Hey guys I'm the guy with a red 2009 Chevy HHR SS. I love the car but I can't drive it because it needs a new engine. It is going into the repair shop soon for a new installation. I am buying a zzperformance LDK long block. I already know that it is tricky to get the air out of the cooling system for these Ecotec engines. I do not want the repair shop to mess up my brand new engine so my question is, what do I tell the mechanic when I drop my car off? Do I ask him how are you planning on getting the air out of my cooling system? Or do I tell him to loosen the nut above the water pump housing to get the air out? Could somebody that knows what needs to be done, please let me know. That would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ensure they jack up the front passengers side , then fill the cooling system .
Run the engine till warm, let it cool off then check the Dexcool at the rad hose cap.
Take it off the jack stand and drive the car for 10 minutes, jack up the passenger side or park it with the front bumper higher than the rear. Let it cool off and recheck the Dexcool and top off if required!

Recheck again after a day or two.

 

To highlight the final step from Old Blue's post, recheck after a day or two. I see that noted in pretty much every post I've seen on this subject!

 

Yep, what OB said. The issue is that the filler cap is not the highest point of the system. Raising the front of the vehicle makes the cap higher.

I had a heck of a time getting the air out on mine. Burped it for several days, thought I had it. But then a trip to Vegas in the summer had it running just over 220*. Not high enough to cause damage, but high enough to make me nervous.

That was about 300 miles into a 2000 mile trip, it was all worked out about halfway through.

Ideally, I would check every morning for 2 weeks.

 

And run the heater at full heat a couple of times to get water Dexcool thru the heater core.
Did I mention use Dexcool, and a 180 degree AC Delco thermostat P/N 131-158, our friends at CARiD have it

https://www.carid.com/acdelco/gm-ori...n-131-158.html

 

Of course, they may have a coolant installation machine that sucks the air out. They exist and are the way "the book" says to do it.

 

Mine is getting changed next week... It's ten year old coolant. (gotta be some kind of record)

 

It only has a 5 year life, I'd change the thermostat also!

 

Yeah.... I know.

 

Buy a lottery ticket, before your luck runs out!