I found this guide on t'internet for flushing the rad.

Clicky

I was basically looking to check that I hadn't missed anything for the bleeding procedure. But then thought i'd have a read through to see what other tips it offers.

Half way through it tells you to use a hose to flush the rad through with water. Now correct me if i'm wrong but I don't want to put water through a coolant system which has never seen anything but Toyota Forlife. As I understand it even a trace amount of water could promote rust.

Am I being overly paranoid? The guide says you need to fluch the rad to wash out any rst partices and crud, but imo if you don't have any water in the system you won't have any rust either.

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JDM ST205 (286bhp and 281lb/ft)
JDM ST202 (Finally sold )
1982 Pontiac Trans Am 5.7L V8 (See my website)

I think we used for-life to flush mine thru after it was imported with the luminous green stuff in it as a default.

Although having said that, i think we did do a water flush in between as we weren't too sure if the 2 different coolants would mix well . . .

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Loosey
Loosey@gt4dc.co.uk
Storm Blue JDM ST205
Super White JDM ST205
http://www.gtfours.co.uk

Some people are like a Slinky .. Not really good for anything, but they make you smile when you shove them down the stairs!

When I did a full system flush on Stormy Blue a while back following its boiling episode on track I did the following:
1. Purchased 2 x 5litre containers of red Toyota ForLife coolant
2. Purchased a Halfords two-pack radiator/cooling system flush and anti-corrosion solution. (I suspected a partial blockage and rust/corrosion sludge in the system could partly have caused my problem on track).
3. Followed the instructions on the Halford pack religously e.g. warmed engine with heater on, drained old coolant, filled with radflush run engine again by going for a short drive, drained radflush, disconnected top hose between cylinder head and top of radiator, disconnected radiator bottom hose, connected garden hose to cylinder head, turned tap on full to ensure that a good flow of water through the head and block was achieved. I had to let the water flow through the block, head and heater for some time (~1/2 an hour) until it ran clear. Repeated the process for the radiator itself then added the anti-corrosion pack and went for another short drive, drained the rad and engine again then filled with red Toyota ForLife.

This is all from memory so please check the instructions on the radflush/inhibitor pack DONT rely solely on the above!

IMO its almost impossible to remove all traces of old coolant before filling with ForLife. Its not like the Evans coolant which shouldnt be mixed with water under any circumstance. The only way you could use Evans is if you use it from the beginning following an engine rebuild.Even if you drain the block right down there will still be water trapped in the system.

This might all sound a bit extreme but it certainly seemed to cure my overheating problem so I consider it to have been very worthwhile The only way to better this would be to fully chemically clean the block during rebuild

HTH

_________________
Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

But you used a bottle of radflush chemical, not water from a hose. That's the bit i wasn't keen on. Surely if you change your coolant at the correct intervals then it's not a big deal?

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JDM ST205 (286bhp and 281lb/ft)
JDM ST202 (Finally sold )
1982 Pontiac Trans Am 5.7L V8 (See my website)

Personally I would flush with water, Toyota Forlife is about £4 per litre, not going to waste a load of it flushing it out.

As you said as long as you change the coolant reasonably regularly then you shouldn't have a problem anyway. I only really do a coolant flush when I first buy a car, unless I see loads of crap in the fluid when I drain it.

You might find that you need to remove the thermostat to properly flush the engine and change the coolant - unless you fancy getting your fingers scalded.

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GT4DC Events Co-ordinator
1996 ST205 UK

Water flush for me too - seems the only way? Blowing air down the pipes will help shift any water left in the block.

As Mike says, don't forget to remove the thermostat or flushing the block will be v difficult!

Oh, and don't forget to open the heater to flush that lot through as well.

_________________
Kris
95 ST205 - slept for 10 years, now waking up...
Avensis
http://www.gtfours.co.uk
_______________________________________
Turbocharging - the replacement for displacement

No one has mentioned back flushing. Whilst I don't appreciate the practicalities of this I assuem flushing in a reverse flow will help to shift more debris within heat exchanger matrices - e.e rad & heater.

Anyone care to comment on teh direction of normal flow and if it is possible to reverse the flow during flushing?

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JP
GT4DC Treasurer

Grey St185 RC
Silver BMW E46 M3
Multicolour yawn Honda VFR400
Silver Honda Civic Type-R

JP, putting the hose in the head as I did is effectively the back flushing direction. Mike/Kris, good point about the removal of the thermostat. I'd missed that from my description.

