Engine missing after new distributor cap & rotor
It pained me not to remove the engine drain plugs when I flushed the dex mud out of my system. They are so famous for breaking and leaking that I decided not to touch them. 4 years later my coolant is still clean.
This is what I plan on doing - flushing out all the buildup in my cooling system... should I do this before or after putting my new parts in? I'm replacing the water pump, radiator & hoses, heater core & hoses.
I'm going to start a new thread as I replace LIM gaskets, radiator&hoses, heater core, oil cooler lines, fuel injector assembly, and some smaller maintenance stuff like the thermostat, fuel filter, rear defrost, door hinge pins, etc. If I have the original water pump with 150k on it, should I replace that as preventative maintenance? A mechanic friend suggested that may be a good idea even though it isn't currently leaking at all

The feel of engine bay looking better and better each day is invaluable.
P.S. Don't forget the vacuum too.
Vacuum control lines I meant. They are driven from a black plenum above the LIM. If any of them breaks You may loose control of this and that, but worst of all You'll get an extra air into the air intake... They are prone to time wear, but aren't hard to replace. You got one line coming from top to a brake booster and another nipple nearby, that goes to a splitters for actuator underneath a battery shelf, vacuum accumulator under the fender and the air flow actuators for AC.
The problem with aftermarket radiators is that many of them use different fittings, which seems to always cause leakage. I dealt with this problem in my Malibu twice before splurging on an OEM replacement.
An OEM radiator shouldn't be hard to find at a salvage yard - almost anything on the S10 4.3L V6 platform in a similar year will fit. Just make sure it's in good condition - and clean on the inside!



