Changing the coolant on an original GT40

David Hidalgo · Aug 24, 2015

Any tips for how to do this the easiest and most effective way?

Big-Foot · Aug 24, 2015

If I had an original GT40, I would remove the block drains, hoses from the radiator and the water pump, remove the thermostat, then reconnect and flush with pure water a few times.
Then I would replace the thermostat and install Evans coolant using a vacuum filler device to get all the air out of the system..
Evans Cooling » Home

Cliffbeer2 · Aug 24, 2015

Hi David,

Here's the factory recommended procedure for changing the coolant on an original:

1. Bring the car over to my house,
2. Leave it there for oh say, a month or two,
3. Pick the car up from my house with the new coolant installed.

Works like a charm.

tractorboy · Aug 24, 2015

Excellent Cliff!! :thumbsup::laugh:

David Hidalgo · Aug 24, 2015

Randy,

Thanks for the great tips. Could be quite a project.

Cliff,

Drop by next time you are on the east end of Long Island and we'll go for a spin.

Mark IV · Aug 24, 2015

David,

Look into using a wetvac to pull all the coolant out after you have drained via the petcocks.

I would suggest using Ford "gold" coolant if you do not want to go the Evans route. The Evans has some advantages but most are negated buy the type of use your GT likely gets nowadays. There is a thread here about using a vacuum on a Superformance which is basically the same as your FAV car.

Charlie Farley · Aug 25, 2015

Rick,
Be interested to hear the relative benefits of the products
mentioned. Sure i'm not the only one here.
Educate away Sir..:thumbsup:

Mark IV · Aug 25, 2015

Charlie Farley said:
Rick,
Be interested to hear the relative benefits of the products
mentioned. Sure i'm not the only one here.
Educate away Sir..:thumbsup:

I have no experience with the Evans and from what I have read its real advantage is in diesel vehicles allowing the engine to run hotter and thus more efficiently. The Ford gold coolant is considered one of the highest quality and is good for mixed metal engines I.e. Alloy parts.

Big-Foot · Aug 25, 2015

Other than it's ability to run far hotter than other coolants without boiling and at very low to even zero pressure in the system -- The primary advantages of Evans is that it is pure and will not separate nor corrode..

Ray · Aug 25, 2015

Listen to Jay Leno explain Evans "No water" coolant - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7PykrgzWPQ

Cliffbeer2 · Aug 27, 2015

David Hidalgo said:
Randy,

Thanks for the great tips. Could be quite a project.

Cliff,

Drop by next time you are on the east end of Long Island and we'll go for a spin.

Thank you David, very kind of you to offer. Pretty sure I need to visit Long Island....

I don't know what the factory drill is, so, can't help much there. However, I've had good luck with three methods in eliminating air pockets once the old coolant has been drained and an initial fill made from the overflow tank:

1. Use the AirLift tool to essentially suck out air bubbles from the nooks and crevices. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaRIxqAW3zk

2. Install a small nipple bleeder in the front rad - best if it's soldered right into the rad at the highest point in order to burp the forward portion of the cooling system, but if it's plumbed in the upper rad hose that's not bad. Obviously, not very "original" however (see pic).

3. Drive up and down the steepest hill you can find....preferably a few times.

Good luck!

Big-Foot · Aug 27, 2015

This is the vacuum filler tool I have::
COOLING SYSTEM REFILLER - UNIVERSAL MCR102U | Matco Tools

It works through the radiator cap..

David Hidalgo · Aug 28, 2015

So here is what we did. Please forgive the long-winded explanations but this is now part of the updated document for the next owner:

The radiator and tubing to the motor has no drainage plug (and the system does not appear to have a thermostat). Access for drainage and fill are the two "burb" bolts at the top of the radiator, the heat sensor switch screwed into the left radiator tube, and the two block drainage plugs. There are two block drainage plugs, one on each side, forward on the right side and near the rear on the left, both down near the bottom of the block. They are removed with a 1/4 inch Allen socket wrench.

Proper equipment can keep this task from being a mess. Items that have proven useful include a large capacity (14 gallons) wet-vac device, clear liposuction tubing (8', 3/8" available from Henry Schein), electrical tape, Teflon tape, and a medical grade irrigation bulb syringe (Vitality Medical and others).

