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MG MGF Technical - Changing Coolant

I'm definitely going to have to replace a leaking heater hose in the next couple of weeks and obviously I'll have to change the coolant at the same time. Not sure of the best way to do this as I've only got the kind of ramps that i drive onto rather than fancy hydraulic ones which would raise the whole car off the ground. The problems will start when I detach the two under body hoses to allow the coolant to drain out as I'm not going to be able to catch it in a bucket etc as it contains 20 litres if i remember rightly.

Any ideas on how I can do it without making a major mess. I dont fancy letting it run out onto the ground and into the drains as I'm sure anti freeze is pretty toxic stuff.

2nd query. Once I've drained the system and i put clean water in to flush out the system how can I pressurize it to force the water through. I'm thinking about a pump of some sort but looking for a DIY solution rather than having to fork out for something (tight Scotsman)

Any advice appreciated!
Bob Millar

The engine is a great pump ;-)

You wont get the system drained properly if the back of the car is up and the front not!
Will Munns

Bob,

I recently changed my heater bypass and return hose, which split. The job was done on my drive with no more than a trolley jack, and a couple of axle stands.

The capacity of the system is 10 litres, so I bought 5 litres of coolant. However, in undoing the hose (with the rear of the car jacked up) the loss of fluid was quite light with no more than a couple of litres to worry about. I guess most was trapped in the radiator, and lower than the point where the hose was removed.

After replacing the hose, I simply filled up the expansion bottle with fresh 50/50 coolant/water and bled the system - first whilst the car was still jacked up and then again when lowered.

The bleeding was remarkably easy, with little air to get rid of and the heater blowing hot air from the word go when I checked it. Again, perhaps the back end of the car being raised helped?

HTH

Dave
Dave

You beat me too it Will!
Dave

The car hasnt had a coolant change in years so I'm going to have to do it anyway when I replace the hose.

Dave Amersham > How much did the hoses cost?
Bob Millar

Bob,

Heater bypass and return hose was 35.94 gbp inc VAT. I also had the main engine outlet hose split some months ago. I think this was a similar price.

5 litres of coolant cost me 26.73 gbp inc VAT.

I also bought a few jubilee clips to replace the factory fitted sprung clips.

Dave
Dave

>> The car hasnt had a coolant change in years

I thought this was done at service??
Phil

The car wasnt serviced at a dealer
Bob Millar

I was planning a coolant change this autumn together with replacing the twin pipe under the car. As I have a '97 there have been two upgrades on coolant type since the car was new. It seems common sense to use the latest coolant but they probably do not mix.

Does anyone know if flushing the system a couple of times will get rid of any incompability problems?

Brian

This thread was discussed between 20/10/2003 and 21/10/2003

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