Radiator flush question

Hey guys. Today I changed the antifreeze on my kubota 900 following the directions in the manual. However the directions were a little bit vague when it came to flushing the system.

What I did was this: I drained the old coolant. Filled the radiator with water. Drove and idled the Kubota around for 10 - 15 minutes. Drained and repeated this process 3 or 4 times. The last flush resulted in a fluid that was very much lighter in color than the old dark green anti freeze. Should the fluid ever come out clean (colorless)?

After I filled the radiator up with fresh antifreeze I filled the reserve tank. However, the reserve tank never quite emptied when I drained (though it was low). The manual didn't say anything about draining it - so I just added on top of the remaining fluid. Was I right to do it this way? Should that reserve tank be 100% drained before adding fresh antifreeze?

Lastly, should the coolant system be 'burped' like they say to do with normal cars? The manual also says nothing about this so I didn't bother doing it.

Thanks guys.

I know there's some wise old mechanic out there laughing his ass off. This is a basic procedure, how do I do it right? Did I do it right? Should I bleed the system?

brothfeder, flushed my 2011 RTV 900 xt this year for the first time. I did flush with Prestone flush and did get a fair amount of sediment removed. Never got real clear water while flushing. I too did not drain the overflow tank and did not burp the system. All worked out just fine. I also added Baldwin additive to mine.

pepr said:

All worked out just fine. I also added Baldwin additive to mine.

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I am a firm believer in BALDWIN !!!!


I put in everything. Gas Burners also !!!! Autos, motorcycles, diesels. If it's water cooled, around here, it's got Baldwin in it !!!!

.............. two guns

Baldwin, a cooling system treatment? Does that go in with the antifeeze or as a flush? Whats it does it do?

Why do I have to burp radiator system in my Subaru, but not my kubota?

Once again, thanks for your help guys. Really trying to hone my mechanical know how.

Brothfeder said:

Baldwin, a cooling system treatment? Does that go in with the antifeeze or as a flush? Whats it does it do?

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Goes in with ANTIFREEZE *** THIS IS NOT A FLUSH.....

Take a trip to this thread, it will help.....

http://www.nettractortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13916&highlight=Baldwin




......... two guns

Brothfeder said:

Why do I have to burp radiator system in my Subaru, but not my kubota?

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I burp all my machines. But that is just me ....
For any time a cooling system is opened up for service, air gets in. Depending on how much air enters, it can cause problems for your cooling system. To cool efficiently, the coolant liquid must come in direct contact with hot engine surfaces to absorb heat as it moves through the engine, then it has to come in direct contact with the radiator surfaces as it passes through the radiator to dissipate that heat. This process repeated over and over keeps everything at proper temperature. If air is introduced to the cooling system, it can get trapped and form a bubble in the liquid. This prevents the continual flow of liquid, and can create hot spots in the cooling system, depending on where the air is trapped. Air can't remove or dissipate heat the way liquid can, and it prevents the coolant from flowing properly through the system. Coolant also expands as it heats up, which is the reason it overflows. The trapped air takes up space in the cooling system normally occupied by coolant, so there's no place else for it to go.
Something else to keep in mind.
When you "Burp" your cooling system. ALWAYS start with a cold engine.
Remove the radiator cap and fill it to the recommended level with antifreeze / water / Baldwin ( in my case ). Make sure any auxiliary tanks are also at the proper cold fill level.
With the radiator cap off, then start the engine. Make sure your heater is set to maximum defrost. You want 100% circulation of the coolant. Let the engine operate long enough to warm up enough to reduce the idle speed to a normal idle. Let it idle until it's at normal operating temperature, keeping an eye on the temperature gauge or light. Do not let it overheat!
Very important to not rev the engine, even slightly, as this will force coolant out of the open radiator. You will notice some bubbling of coolant out of the open radiator during warm up. This bubbling is normal if you have air trapped in your system, and is caused by the air escaping as it reaches the area of the open radiator cap. Unless the bubbling is excessive, continue to let the engine run at idle for a few minutes once it reaches normal operating temperature, then shut it down. Allow the engine and cooling system to cool off, preferably overnight. Then check your coolant level again. If it dropped, that means you've displaced some of the air in your system. Refill to proper levels, and repeat the process. Do this until the level doesn't drop any longer. Check your coolant levels at least monthly, or weekly during hot weather.

....... two guns

Great information Two Guns.!! collie

Ok......you have me convinced Bud......NOW......with out doing a lot of research.........Once I flush the system what is the ratio of water, antifreeze and the conditioner stuff........????????......

You mention a liter is needed so just go ahead and subtract that much from the fluid capacity of the system and then figure the amount of anti-freeze and water??????