I have a theory that one of the reasons why so many high mileage/older 3S-GTE's fail on track is because of a build up of corrosion products over the years. It is very unlikely that every owner would have used ForLife coolant. Apparently even a 40 thou build up of surface corrosion in the internal waterways can reduce cooling efficiency by 40% ......and you can imagine the consequences!

Don't be stingy when using the garden hose to reverse flush the block/head and rad. You'll be amazed at the crap that comes out and the time it takes for the water to run clear.

_________________
Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

I'm still not convinced that For-life is SO much better than other brands.. Imo it's just more dollars cause it says Toyota on the bottle. Could someone tell me?

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René - Carlos Sainz 2433•5000
Turbocelica.nl | ST185 CS restoration and full rebuild

If it ain't broken.. it soon will be

Meruz,

I too don't know if for-life is better than other comparitive fluids, but I can say that it is better than any water/anti-freeze mix you may have used in lesser cars.

If you had seen the sensors we took out of a water elbow from a 4 that had been run on water and anti freeze for the majority of it's life and then compared them to the ones in my old 165 which was MUCH older but had always been run with forlife, you wouldn't ever put anything other than for-life in your car!!

Trust me, the comparisons were quite shocking!

The 'water' ones were all goo'ed up with a whitish, grayish sludge, the for-life ones looked almost as good as the day they were fitted.

I know it is expensive, but I can't see the point in cutting corners on something so vital to the health of the car . . .

_________________
Loosey
Loosey@gt4dc.co.uk
Storm Blue JDM ST205
Super White JDM ST205
http://www.gtfours.co.uk

Some people are like a Slinky .. Not really good for anything, but they make you smile when you shove them down the stairs!

Just to be awkward, what convinces you otherwise?

_________________
Kris
95 ST205 - slept for 10 years, now waking up...
Avensis
http://www.gtfours.co.uk
_______________________________________
Turbocharging - the replacement for displacement

I see your point. But I'm not talking about water/anti freeze mixes. Just coolant. Don't know any specific names or stuff, but I hope you get my point; bottled coolant which isn't just water and anti freeze pre mixed.

Kris, what convinces me otherwise? Dunno. Maybe I put it wrong - I meant to ask why Toyota coolant is so much better than other coolant brands as described above.. In my ST182 I didn't use For-life and I never had probs. The CS got For-life since I had mr.T do a fluids change wile fitting my Ogura clutch/flywheel. I never heard about negative results caused by non Toyota coolant (once again, not talking about pre mixed water stuff)..

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René - Carlos Sainz 2433•5000
Turbocelica.nl | ST185 CS restoration and full rebuild

If it ain't broken.. it soon will be

Unfortunately there does not appear to be any firm evidence if the Forlife is better or not than "another" coolant.

When I have taken items apart and compare them between an engine with Forlife and an engine without there seems to be more corrosion and even "furring" up of items when using "other" coolants.

Sensors as Loosey mentions above particularly come to mind - nice and shiny and looking in good condition with Forlife, corroded and covered in residue when "other" coolants are used.

I think there is more to the coolant than what meets the eye?

_________________
Kris
95 ST205 - slept for 10 years, now waking up...
Avensis
http://www.gtfours.co.uk
_______________________________________
Turbocharging - the replacement for displacement

The coolant system on my ST205 was seriously in need of flushing I discovered last year.

I first of all drained the radiator completely from cold and then stuck a hose with nozzle in to top cap and pumped it full of water until the water running out was clear. I then replaced the bung partially so it could still let water out slowly and started her up keeping the radiator filled with the hose but using the cars water pump to run the water through the engine.

My car had god knows what in it, I would assume the same green/yellow crud that the charge cooler had.

I filled it up with a mix of water and cheapest of cheap Asda coolant mix and bled it. Took the car for a good blast getting up to temp and getting the coolant through the whole system, then allowed her to cool down.

Repeated the above process again and found I was still getting a large amount of contaminant in the coolant.

It was at this stage I used the pressure washer to blast out the coolant overflow/expansion tank which had a ridiculous amount of sediment in it, it turned out.

Then I filled her up once more with Asda mix and water and got the coolant all through the system. Flushed it out with water and refilled with Red Forlife.

Nothing other than toyota coolant will get near it again. Here is what I was draining out the radiator initially:

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02 Mini Cooper Race Car
94 ST205 Import
92 ST185 Carlos Sainz
www.mcnab-racing.co.uk