Ok, the 01 has finally made it to 30,000 miles and I'm planning on draining and filling the coolant this weekend. Any important information I need to know on the 4.0L before I do it? I don't think it should be any big deal, but I just wanted to check with those that have done it. The 2.3L was a PITA lol

Thanks guys

 

Pretty straight forward if you ask me. There should be some type of drain **** valve on the passenger side of the radiator to drain, at least that's where it is on the 97. Just open it up and drain away. Make sure it's cooled down so you don't lose any skin. If your doing this you might as well flush it also. Get some prestone flush fluid and follow the directions or just skip the flush fluid and use straight water. Not to much extra time just a lot more liquid to dispose of.

 

Good deal. When I flush it, should i fill up the radiator witht he flush fluid and let the truck run for a minute to clear out the fluid still in the motor? That's what I did when I changed it on the 2.3

 

Yep. Fill it with the flush and let a hose run into the radiator if you would like with the valve open. Or just put the flush in and fill with water and run the truck then drain it again.

 

Awesome. Thanks for the info.

 

Did you say your 01 just hit 30,000 miles!?!?! Holly hell, thats funny... My 04 has over 80,000 on it....lol

 

lol yea it doesn't go out much. I have to commute to work so I had to get a little economy car to do that. I don't mind though, keeps the miles off it.

 

I got ya, it just made me laugh to think my truck is 3 years newer and has 50,000 more miles....lol

 

yea my friends torment me all the time for having a truck and not ever driving it lol It's as close to a Navigator I'll ever get :)

 

Iam with ya on that.

 

I am about to change my coolant for the first time... never did it before on this or any other cars. I do have the Haynes manual, but the trouble is, the engine picture they show is a bit different for the 4 cyl.

I have a couple questions...

1. Is this the radiator cap? It doesn't look like the one in the Haynes manual...



It is attached to mini reservoir with a min/max level on the side.

2. When I drain the radiator (its the plastic nut with the connection for the 3/8 in hose), does it drain from the reservoir in the picture (if that is what I think it is) as well as the one to the left?

3. When I fill everything back up after using the flush cleaner/water, etc I assume I have to fill up both the radiator and the reservoir to the left?

Thanks for the help.

 

That yellow bottle on the left is the overflow/degass bottle. And your rad cap should be a small little one on the rad it'self. Just infont of your red circle.

When you drain the rad the reservior does not drain. Generally I take it off and flush it out with a hose. Then I put a wash cloth in it with a little dish washing soap. Swish it around real good and then rinse. This will clean it up nearly new which helps for years to come in determining the fluid level.

What you have circled is the power steering reservior. (pretty sure)
If there is a rad cap (sometimes there is not) it acts as a pressure relief valve. So if there is one it'll almost always be on the rad it'self.

Rich


Here is a pic of my engine bay:

 

Yes, after opening it, it definitely was not coolant. I do believe it is the power steering.

I have attached your image again. I have what I have numbered 1 - what is that?

I assume the radiator cap is #2, but I don't think I have that unless it is buried or covered by something. Wouldn't surprise me... seeing that I found out you have to take off the drivers side wheel, and the splash guard, and be hudini just to replace the PCV valve.




Thanks for the help..

 

I have no idea why my pics don't work 1/2 the time? The links are correct?
Arrrg..

Anyway, #1 is my AC port. It's where I can charge the AC system with R134a #2 is my rad cap. Notice how it's on the rad and at the top.

I'm not familiar with your truck. But it's not all that uncommon to *not* have a rad cap. Actually all of the ford 4.6L & 5.4L V8s do it that way.

You may be stuck just filling it through the yellow bottle. You'll know because after you've drained the rad; when refilling it'll fill and fill and not actually fill the bottle until after the rad is full.

Take some better and close up pics of your whole rad area and we can maybe help a little better.

Rich

 

Rich, Thats the high pressure side of the a/c sysyem. I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get a refill kit to work on that port. It turned out that there is a low pressure side on the passenger side that has a smaller port to fit the refill kit.

You may have a different method since I'm not up on A/C's. If it doesn't apply to you, it may benefit someone else trying to recharge their system.

 

LOL.. I know. I was trying to keep the answers generic.

Rich