Just ordered this through your link brother. You’ve always been a huge help to us guys out here trying to do stuff ourselves. I absolutely adore your channel.

Just found your channel! I like your no nonsense approach to things!

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Dan'sMeTube Thank you.

Thanks for making me want to increase my tool budget a little bit.

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

The tool is worth its weight in gold if you deal with cooling systems all the time.

@stevehenrichs5091

5 жыл бұрын

it will be the best investment you'll make

Now that’s cooler than the other side of the pillow

This setup is very cool. Glad you made a video about it. Thanks.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

I know it's not one of my more popular videos, but I think the most people would benefit from watching it. Glad you liked it.

That is awesome. Added to my to buy list.

This looks great. I’ve used oil extractor hand pumps to pull vacuum to help find and repair leaks. I get nervous when the hoses squeeze but they seem to take it fine. The 25” hg also makes me nervous that it might find corroded or cavitated parts of older engine but it’s pressure difference of only 12psi according to google…

Thanx. Yours gave the best info.

Cool tool. Cool vid.

That's ingenious!!!

Awesome video

Airlift, one of those tools that is SO gratifying to use.

Yo AA, Great share. That would be great to use for regular maintenance on all ones vehicles. Thanks again. Have a pleasant day. Cheers

I saw some reviews on them when I was having to repair a leaking radiator on my 3126 - the Airlift has to be one of the greatest things that I've ran across in several years and well, well worth the money. I've got a 30' Class A DP, so not having to fuss with air in the heater lines was super, and the filling process has spoiled me.

@stevesksmithsmith

2 жыл бұрын

May I ask how you got all the coolant out of the heater lines and heater core? I suppose you have to turn the heater to the “hot” position on the dash control.

@duanebuck193

2 жыл бұрын

@@stevesksmithsmith The Airlift vacuumed the lines to the point that they collapsed, which drew almost all the fluids out. I had the controls on hot as well, and what little may have remained wasn't worth worrying about.

Never heard of it, very cool.

Great Video Man !:)

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I think its an amazing tool that every mechanic should know about. Thanks for the comment!

I'm buying one. I work on firetrucks, big truck, and equipment. This just blew my mind.

I have one myself! Best thing ever!

I replaced the coolant regulators in my Motorhome C9 engine. I used a pneumatic oil extraction to remove the coolant. This enable me to measure how much coolant was in the system. I flushed/heated the engine twice, so I filled the engine 3 times with the Airlift.

I'm getting one to have ready, great tool, great reviews too. Jim

@anthonysova7117

3 жыл бұрын

My I add the first step is to cut a piece of hose off the tee fitting where u connect the air to (about a 4” piece) then connect the hose to the fill plug to the tee plug fill a bucket with coolant connect your tee to air open fill valve till full shut off fill valve and secure it this method will have coolant ready when you add coolant. U will never introduce air in a system u just evacuated to 25” of mercury

@aerialrescuesolutions3277

3 жыл бұрын

@@anthonysova7117 Great tip, I really like this. Your point is totally spot on. Thank you very much, Jim Tree

@anthonysova7117

3 жыл бұрын

@@aerialrescuesolutions3277 just a simple plastic hose and you got it always wondered why it wasn’t designed with the 3rd ball valve Cheers u made a good purchase I used mine for 6 years without problems

I'm ordering one thanks man

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

You will love it. I am amazed by it every time I use it.

good shit, artic fox makes an awesome one too. Hopkins mn,

Nice

Sweet way thank's a Ton

Excellent item to add in my toolsbox for my RV, thank you. Only one question, why do you fill the radiator with what seems old coolant?

Great video. I can see Santa Claus putting a little XMAS cheer in your PayPal account. I never knew those fill systems existed.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Chad Jessup I was actually thinking of doing a what to buy for the mechanic in your life for Christmas, but it's so hard to say because nobody knows the tools they have other than the mechanic.

@victorhettinger4412

3 жыл бұрын

@@AdeptApe please do

I have been using a sump pump for this but sometimes I have to drive around to burp air to get get the last couple gallons in. I definitely think I will give this a try thanks for the video

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment! It really works great. Hope you like the tool.