Thanks Jamie.......God bless.......Dennis

D&D Farm said:

You mention a liter is needed

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( One can purchase it a most truck stops, diesel shops, big truck supplies, and maybe some parts houses. Something like 11$ per half gallon in some places. Only takes a littler per
machine ) >>>>
I mis-spelled this on that older post ( sorry ), it's neither littler or liter, but I ment LITTLE >>>>
A liter is about right, for the RTV.... Little more if want. Can't over do this. Just want to have enough anti-freeze.
And price of Baldwin went up much in price, paid $21.00 for half gallon last week ....

........... two guns​

D&D Farm said:

Bud......NOW......with out doing a lot of research.........Once I flush the system
( Littler or Little ) , so just go ahead and subtract that much from the fluid capacity of the system and then figure the amount of anti-freeze and water??????

Click to expand...

........ yes

Brothfeder said:

Baldwin, a cooling system treatment? Does that go in with the antifeeze or as a flush? Whats it does it do?

Why do I have to burp radiator system in my Subaru, but not my kubota?

Once again, thanks for your help guys. Really trying to hone my mechanical know how.

Click to expand...

Brothfeder,
If you have a Suburu.....
And you might want to look into your warranty on your vehicle.
They must believe in the Cooling System Cnditioner also .......
Subaru states that:
Subaru has said for all Subaru models "Whenever the coolant is changed for any reason whatsoever, you must add Genuine Subaru
Cooling System Conditioner, which you can buy by the case from your local Subaru dealership parts department (12 bottles, Part Number SOA345001). This is the only additive that has been approved by SOA."

Here's the info on extended HG warranty.

Also Subaru has said "If any cooling system-related repairs are to be paid for by SOA under any warranty or campaign, Genuine Subaru Long Life Anti-Freeze
Coolant must be present in the system. Otherwise, the claim will not be honored."
*** This was posted on a Suburu Outback .org site .....


....... two guns

D&D Farm said:

Ok......you have me convinced

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Dennis,

Fleetguard DCA , is also a super additive. We have used it also.
Baldwin access in just minutes away is why we purchased it.
He uses test strips to test. They are cheap in price !!!!
Try to keep your SCA ( Supplemental Coolant Additive )
anywhere from 2.5 Units Per Gallon to 3.0 UPG.






........... two guns

Thanks for the trouble of the long reply BUD............Just one more thing to get done AFTER I get all of the leaves taken care that can and do kill the grass, clover and lespedeza in the pastures.......They just keeeeeep ON falling......We have a bumper crop of them this year due to the late spring and mid summer rains. Very few acorns actually in comparison of the amount of leaves though and some of the Oaks are not even dropping acorns......Strange.......God bless.......Dennis.

Two guns - Great info, I really appreciate it.

About burping my Kubota. Since my Kubota does not have a heater, should I just let 'er idle up to normal operating temp with the radiator cap off?

Regarding my Subaru: Subaru says a lot of things. When a piston froze on one of my break calipers, Subaru refused to rebuild it. They prefer you buy another $335 caliper. Meanwhile they sell a genuine Subaru rebuild kit for $30. I rebuilt my calipers and they are like new.

I'm not saying a cooling system conditioner isn't needed, and antifreeze formulated for Asian-make vehicles should definitely be used. But I'm dubious as to whether it has to be genuine Subaru fluids.

Brothfeder said:

Two guns - Great info, I really appreciate it.

About burping my Kubota. Since my Kubota does not have a heater, should I just let 'er idle up to normal operating temp with the radiator cap off?

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Yes.... It being a diesel, let it idle anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Won't hurt a thing. Just keep a eye on your temp.
And this will be a good time to see how well your cooling fan is operating and cycling.....

...... two guns

P.S.
And as for the genuine Subaru fluids. I think that is B.S. >>> That goes for any manufacture that states they "Have To Use Theirs or .............. "

Just thought I'd add a Technician trick to this thread - when refilling the system, raise the radiator higher then the engine or heater i.e. jack up the frt end or drive up a ramp. Air will naturally find it's way to the highest point in the system. Reduces the time to 'burp' and properly fill a system. Used this process for years until I finally purchased a pneumatic fill tool. Using shop air, this tool creates a venturi in the system while adding the correct amount of coolant mix. I paid around $75.00 for mine a dozen years ago.

Not a chemist but I believe you will find most cooling system additives core design is to provide additional lubricants & rust/corrosion prohibitors that today's anti-freeze does not have. These help the water pump seals/bearing, internal hose integrity, radiator core and engine coolant galleys.

I found a U-Tube video for those interested.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaRIxqAW3zk[/ame]

Thanks Stuck in NJ....

Super Video !!!!


............ two guns

Saw somewhere were they drilled a 1/8" hole in the flange of the thermostat to allow air to bleed out when filling.

Has very little effect on how it controls the heat cycles but helps eliminate air pockets.

Neat trick.