I'm getting ready to flush the coolant system and have a few questions. First off, what is the capacity(in quarts) of my system for a full system flush??? And two, what would be the advantage/disadvantage of 180* vs. 190* T-stat??? I've researched both, have current P/N for both, but am unsure as to which one to go with. I did find that there is a HUGE price difference btwn. the two. Thanks for the input!!!

 

Total capacity is 6 gallons, but unless you completely empty the block you'll usually get about 5 1/2 in.

I used the 180deg thermostat on my '01, and I did notice it runs cooler than with the factory 190deg t-stat. I like it because in the summer time, it gets pretty hot here is so-Cal, so that 180deg t-stat really helps. If you live in a cold climate, you may want to keep the 190deg t-stat, because it will make your truck warm up faster.

When I flushed my system, I took out the radiator so I could power flush it with degreaser and get all that oily gunk out from between the fins. It was almost completely plugged up with all that oily gunk from the puke bottle. Then I relocated that bottle to under the fender -- truck runs cool as a cucumber now, and no more crud on the radiator and fan.

 

How difficult was it to take out the radiator??? Is it pretty much just the radiator or do several other components have to come out first??? I noticed I have tons of oil gunk all over mine from that bottle as well. I've heard people talk about relocating it down on the frame somewhere...any links to that procedure???

 

Just do a search on puke bottle and read for a day.