@triplecranks9540

5 жыл бұрын

dognamedfred Unless you use a system like this, there is no way to tell if you got all of the air out. Air pockets can be in there for the life of the coolant fill and you simply don't know it. This eliminates that.

this tool really does save a lot of aggravation. I work on firetrucks, so it's already hard enough being they are cab over, and usually have heater cores 4 feet above the height of the radiator fill neck. I'm kinda OCD, but I will submerge the fill hose in my bucket of coolant with the ball valve open, moving it around until I get no more bubbles, close the valve, then hook it up. In my mind there's a pretty good pocket of air that can be introduced without purging the fill hose of air.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+chimaira989 I don't prime the fill hose like you, but that isn't a horrible idea. The tool works great though.

@triplecranks9540

5 жыл бұрын

chimaira989 I do the very same thing!

This works for holding hydraulic fluid in the reservoir while changing components that are lower than the tank. Most machines don't have shut off valves.

nice

Thanks for the video! Would it be safe to refill a truck using it's own compressed air?

I'm having an oveheating issue with a 3126. Could an airlock be causing my problem? Love your videos!

great tool to have .

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words.

how would you go about fixing the coolant leak if you lost air in the vacuum processs? Would you fill it back up and pressure test it?

Really cool can you used this on cars 🚗

How you done coolant fill on ram cummins with 6.7 without radiator cap?

Hey I have a foden 2000 truck, I would like to know where is the reverse camera fuse?

I'm a mobile diesel mechanic myself...always looking for faster ways to get the air out of these semis along side the road....letting it run 30 minutes with the cap off sucks....this device looks like it will shave lots of time off on repairs....THANKS BRO I'M ORDERING RIGHT ONE NOW!! Lol Found a new subscriber my friend

Could you use this system to flush out old coolant or do you need a completely different system for that

I have the airlift HD and I use it all the time. You can also use it to purge air if u suspect someone bucket filled the system and they were not able to purge the egr or intercoolers.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+MaxxTech85 It is one of my favorite tools, and fairly priced too.

Hey nice video how to fill up your coolant system but how did you get the old coolant out? So you just open a hose from the water pump and drain it? Also do you wash the block with any thing before filling the new coolant in? I am asking because I got and old FLD with a 3406B and I want to flush the coolant system. I am new to the truck business Thanks

I use a very small double diaphragm pump with a 1/2” coiled air line attached . Sometimes I replace radiator petcock with a ball valve and slowly fill from the bottom of the radiator . Flow rate is easily controlled at the pump with a ball valve . 7/26/23

Would this work on the newer diesel engines with plastic lines? Or would it brake them

Do you have to work any hydraulic pumps?

Would this do the job on a cat c-32 marine engine with about 25 gal. Of coolant? Would I get the same result with creating vaccum a second and 3rd time once its not sucking coolant anymore?

I’m getting one of those Air lift things for my school bus but I wonder what size air compressor I should get? That’s where you spend the money it seems. Any ideas? Will an eight gallon work?

Word of caution to any Peterbilt owners with the 0706602 style top tank. I did a coolant change this past weekend and while pulling a vacuum I heard a thud. Turns out the top of the expansion tank collapsed. The Airlift worked great filling the system but, now I have to fabricate some sort of a jig to pull the tank back up without damaging it.

Thanks again, just picked up a gently used one on ebay!

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Chris Eck I saw the donation, thanks. You'll love that tool.

@chriseck9278

7 жыл бұрын

Morning, one more quick question, if the block still has some coolant in it (marine = huge mess usually) do you think the airlift will suck the coolant out or it will just not work correctly, or will it still just suck out only air? Like if I just replaced the pump etc. and obviously not all coolant is out. ,

@phloxxic1387

7 жыл бұрын

Generally the unit will suck out the coolant (or most of it). The exhaust hose can be placed into a container to catch any fluid it spits out. Just keep in mind that there is no filter on that side of the system generally, so try not to use it to pull old coolant out of the system. The incoming coolant will rinse the path any outgoing fluid took and wash any debris back into the system as well.

@chriseck9278

7 жыл бұрын

phloxx ic cool, makes sense. thanks! !

Just ordered one for my 3126B, will 8 gallons be enough coolant for a standard flush?

