Reddit reviews Lisle 24680 Spill-Free Funnel

Id start with something line this starter set, a 3/8 breaker bar, 1/2 breaker bar, a Decent torque wrench, a plier set, vice grips, channel locks, adjustable wrench, screw driver set, a multimeter, decent scan tool, a jack, a funnell some drain pans from walmart, pb blaster, jack stands and make some wheel chocks. I'm sure I'm missing something pertinent, but remember you can rent some tools at your local parts store for free with a deposit so check to see what they rent before you buy. Also buy the remainder of the tools as you need them, its tough buying a lot of tools at once especially once you develop an affinity for some quality tools. A lot of the youtube guys have videos on what they use they most, but what I've listed should cover most maintenance tasks for your car.

bleed the system properly.

I can almost guarantee you have air in the system. if you're not noticing the level dropping.

to bleed the car properly watch this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUpXgAJ1gjU

you can get that funnel off amazon Lisle spill free funnel

you can certainly do it without that funnel but you'll be in for a messy/sticky job and you'll let fluid spill all over the damn place.

Ok, I didn't force the thermostat, it just fit nicely. If I squeeze the bottom hose I can see the fluid rise in the radiator (when the cap it off), so I don't think there's any obstructions.

I will invest in the funnel, That'll be my next step. http://www.amazon.ca/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY without checking my local shop.

The radiator was bad, it was leaking tons (smoke coming from the engine). It overheated but not horribly the gauge didn't get too high.

I'll try the funnel and if that doesn't work then we'll see.

I really appreciate the help! If you live in Winnipeg i'll buy you a beer!

The easiest way is to just break down and pay for a Lisle funnel. They make the whole process incredibly easy and they're worth every penny. I spent a day or two dicking around with bubbles and squeezing and revving and all that and THEN bought the damn funnel. Or ask if a friend has one. It took 20 minutes to do and the system has been great for a few months now.

If you are in the states then absolutely not, just because it has a nice front end doesn't add $3k worth of value, a car with engine problems assume you'll have to replace the engine and if you don't then woo! But knowing ka's the overheating issue is going to be air in the system and I say that with like 85% certainty, jack up the front of the car and blast the heater as you shake it and squeeze hoses to get all of the air bubbles out, this might even be a good idea if you are going to own a 240 and do your own work. If really helps when bleeding coolant, I use one often at the shop I work at.
Lisle 24680 Spill-Free Funnel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A6AS6LY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_OBLLxbQ4KG5RJ

1. Get one of these
   
2. Connect it and fill it partially.
   
3. Turn the car on and let it warm up.
   
4. Watch and see if bubbles come through the funnel. It's important you maintain the level in the funnel. As air comes out of the system the fluid will drop. So always have enough fluid.
   
5. As you're doing this keep your heat blasting.
   
6. Rev car, maintain fluid level, than check to see if hot air is there yet. Repeat over and over.
   
7. Still no hot air? Go to your bleeder valve.
   
8. Crack your bleeder valve. Don't screw it all the way off. Just crack it. If you have air stuck there it will look like you're opening a soda. Like bubbles seeping out edges.
   
9. Watch it until you see fluid pushing out.
   
10. Go back to your car that is still on and running and check your heater.
    
11. No heat or some heat is normal. You should feel some heat.
    
12. Keep going back and forth between cracking the valve and checking your heat. Do this over and over and you should slowly see your heat come back. Also revving your engine pushes the fluid around faster so do that as well.
    
    Notes: while you're doing the funnel method, the fluid may start to boil and and quickly rise causing it to over flow. Always keep an eye on this. Immediately turn off your car and wait about 30 mins and continue.
    
    Also, your bleeder valve is just a plastic screw that can easily get stripped with all of the opening and closing. Make sure your screw driver is an exact fit. Also, it helps to support it from the bottom when pushing down to open or close it. Wear gloves.
    
    If you can, raise the front end of the car on ramps or something. It helps the air move.

This is the way to do it if you don't have one of the Spill-Free Funnels.

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

If you do decide to go through the painstaking punishment of being patient and get one your life will be substantially easier bleeding the system. You don't even have to open the bleeder screw.However, jacking up the front end also makes this method substantially more efficient. Also, squeezing the lower radiator hose can also help.

That will work, but the trick I've found is to fill it from the upper tank with the cap on the radiator removed. Once the radiator is full, throw that cap back on and continue as you recommended. Also, a no-spill funnel can make life a lot easier.

just don't put the cap on. I only run it for a couple minutes and flush it several times until it runs clear.

I also use one of these. Once the radiator is full, fill it halfway and leave it running for 20-30 squeezing the hoses periodically, then shut it off and let it suck more coolant in as it cools down.

