I recently purchased my 89 camaro RS and found out my radiator was filled with water. apparently the hoses blew off for one reason or another and the previous owners only filled it with water. well seeing as its getting cold i figured i should replace it with anti freeze to avoid cracking the head. ive heard flushing the radiator is a simple prcess and i didnt want to foot the bill to have someone do it. can anyone give me some direction??

Also would water in my radiator cause my heater to not work? when i turn the heat on it make a quiet hissing noise for about 2 seconds but no heat.

 

The best way is to have it professionally power flushed, but you can do it yurself by opening the valve at the battom of the radiator, and if possible removing the two plugs on the side of the block. The plugs are often buried and hard to reach, and at times replaced by knock sensors which are best left alone. You can get the engine running until the tstat opens, and then keep running clean water through the radiator till it comes out clear. Let all the water run out, close the valve. Find out the capacity of the cooling system and add 1/2 as much antifreeze. Let the engine run with the radiator cap off till it gets hot and all the air gets purged out, then top off the radiator.

 

The hissing is the vacuum building until there is enough to activate your blend air doors. When you flush your radiator also look for a 3/4 heater hose that comes off the tank to a valve. There should be a vacuum line on it. Thats a bypass for when your not using heat.

 

Powerfulshing is the only way to go. It will suck everything out from the bottom out and then while the cooling system is under vaccuum. Flip the switch then the vaccuum pulls the new fluids through. You don't have to bleed the system this way since the bubble is automatically at the fill neck. If you do have some contamination in your heater core, sometimes this will even help get things flowing again

 

wow thanks for all the advise.
Does anyone know how much a powerflush runs for about? hoping to not get ripped off.

 

At Victory Lane, where I work, we charge $50 for the Prestone Universal antifreeze