Begin by adding electrical tape to the end of a 4 to 5 feet long piece of liposuction tubing to make it fit more tightly into the temperature sensor port. Cut a hole in the top of the green bulb of the irrigation syringe that is at least 1" in diameter. Stuff the bulb into the end of the wet-vac tube (no attachments) half way so that there is a good seal. Unscrew the temperature sensor after disconnecting the two wires, pull it out and quickly insert the end of the liposuction tubing. Turn on the wet-vac and take out the two burb bolts at the top of the radiator to allow air to enter the system (photo) After no more coolant comes out disconnect the syringe and put the end of the liposuction tubing into a pail.

The photo shows the oil cooler at the top with part of the radiator visible behind it. This is the left side of the car. The aluminum radiator tubing is seen in the middle. Note the temperature sensor port with the liposuction tubing plugged into it. The irrigation syringe is shown inserted between the end of the tubing and the end of the black wet-vac tubing.

The next step is to remove the block drain plugs. Place a large shallow pan under the motor and have the wet-vac with a flat attachment ready to catch the water as it drains. Do this on both sides. With the block drains out replace the radiator burp screws and hook up the wet-vac to the liposuction tubing back at the front of the car and turn it on. This will remove additional coolant as air is pulled in through the block drain plug holes. It is helpful for the car to be on a grade with the rear slightly higher.

With the radiator burp bolts out loosen the hose clamp screw from the right side radiator tubing and pull the tubing out from the hose. Have the wet-vac ready as the remainder of the fluid will flood the front tub. The radiator is now empty. Reinstall the tubing and tighten the hose clamp screw.

The block drain plugs are then replaced after wrapping the threads with Teflon tape. The system is next flushed by filling the overflow tank with water through a hose and having the wet-vac now attached back to the liposuction tubing sucking the fluid through the system until clear. This should be done with the burp bolts in at first and then out for final drainage of water that may have entered the radiator during the process.

The temperature sensor is then reinstalled using Teflon tape and the wires reconnected.

After consulting with several experts a 50/50 mixture of standard (green) antifreeze and reverse osmosis water (drinking water) was placed in the system with the appropriate amount of No-Rosion coolant corrosion protection fluid added. As a side note the coolant removed after ten years (3,000 miles) was still a healthy looking green fluid with no significant rust or particles seen. Changing the fluid as described above every 5 years with limited use seems like a more prudent approach however.

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w

oNotShowComments/> <w

oNotShowPropertyChanges/> <w

unctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w

oNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w

ontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w

ontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w

ontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w

ontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->

Big-Foot · Aug 28, 2015

Sounds like you have a pretty solid plan by doing it every five years. I don't know how often you run the car, but I would advise at least every thirty days or more often in order to keep the coolant and its additives mixed. Also good to bring up to full temperature to boil off any condensation inside the engine. Hopefully you have taken action to seal up the exhaust and intakes to help with this. The fuel system would be my next order of concern.
Which car is this David and do you have any other pictures you'd like to share?

David Hidalgo · Aug 29, 2015

The car is one of the original 31 MkI road cars, chassis number 1045.

Keith1 · Aug 29, 2015

Beautiful! They look so good with wire wheels - I'm surprised you don't see more. Great to see an original-appearing road car too - there can't be many like that. Thanks for sharing..

dallas_ · Aug 29, 2015

Wow, that is absolutely gorgeous. Really, really nice.

albanygt40 · Aug 30, 2015

Awesome thank you....

Ray · Aug 30, 2015

Simply stunning -----

Big-Foot · Aug 31, 2015

Keith1 said:
Beautiful! They look so good with wire wheels - I'm surprised you don't see more. Great to see an original-appearing road car too - there can't be many like that. Thanks for sharing..

X2 on the wire wheels!!!!
Thank you for the great photos!! :thumbsup:

Changing the coolant on an original GT40

David Hidalgo

Randy V

Moderator-Admin

Cliff Beer

Jimmy P

David Hidalgo

Rick Muck- Mark IV

Charlie Farley

Rick Muck- Mark IV

Randy V

Moderator-Admin

Dutch

Cliff Beer

Attachments

Randy V

Moderator-Admin

David Hidalgo

Randy V

Moderator-Admin

David Hidalgo

Attachments

Keith

John

Dave

Dutch

Randy V

Moderator-Admin

Similar threads