603 cooling sys. bleeding-need hints/info-semi urgent.
 

I just got rid of green grunge (I don't know the history of and summer is on the way in NC). Got my non phosphate antifreeze AND a service manual.

BUT the book is very vague on bleeding the upper end...I measured all that came out and accounted for spillage - MORE than is going back in!

Any ideas other than parking on a hill, squeezing the hose and shaking the car??
(tried all 3)

Thanks in advance

Fill thru the expansion tank, then undo the top hose from the Rad and fill it up

I did get that much done but I'm still about a quart and a half short. I've got an air bubble somewhere and with the reputation of 603 heads I do NOT want to drive it 'till it's out like an older iron head.

Raise the front of the car a little so the air will migrate to the Rad. Undo the hose from the Expansion tank to the top of the rad at the tank end. Keep the hose above the level of the rad and use a small bore funnel to slowly top up the cooling system. Keep an eye on the level in the expansion tank to avoid spillage from the open end. Air should work its way out through the hose. Once the hose stays full reconnect it to the expansion tank.

Until you run the engine and open the thermostat you aren't going to get rid of all the air in the system.

how do u know you have air in system? usually the air will find its way out if you leave cap off while running / filling for the 1st few minutes.

i did my water pump, didnt have much trouble refilling and i didnt bleed coolant. theres alot of coolant down in block that doesnt come out, usually you can never fill as much as what comes out. takes a few hrs of running engine, just keep a close watch on level for 1st few days and keep filling as reqd. as long as there is atleast some coolant in the res it shouldnt overheat.

I just let mine idle with the heat on full blast and she bleed herself. Burped a few large bubbles the next day when I was out driving but nothing major, just had to add a little coolant.


These engines take a very long time to warm up at idle, and remember the T stat has to open to really get the coolant flowing.

*whack* - that's me smacking my forehead
 

:D All along staring me in the face.

On a 603 (and others no doubt) there are a fan switch and coolant temp sender at the very TOP of the thermostat housing-higher up than any other part of the head assembly (when parked facing uphill).

1.Remove said items
2.Insert small funnel
3.Add liter and a half coolant/water to cylinder head. (since water down in the block will NOT flow UP on its own.)

4.Repeat with Aux pump hose for heater core.

ALL volume accounted for!
Test drive with FULL expansion tank warm up, visual once over, 3 miles interstate at noon in Raleigh then cool down. Exp tank droped no more than 2 inches. Temp NEVER rose above 95 C, including city traffic WITH A/C on.

I think we'll call this one case closed.

closing credit: removing rad hose started me to thinking with coffee in hand - a dangerous thing.;)