Coolant? What type and amount

[Deadlego]

Well Im changeing out my rad later today. What type of coolant should I use and also how much do I need? Im changing the rad out to a HD Cooper Brass one. Im also changing the themostate too becasue I will have the coolany drained. Right now I have green Coolant in the engine. Any ideas on what type well brand I should go with and how much I need to get?

The car is a 1979 L 82 with ac removed

 

[baxsom]

wow, i feel bad now, i just get the walmart 50/50 green stuff and fill it up until the expansion tank has fluid in it, crank and run, repeat.
it will pee out the excess it doesnt need through the overflow hose the first time you take it out.


i guess i have been doing it the wrong way.

 

[Deadlego]

I was going to fill it from the cap on the rad but I dont know the past history on the car so I was going to change the themo for piece of mind so i dont have to worry about it. The rad is getting change because it leaks coolant all over the place.

 

[Vette79]

Well Im changeing out my rad later today. What type of coolant should I use and also how much do I need? Im changing the rad out to a HD Cooper Brass one. Im also changing the themostate too becasue I will have the coolany drained. Right now I have green Coolant in the engine. Any ideas on what type well brand I should go with and how much I need to get?

The car is a 1979 L 82 with ac removed

Did you drain both sides of the block? Last year I refilled using the radiator with the cap off while car was running. It worked but the better method would be to refill at the intake initially if your replacing the thermostat. I used the 50/50 prediluted Prestone from Auto Zone. I believe I used a total of 3 1/2 gallons.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

This is not rocket science. Buy the green stuff either premixed, or mix it yourself accoding to the directions.

Fill the radiator to the top and start the engine with the cap off. As the level drops, add fluid until the level stabilizes. Give it one last top up to the filler neck and install the cap. Fill the coolant recovery tank to max cold and go for a drive.

The engine will need to go through a few heat/cool cycles to get the last bit of air out. Add fluid to the coolant recovery tank as required.

 

[baxsom]

so i guess i was doing it right afterall

 

[73shark]

Premix is almost twice as expensive as DIY. I would fill the recovery tank to the Hot line the first time because there will be quite a bit of air in the system and if after a few heat/cool cycles, the level is still too high, you can always remove the extra.