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

I'm going to save you a HUGE headache with that engine and bleeding the air out of the system.

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

Those engines are a huge pain in the ass to bleed the air out because of that damn bypass pipe. The one thats leaking in the video. The bypass bleeder is going to be your biggest issue.

This funnel will let you keep the highest point above the engine, It will also let the coolant flow up and down without spilling anything. it just makes the job much much easier.

I'm pretty sure battery water is distilled. Most super markets have distilled water.

Also most parts stores have pre mixed coolant that has distilled water.


You want coolant in your reservoir, that way when your coolant expands as it heats it will go in there, and when it cools down it will syphon back in. It's also kind of back up coolant, if you get a leak it get topped off by the stuff if the reservoir.


The way I do a coolant flush at work if it really needs it:


I drain the coolant, I remove both heater hoses, I hook a hose the the heater core and flush it one way, then the other, reinstall the heater hoses, I fill it back up with regular water and coolant flush, I run it until it gets hot, drain it, and fill it back up with coolant.


I use one of these when bleeding the cooling system:

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY


If you want to get really fancy you can vacuum fill, but that's more of a professional tool, really only worth buying if you work on cars a lot. Here's the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/UView-550000-Airlift-Cooling-Checker/dp/B0002SRH5G

You hook compressed air to the system and it sucks all the air out, then you close the valve and hook it to a hose that goes to a container full of coolant and it sucks it back in, gets rid of all the air pockets and checks for leaks at the same time, so it's really handy if you're in a hurry trying to make money.

If you can justify having a $30 funnel, this thing can be a real time saver. It lets the air bubble out as you fill the radiator, so there's no need to burp afterwards.

Definitely bleed the coolant then. I use one of these to help the bleeding process:

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

That lets you overfill the reservoir and get coolant higher than the bleed port so you can bleed the system without having the engine running. You have to suck excess coolant out of the reservoir with a turkey baster after you finish bleeding it, but it's so much better than trying to bleed the system the old way.

Also, remember to have the heater on full when bleeding coolant or you won't get bubbles out of the heater core.

Also for flushing and bleeding the coolant you can use one of those funnel kits to expedite the bleeding process. Just use it combination with the two bleeder valves up front.

Make sure to fill up the reservoir tank before the engine is at operating temp, this will prevent air from getting sucked back into the system as the coolant cools and contracts. The coolant cap in your picture is hooked up right.

I would also recommend taking the res tank out and cleaning it out, the debris in the bottom gets sucked back into the engine as it cools. It's pretty easy to take out, lift the bottom outwards and it should pull up.

These are extremely helpful, and work great

This will help you out. I put a new radiator in my Pilot about a month ago and this thing made burping the system much easier. This was my first time doing radiator work and burping a coolant system; based on advice here and other sources online I decided to buy the lisle funnel.

Top the cooling system off with a funnel in the radiator, make sure your heat is on the highest hot setting it'll go to and the blower motor off. Start the car and wait for the thermostat to open, if you have electric fans the fans should start as well. You can tell if the thermostat is open when the upper radiator hose gets hot. Wait for all of the bubbles to work their way out then turn the car off and replace whatever coolant was displaced or lost. Install the radiator cap. A spill free funnel makes this really easy. Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A6AS6LY/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/188-5456271-4723420

The plastic tank reservoir design on Honda's radiators are notorious for cracking, I had mine go out a few weeks ago on my RSX and I used this funnel to bleeding the cooling system, by far the fastest &easiest/safest way of doing it
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A6AS6LY?cache=f8cbdecf2227ea49f0ef98ab3196eb68&pi=SX200_QL40&qid=1414328386&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Video link on how to use:http://youtu.be/zUpXgAJ1gjU

You could also rent a pressure tester for ~$200 from autozone if you think you might have a leak somewhere

Also, these are fucking awesome.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00A6AS6LY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518280301&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=coolant+funnel&dpPl=1&dpID=41Ir3XgVIjL&ref=plSrch

Replace the .ca with you local countries code.

replace the radiator cap.

use one of these to bleed your coolant next time.

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

They make a funnel just for bleeding the coolant systems on vehicles. Ive always just filled it up, and turned it on till coolant starts flowing and cap the rad. Though it takes a warm up or two to get it back to normal. When i did it this last time with the funnel. It was burped in minutes, and working great. It also makes filling the coolant so much faster o.0

Link to funnel.

