Changing out all coolant and heater hoses...

[Adieu]

Backflush: basically involves splicing in an adapater to attach a garden hose in and then wash out the system. Then rinse (dilute) with distilled, drain, repeat, etc until you get tired of it....and finally add concentrated coolant (don't use premix, cause the backflush leaves a bunch of water in the system)

Without backflushing.... you'll get like 1/2 - 1/3 of the old coolant out per coolant "change"

 

[Trainmaster]

Should I replace the radiator as preventative maintenance? It too is original. If I’m gonna do the coolant hoses and thermostat why not go ahead and replace the radiator w new OEM?

There are problems with the "shotgun" approach of changing parts for preventative maintenance, then taking that long ride. Without a careful analysis old the parts' deterioration, you often risk damage to the few remaining original parts.

Twenty-year-old car: You change hoses, radiator, water pump. Lots of mung is cleaned out. Now the pressure and cooling pressure's restored. Wham! That crappy old heater core is pushed to its limit and water's pouring out from under the dash. And you're a thousand miles from nowhere.

Remember what happened when you changed the varnished tranny fluid in that 100,000 mile, fifteen year old Chrysler? The seals blew.

You are also putting a lot of bets on new parts, which are at least sometimes defective. And as cars get older, the quality of replacement parts decline. Often only the crappiest manufacturers are left making parts for a vehicle. Finding 20 year OEM is like finding hens' teeth. More likely, you'll only be able to get Chinese junk.

I'd minimize my parts changing to things I knew were in poor condition and I'd do it a month or two before the long trip. This way any new problems could pose themselves before I'm en route and new troubles would be minimized.

 

[TobyU]

I wouldn't. Inspect for any cracks forming in the plastic tanks. No real reason to replace.

 

[TobyU]

I won't put a garden hose pressure into a heater hose or any other way that it could pressure above 15 psi.
Now if you always have an other open end and let the flow go on slowly the pressure would never spike but garden hoses can be 40-60 PSI.
I pop lower hues off and leave clamp off so I can push it on and off. Dump and refill. Run and repeat. I even leave car running and do the dumping and refilling until I have nice clear water.

 

[Machete]

I have dealer do the radiator flushes. I spoke w my service advisor and he talked w the tech who works on my truck he said hoses, belts, radiator are all good.

How can that be though, they’re all original!

I’ve altered my list to just coolant hoses, tranny lines, add on tranny cooler to supplement the in-radiator one it has and keep my fingers crossed during the trip.

I do need to look into that temp monitor for tranny.

 

[Yupster Dog]

Probably a gimmie, but you never mentioned the spare tire. maybe take it down to check air and see if the mechanism is working properly check your jack and see if it works good on the boat trailer. might need a couple pieces of wood to lift trailer properly.

 

[Machete]

Probably a gimmie, but you never mentioned the spare tire. maybe take it down to check air and see if the mechanism is working properly check your jack and see if it works good on the boat trailer. might need a couple pieces of wood to lift trailer properly.

Oh geez don’t get me started on the trailer! I did have bearings repacked and brakes checked and new spare mounted on trailer. Lights checked. All last summer but will go through list well before departure.

You should see readiness list for boat!

Good suggestion though. Thanks.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

I have dealer do the radiator flushes. I spoke w my service advisor and he talked w the tech who works on my truck he said hoses, belts, radiator are all good.

How can that be though, they’re all original!

I put 180K on my last truck and replaced 2 hoses and one drive belt in that time. On my wife's sedan I replaced the drive belt once around 150K; all hoses are original with 205K on them. I replaced all 3 heater hoses on my Expedition around 100K. One of them sprung a leak, so I replaced all 3 hoses plus the coolant at the same time. Since I was doing the work myself the additional cost was only $30 or so I think. If I had paid a shop to do it, I would have just left them since they were still fine.

 

[Adieu]

I have dealer do the radiator flushes. I spoke w my service advisor and he talked w the tech who works on my truck he said hoses, belts, radiator are all good.

How can that be though, they’re all original!

I’ve altered my list to just coolant hoses, tranny lines, add on tranny cooler to supplement the in-radiator one it has and keep my fingers crossed during the trip.

I do need to look into that temp monitor for tranny.

Dealers and mechanics don't backflush when you order a "coolant flush"... that's why they only use a couple gallons of premix coolant

 

[Trainmaster]

but you never mentioned the spare tire.

My 2000 left its spare tire somewhere on I-78 at 200,000 miles. Looked for it one day and only found the broken stump of the elevator wire. So check that and strap it in.

Another weak point is the belt, as was mentioned and both belt pulley bearings and the tensioner. They are inexpensive and I've had every one I've owned give up at 130 - 170K miles. Very easily changed on the Expedition.