Decided to flush and replace coolant on the KJ today. If i follow the instructions given in the Haynes manual this process is a major PITA! ! ! My questions then are as follows:

1) Manual sez to drain the 2 plug for the engine block and, to get one of them off, it sez to remove the starter motor. In order to remove the starter mover is sez "detach the left side exhaust down-pipe from the crossover pipe to allow clearance for the removal of the front driveshaft".

WTF?!?!? Are you kidding me?!? In order to flush the coolant I'm supposed to remove the starter, exhaust down pipe and front drive shaft?!?! NOT HAPPENING! ! !

So my first question is . . . is there another way to flush the system without all this BS? IOW, can I drain system, fill with water (running motor to get water through entire system), drain and repeat until cleaned and ready for new coolant?

2) Book also sez must remove thermostat, replace thermostat housing, then begin flushing process. Again, is this necessary or can I flush as stated above?

Please respond if you've had experience with this, not just hypotheticals about how it should/could work. As always your experience and replies are greatly appreciated.

Thanx in advance and God Bless!

BTW, whoever sits behind a desk designing these things using auto cad should be drug through the streets and shot!

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'04 Renny
Mod's: See Avatar
Conquests: Poughkeepsie Gulch, Governor's Basin, Black Bear/Imogene/Engineer/Cinnamon pass, Coal Creek OHV, Badlands OHV, S.M.O.R.R., K-Rocks, Parent's driveway

Should have just took it to a shop with a coolant flush machine.Takes like 30-45mins.Sad part is most use the wrong coolant though but at my shop we only have HOAT coolant and the flush costs $90.The dealership is not much more.

That's why I'm doing it myself. Last shop I had it in to replace the radiator and do some other work (didn't have time to do it myself and needed it done). I told them that the KJ needed Zerex 05 and to only use that. Went to check it the other day and found green coolant in there. I would've taken it back and made him do it right, free of charge, but the shop's in KC and I'm in St. louis for awhile.

If any are interested here's a brief summary of what I did:

1) Drain from radiator.

2) Remove thermostat and replace thermostat housing.

3) Flush system - remove upper radiator hose run garden hose into radiator until water returns (through
disconnected hose) running clear.

4) Close drain-cock, reconnect upper hose, and fill system with water. Run motor a couple minutes to circulate through system.

5) Drain and repeat step #4 to ensure all previous coolant out of system.

6) With all water drained, close drain-cock, replace thermostat, and fill system with 50/50 mix of distilled water/Zerex 05.

7) Burp and fill reservoir w/Zerex as needed.

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'04 Renny
Mod's: See Avatar
Conquests: Poughkeepsie Gulch, Governor's Basin, Black Bear/Imogene/Engineer/Cinnamon pass, Coal Creek OHV, Badlands OHV, S.M.O.R.R., K-Rocks, Parent's driveway

Stopped by Mudd's again today, since I took the day off. Saturday night when we put in the LED headlights, we jacked up the rt front trying to find a noise in my front end and discovered that my front rt wheel bearing was loose. Today I thought maybe we could tighten it up a half turn and I could make it through until the weekend. NOT A CHANCE!!! The bearing is only sold as a hub booty'y, When I took the calipers off to start removing it .... the brake pads came out in pieces! the pad had delaminated from the backing! We ran to NAPA and picked up a RF hub booty'y and front brake pads. The hub actually came off really easy. With all the rust we saw, while I was getting ready to try the first bolt Tom was already getting out the hotwrench! Never needed it! Couldn't believe those bolts came out as easy as they did!! We changed the RT front hub and bearing, checked the RT front axle u-joint, installed new brake pads on both sides and sat back for a little bit. Tom asked me what else I wanted to do ....... so we went ahead and moved my led license plate frame from where I had it zip tied, down to the bumper. Drilled and tapped holes, wired the led's up and then went on to the next thing!! Pulled out the 6" Metabo and ....... I went to town on it some more!!!!! Now the rockers are cut out clear to the door sill in preparation for the 3x4 square tube I have set aside in Tom's garage for rockers!!
So for today it's : replace RT front hub and bearing booty'y, replace both sides front brake pads, move license plate frame and light and wire, and cut out rusted rockers ..... not a bad day!!!
Usually this brake pad should all be one piece!!!

Moved the license down to the bumper

And cut out the rockers

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02 Red KJ Sport,33s,custom fenders,custom roof rack,custom 5" susp, cradle drop,V8 swap
[url=http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=64049]04 KJ, 4" Fox coilovers, Bilstein, 33's, RL front bumper
'05 WK Limited, Hers