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

There's not one right on the thermostat housing? Like I said the ones on the T/B are higher anyways so you'll get more of a complete bleed. But just slowly pull the one line off. It'll spray all over! It'll take like 3 seconds once the air is all at the top. Also a spill free funnel on the radiator will help tremendously. Lisle sells them pretty cheap. Lisle spill free funnel

The 3400 should have brass air bleed screws at the waterpump and where the upper rad hose meets the engine. Be gentile as the heads will easily snap off. Also run the heat full blast the whole time and make sure the temp stay around half the gauge as these normally run a hair under half. Also they sell what is called a spill free funnel that replaces the rad cap. They are handy and worth the $30 or so they cost.
Edit: this...
http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY

I know its a little late but when I replaced my radiator everything I read recommending purchasing a Lisle funnel for burping the system. It worked like a charm - especially nice since it was the last step in a long afternoon. Also for the radiator: buy a pack of the black plastic clips for the plastic guards under the car (also on Amazon), no doubt you'll break a few and the Honda dealerships charge like $2 a piece.

Like someone else said below, buy a 1/2" breaker bar. You can ruin your ratchets putting too much torque on them. A 3/8" breaker is often really useful, too. I buy craftsman for a lot of this stuff - its pretty cheap but they will literally just hand you a new tool off the shelf if you come in with a broken one. Also, 4" and 6" extensions are really convenient.

Its not what you were asking but: find a Harbor Freight in your area. They are definitely cheap tools but you're not a pro - sometimes you just need to get the job done. I have an electric impact drill that has saved my ass a few times. I think I bought it for like $20. Plus a set of universal joints for 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" inch. Super cheap and very useful. Don't buy anything from there without a 20% off coupon (you can bring them up on your phone).

Basically what you do is run the engine with one of these on the radiator. It allow the air bubbles to work out the system and keeps the radiator topped off. When its running you rev the engine quickly and it will force air bubbles out as well. When it is running the upper radiator hose should be hot to the touch this means the thermostat is open as it should and the lower on should be cool. The heater hoses will get warm as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY
buy that.

fill rad and overflow tank with coolant until it shoots out of the bleeder valve. fill funnel with coolant. bring and hold throttle until rpm is around 2000. wait until the funnel gulps down all of the coolant. release the throttle, it'll burp some bubbles out of the funnel, and then use the plug to plug the funnel and empty it into the overflow. put caps back on. pat yourself on the back.

what gasket could air in the system blow? just curious as to what the reasoning behind that thought is.

Also procedure - open drain plug at bottom of radiator, use pan to catch coolant, drain, close drain plug. The hoses are held on by little clamps that you usually squeeze with pliers then slide up the hose. Pull them off. Transfer hose clamps to new hoses, install, squeeze hose clamps and slide them to the ends.

Open radiator cap and poor coolant in until it's full. Use this procedure to bleed the system. A "burp kit" like this is what you'd want to be able to get all of the air out of the cooling system, otherwise your car WILL overheat and it can cause all sorts of terrible problems.

Post if you run into any problems.

My 2004 WJ I6 4.0L doesn't have a bleeder screw so I couldn't use one to bleed the system. I changed the water pump and I used one of those no-spill funnels to fill with coolant:

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487347580&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=no-spill+coolant+funnel

Made it a snap. I squeezed the upper coolant hose to burp out any air as I was running the car and didn't have any issues.

That funnel that he's talking about is a game changer. https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24680-Spill-Free-Funnel/dp/B00A6AS6LY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1510067876&sr=8-4&keywords=coolant+funnel

When I burped the coolant in my XJ after replacing my radiator and t-stat all I did was fill it up til the radiator was full + some in the funnel itself (it won't spill if you have the correct adapter and cap on the neck), then I started it and watched it semi close for a couple minutes to make sure it didn't suck all the coolant out of the funnel, then I just let it run for like 30 minutes while I cleaned up all the tools and mess from changing the radiator. I would just glance at the funnel once every few minutes or so to make sure it hadn't sucked the funnel dry.

I've bled cooling systems with varying degrees of success without the spill proof funnel, but there almost always ends up being a huge puddle of coolant below the car and/or I never quite get all the air out of the system. That funnel makes it pretty much foolproof.

To bleed the system just leave the cap off of the radiator and let the bubbles burp out at the engine is running. Make sure the heat is on and the blower motor is on high. They make a special funnel that you can use (Spill Free Funnel). It may be worth it to buy it or it may not. If you don't use it then put a big catch pan underneath the radiator opening.

Once you start to get good heat then you know most of the air is out of the system. Take it for a drive as long as all the gauges look good then let it sit and cool off. Check the coolant afterwards and away you go!

Its possible you may need to rev the engine up to get the bubbles out (like 2k or just quickly put it to wide open throttle and let it come back down).

If you don't see any bubbles coming out and you don't see any leaks on the ground, but you don't have heat you could try just driving it. Driving it may help push some more bubbles out.