I replaced my coolant yesterday, since it had been five years. I ran the Prestone Flush for a few days then drained and started replacing with water. After a few times draining the radiator and it seeming like I'd never get all the old coolant out, I took a different approach. With the thermostat still installed, I disconnected the top hose at the radiator inlet and attached a section of PVC pipe so that it extended over the front of the car where I could put a catch container on the ground in front of the car. I used duct tape to cover the radiator inlet so that I could pour water into the filler neck without it running out of the inlet.
I filled up the radiator, then filled up several old antifreeze bottles with hot water and brought them to the car. Started the car, and because the thermostat was closed, just a little trickle of water out of the PVC pipe. As the car heated up and the thermostat opened, water started coming out of the PVC pipe, and as the water level went down in the radiator I kept adding hot water. The water wasn't as hot as the 180 thermostat so it would occasionally close then reopen. I kept repeating this process until I'd run about 10 gallons of water through the engine and the water was completely clear.
I then disconnected the lower hose at the water pump and attached the PVC pipe so that it was straight up, higher than the filler neck. I then poured a couple of gallons of hot water into the PVC pipe so that it back flowed out the filler neck, running the water in from the bottom to the top of the radiator just to dislodge anything that might be stuck in the tubes.
I then reconnected the hoses and filled with 2-1/2 gallons of Prestone "All Vehicles" green coolant, which is supposed to be good for up to 10 years and 300,000 miles. Prestone's website recommends the "American Vehicles" product, which is apparently orange, or the "All Vehicles".
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