On 2/19/2011 1:02 PM, mm wrote:
This is OT, but I asked in my Chrysler mailing list and no one in the
usually busy list has answered in 18 hours, except one who tried, only
wrt the last, unrelated line.


Well, I can't believe it but I've forgotten how to change the
anti-freeze. This must be the start of Oldtimers Disease.

It was 70 degrees in Baltimore yesterday, and a good day to flush the
cooling system. Lebaron, ''95, 3.0L V6.

I ran the engine until it was hot or at least warm.

The petcock opens with no tools -- that's nice.

I drained the coolant into one of those rectangular bottles that lie
in their side; I removed the thermostat and flushed for 5 minutes with
a garden hose in the radiator neck until the water ran clear. Let it
drain, put back the petcock, put back the thermostat, filled the
radiator with 50/50, but it took less than a gallon.

Ran the engine a minute or two until I realized that maybe I had only
filled the radiator.

Went to see if I could add more coolant, but I couldn't. Usually I
can keep adding and adding, even when it starts way above empty.

I added about 3 quarts, when the capacity is 8.

After sitting all night, today I could add a 3 or 4 ounces more.

Could it be I never drained the engine after all? How could that be
when I removed the thermostat and the petcock and after flushing let
it sit until nothing was coming out of the petcock hole.?


P.S. I also got a Felpro gasket for the thermostat and it has a
brown plastic ring on the inside circumference on one side. But
nothing on the card to say which side of the gasket goes up. Which
does?



The engine block holds a lot of liquid, in your case water from the
flush. Remove a lower radiator hose to let more water out. Fill only
with 100% anti freeze, the rest of the water in the engine will dilute
it enough. Run the engine with the heater on hot to purge those hoses
also. Test the anti freeze mix to see if it's safe for your part of the
woods.

Maybe I should do mine in the 2000 chevy van. It's over it's 10 year
lifespan (didn't hit 100,000 miles yet.