderwater]

OK tech geeks just stopped by my local ford dealer and was asking some questions about radiator issues , and the tech told me the cause of my radiator issues was because when I filled the cooling system was because I didn't pull a vacume on the system to get all the air out. Now dose this story hold water as by looking at the system it has a degas hose on the top passenger side or are they just wanting play the dealership knows best kinda thing?

 

[Fly By Night]

What hole are you suppose to pour coolant through if the system is sealed and under a vacuum? Unless I suppose if there were some sort of valved straw you could stick in the coolant bottle to suck it into the system, that seems like alot of work when gravity will separate coolant and air for you.

 

[bjmunderwater]

Well I know on some cummings systems you have to purge the system but the only reason I can see on pulling a vac on the system is to check the integrity of it .

 

[HOOV3R]

Lots of manufacturers recommend vacuum filling from the bottom. It assures that no air pockets get stuck in the coolers.

 

[jimdawg185]

Best practice is to vacuum fill, but it is possible to do it the old fill and spill way.

 

[bjmunderwater]

I have been looking into it been seeing cooler flush procedures that say to let the truck idle for 60-90mins to let air exit the system , I can see using the vac fill for a quick way to fill the system , but to cause radiator failure 20k miles down the road seems like B.S. to me

 

[jimdawg185]

Yeah, that sounds fishy. Not impossible i guess, you could get some hot spots with air in the system. But it would be unlikely at best that they would stick around that long. what kind of failure?

 

[bjmunderwater]

Same as the rest drivers end tank slow drip between the core and plastic end tank , the truck an early 08 but don't see that making that much of a diffrence.

 

[Stroked777]

When ever I drained down any system I would pull a vacuum on it to get all the air out. Plus it's easier to fill when you pull a vacuum and then hook up the hose and put it in the coolant to just sucks it back into the system.I always used an airlift

 

[POWER-STRUCK]

vacuum is the proper way (not for the 7.3) usually if the radiator cracks in the upper cores it is due to low coolant level, if the tank leaks it is usually a T-stat stuck open. you can also fill the degas to the full line and then place a vacuum on the system with any sort of vacuum device if you do not have access to a ready vac/fill tool

 

[Stroked777]

vacuum is the proper way (not for the 7.3) usually if the radiator cracks in the upper cores it is due to low coolant level, if the tank leaks it is usually a T-stat stuck open. you can also fill the degas to the full line and then place a vacuum on the system with any sort of vacuum device if you do not have access to a ready vac/fill tool

The shop I worked at filled the system and then used a actual shopvac to pull the vacuum and it worked great, after pulling the air out just top it off again

 

[Big Angry Hillbilly]

Ford used to tell us for a brief period that pulling vacuum on 6.4 systems was causing the rubbers to fail/tear/dislodge on the stats.

 

[Cknox121]

any links of how and where to pull a vaccum on the 6.4?


Sent from my cracked iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[POWER-STRUCK]

Ford used to tell us for a brief period that pulling vacuum on 6.4 systems was causing the rubbers to fail/tear/dislodge on the stats.

I have found that this happens nearly every time on a 7.3 :fustrate:

 

[Big Angry Hillbilly]

I've never had problems with 7.3's air locking. Even ambulances with rear heat and crap.

 

[bjmunderwater]

Do a quick search on you tube and there are plenty of videos on it , pretty staight forward but I dont see that by filling it in that fashion making any lick of difference, suck the air out or idle the truck for a while I to let the air excape end results should be the same. On that note took my old radiatior in for repair it was leaking from the bottom tube middle core, they fixed it then pressure tested and poppeden another leak 1/2in away same tube . End result was they didnt want to start prying back fins and tubes to try to get to it fear of just causeing more leaks .

 

[SEABEE08FX4]

I just top them off after a stud job, let them idle and refill / top off as needed, test drive and refill / top off again as needed. After that most all if not all the air have been purged to the degas bottle, I personally wouldn't use vacuum for fear of seal/gasket damage or cracks in the plastic hoses or rubber to plastic bonds on the hoses. I haven't had any issue of doing it this way.

 

[808stroker]

i have just changed my hoses (top and bottom) and have been running the truck for 2 days now and still have ECT and EOT temps of 195-199 degrees. Let the truck idle for half an hour and no bubbles, also lifted the degas cap after every run (to work and back about 40 mins each way) and very little air pressure comes out. Will try to use a vacuum tomorrow to get the air out.

 

[tbsimmons]

I dont see anything wrong with the ECT or EOT.
I fill every cooling system the same through the degas bottle or the radiator, no vacuum. The hardest cars to fill I found were the LT1 Camaro or Firebird cars because of the height comparison of the radiator to the degas bottle, just raise the front. I do that on anything anyways because I was just under it.
If I change a upper hose I fill the radiator through the hose but that is the only difference. Only reason is it is faster.

 

[SEABEE08FX4]

195-199 is perfectly fine.