Homemade tools for coolant change

[RMcG]

I followed the instructions for changing coolant given by tmontague (and minitip by johnwk) at this post http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61899 . I will reproduce those instructions in the next post (below).

But I want to share some home made tools that I used to do the job that worked well. First, I made a drain pan out of an apple juice container turned on its side. I cut a rectangular window (hole) in the side of the container to allow the coolant to flow in. See attached picture, you can see the rectangular window cut in the white nutrition information on the side of the container.

I made a funnel out of the top of an empty 2 liter soda pop bottle. When you drain the coolant out of the bottom of the radiator, it shoots out the drain which points parallel to the ground and does not go through the hole in the plastic under-engine guard. So I cut a slot in the funnel and put the drain through the slot and put the bottom of the funnel in the hole in the plastic under engine guard. The old coolant hits the side of the funnel, then goes through the funnel and hole in the plastic under-engine guard and then through the window in the home made pan into the pan. I have included a picture that shows the funnel with the slot sticking in the window (hole) of the homemade drain pain. The slot in the funnel has a pen in it which shows how the horizontal drain fits into the slot & funnel and the pen points in the same course & direction that the old coolant follows when it drains from the bottom of the radiator and out the horizontally pointed radiator drain.

I made a second funnel out of the top of another empty two liter soda pop bottle. When the drain pan is near full, I slid it out from under the car, being careful to keep it horizontal. I put the second funnel in the top of an old plastic milk container, then I unscrewed the cap on the drain pan (old apple juice container) and transferred the old coolant to the old milk container. I took the old coolant (in the old milk container) to the dealer where I bought the new coolant (antifreeze) for proper disposal. I have attached a picture of the second funnel. I also used the second funnel to put new coolant into the radiator.

I have given a little more info in the next post, because this one is pretty long.

Thanks,

RMcG