herbiemercman Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Hi Dudes, I cannot find any threads on this, is it possible to drain ALL the coolant out from just the drain tap at the bottom of the radiator ? or do you need to remove a plug on the block, which i think is hard to get at ? and where is it located ? I have the pink water mixed coolant and i am replacing this with "4life", for this reason i believe i have to make sure i get all the pink stuff out completely. Also as an alternative could i just run the engine, with the heater on and radiator cap off, and just wait till the radiator drain tap stops running ? I cannot see the water pump getting damaged just on tick over for a couple of minutes ? Filling the system, do i just fill at the radiator cap and when full ,run the engine to let air escape with the cap off and expansion plastic bottle cap off ? Any help will be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike2JZ Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 In addition to the radiator drain, you will need to remove the coolant drain plug on the block. It's on the driverside, and is a 14mm bolt, sitting near cylinder 5 & 6. Probably worth flushing out your heater system as well, as old coolant will be there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 As Mike said, if you don't undo the block's drain plug, you'll leave about half of the coolant in the system still. http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?323938-Coolant-drain-plug-on-block I found the coolant drain plug very hard to find. Some people have done it without, but IMO you need to remove the exhaust heat shield to stand a chance of finding it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbiemercman Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) Thankyou guys, Just as i thought i will have to take the block drain plug out,or losen it ? it will be a bitch to access on my NA/T with a new manifold, 3 inch down pipe and big fat insulation blanket on, i had 4 life water less in the system for 18 years, it was fine, no corrosion, quick heat up, ok to minus 20 deg.C.and no mucking about every two years with the water based crap. Edited October 18, 2015 by herbiemercman (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) It might be easier with your exhaust/manifold setup, but it'll be a fiddle either way, the good news is once loosened a little there is a little pipe the coolant runs out of so you don't need to relocate the bolt just tighten up back up once fully drained. Try and get a 14mm spanner on it pointing back towards the gearbox then if you can't get the leverage in it by hand put a length of wood down on the spanner and give it a tap. Edited October 18, 2015 by Scooter (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbiemercman Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) Hi Scooter, Just manged to view my drain off with a torch and a mirror on a stick, and it is a plug, no pipe, may be able to get it from below,it is on the offside of the engine block, just above the sump joint, and adjacent to the core plug, main problem is the down pipe and the turbo boost relief unit are in the way a bit. Is the plug brass, i hope so ? Edited October 18, 2015 by herbiemercman (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Not 100% you are looking at the right thing, look on the link below http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?323938-Coolant-drain-plug-on-block&highlight=Coolant+Drain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbiemercman Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 yes my plug is just like your phto, but no little drain pipe on it, some other member said he had my type of plug as well ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike2JZ Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Some blocks have the drain pipe, others don't. If you dont have the drain pipe, then coolant will come out of the drain hole where the plug goes into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor69 Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Did my coolant yesterday and it took probably 2 hours, yes its the brass 14mm, loosen that and it will drain also undo the pipes going to the heater matrix, push a hose section into one end (pipe to bulkhead) and blow down the other pipe, a continuous breath and the matrix coolant will begin to flow out of the first pipe.....Ideally I would use compressed air for this bit didn't have a compressor. Luckily I already had toyota red in it though so a minimal amount left in wouldn't harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbiemercman Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Thanks guys, good info, i will do as you suggest. I am sure without the info this club provides, owning a supra where you are DIY, would be impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 4Life, or ForLife or whatever Toyota call it *IS* "water based crap". Water based crap with a red dye in it that changes colour if the coolant becomes acidic. ForWhich you pay a fortune. Stick any Ethylene Glycol based antifreeze in it and save the money for something more worthwhile. I never have understood people's obsession with red coolant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor69 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 At £26 for a 5 litre concentrate .....I'll stick with what Toyota use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodalmighty Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 4Life, or ForLife or whatever Toyota call it *IS* "water based crap". Water based crap with a red dye in it that changes colour if the coolant becomes acidic. ForWhich you pay a fortune. Stick any Ethylene Glycol based antifreeze in it and save the money for something more worthwhile. I never have understood people's obsession with red coolant What do you think to Evans Coolant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbiemercman Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 I have just done some research into "4life" which is the same spec as "Forlife" from Toyota, apparently this stuff lasts up to ten years, it is specially formulated to heat up quickly, prevents any galvanic corrosion, ali rads etc, minus 40 deg. C, non foaming, non sludging, it is red, bit like "Ribena". I had this stuff in my car for 19 years,double the predicted life expectantcy so it does "What it says on the tin", it just went a darker red. Draining the supra completely with the NA/T manifold, downpipe etc makes the removal of the block drain off plug very difficult to get at, so it's 4life for me, such that i only do the job once. The blue stuff you add to water, "Bluecol", and the Vauxhall pink stuff only gives protection for 2 years or so and does not have the same level of corrosion protection which 4life gives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor69 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 The Toyota red concentrate still needs to be diluted, a 5 litre bottle of "battery top up water" is £2.99 from Halfords and mix 50/50 .....unless you buy the "pre-mixed" red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbiemercman Posted October 20, 2015 Author Share Posted October 20, 2015 Just changed the pink crap for the 4life concentrate after carrying out a good flushing. The removal of the 14mm block drain plug is very difficult with the NA/T pressure relief valve and down pipe in the way. We followed the advice from other members to have one person guiding the person under the car to loosen the plug, it is a big version of the bleed air cocks you find on central heating radiators. takes ages for all the 6 litres to drain out as the drain holes on the radiator base and the block are only 6mm in diameter. Filling the system through the radiator cap is so slow and it only took 2 litres before it filled, so had to remove the top hose fro the thermostat housing and put the other 4 litres in that way. Started the engine on tick over and observed the air bubbles venting through the top of the radiator, the heater was on full call for heat but still air locked, so just released the pipe on top of the engine going to the heater element and added half a liter of coolant, it then glugged and the heater sprung into life. The plastic expansion bottle in front of the radiator, following me replacing the radiator pressure cap, started to accept a small amount of coolant. I only managed to get 6 litres in, so not sure what the total capacity is ? IMHO the type and quality of the coolant and the engine oil is key to best performance and you do not need to keep changing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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