These systems are not only convenient to use, if you work on more than one type of vehicle they are required. Navistar (International) coolant systems have required vac-filling for several years and many other OEM manufacturers are "strongly recommending" it now. If the egr coolers are high up on the engine, the air bubbles will tend to collect there and cause hot spots. These hot spots can cause the egr cooler to crack and leak. Your new egr cooler will come with a slip of paper that tells you you must vacuum fill the system or void your warranty (on Navistars at least). $100-200 vac-fill system or $800-2200 egr cooler...yep, I'd take the vac system in a heartbeat.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+phloxx ic Very good point, I've used the Navistar coolant system on the Cat Trucks and they are pretty much just a very expensive version of this setup.

I bought one of these and found it to not work on most freightliners with DD series engines and most kenworth and peterbilt trucks that run isx engines due to the way the overflow works through the cap on surge tanks. I ended up spending my life savings and my first born son on the snap on version with all the truck adaptors. Just my experience in my shop

Im about to replace my EGR coolers, iv'e been advised to negative pressurize just like you did in the video but the only difference is that i gotta connect the sucking hose to the bottom of the radiator. The bottom of the rad has a release valve. Would it work the same if i connect the sucking hose to this release valve on the bottom of the rad?

@AdeptApe

6 жыл бұрын

+The Transporter It would pull the coolant from the bottom that way, which I could see being better, but not all trucks have that fitting.

@thetransporterboss

6 жыл бұрын

Got it! Thanks for this.

That's the shit. What in the world have I been wasting my time doing all these years....

@stevehenrichs5091

5 жыл бұрын

use this tool once and never look back

Can I use my trucks trailer air line to pressure the system with the air lift

The only observation I have is that having created a vacuum you then connect a hose full of air to pull in the coolant. Ideally you would ensure the filler hose was evacuated of air so as to not introduce air back in?

How do you know how much to put in? If I do my bus, 8.3 Cummins rear engine, I just removed the in cab heaters but left the defrost heater up front. Cut all the lines in cab, removed the heaters and moved lines to under the bus. How do I know how much fluid to put back in?

I got one similar from Matco it was pretty expensive $300 but it works tho

Got a question. I wrote a while back about my water temp guage pegging out at 250 degrees on my 2005 W900 with the C15 ACERT. The fan comes on when its needed and I had a computer put on it to see what the real temperature was with the engine and it idles at 190 and the fan kicks on around 210. I changed both the guage and the water temp sensor on the front of the engine where you ssid it was in one of your videos. It still pegs out at 250 so what else can be the cause of the guage pegging out? A bit confused about it now unless there is air in the system. Love the videos you do and thanks.

@areitu

7 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a grounding issue or a break in the wiring somewhere. Sometimes when you get an open circuit, the gauge will read one extreme or the other

I knew a girl like this once...

@boatbutch

Жыл бұрын

If it ain’t funny don’t even go there.

would this tool work on a Cat D4C ?

Would topping off my cooling system with just water be bad for efficiency?

Adept Ape I developed a radiator leak on my motor home with a Cat 3126. Q. Do you have any experience or opinion on using stop leak? would this cause any harm to the engine? or should I bite the bullet and replace the radiator with a copper one? 20 years old pusher with only 65,000 original miles, aluminum and plastic radiator. If I replace radiator the front of engine will be fully exposed I plan to replace serpentine and water-pump belt. Is now a great time to replace belt tenssioner and what about the water pump and the thermostats? There is one grease fiting that I grease when I perform routine maintenance for the fan. The air cooler exchange will be inspected and pressurized. Is there anything I'm overlooking? Thanks much and keep the great video's coming.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+rc4107990432 I do not like stop leak, because its good at plugging little holes and passages. The entire coming system is little holes and passages so it would probably not do great things for your cooling system. Sounds like you have a project on your hands, but yes I would recommend changing the radiator to a non plastic one and changing the belts. Have the radiator shop check the CAC as well. The water pump and thermostats are more of a subjective deal, if they are original then maybe it's not a horrible idea to do them. You should plan on changing the two coolant hoses that run from the air compressor if you are doing the water pump and thermostats as the hoses are probably very brittle. The tensioner and idler also not a bad idea. If your RV is a freightliner chassis, this can be a real tough job. Good luck.

How much air press. Needs to run tru the T?.

Hey Adept Are there any tricks or special ways to bleed a 3412 engine? i prime the fudl pump lever, bleed air from filter by unscrewing fuel filter housing upper bleed bolt, and i unscrew the injector nuts, and i keep priming using the hand opeerated fuel prime pump. cranks but never starts without ether. any solutions?

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Omar Are you sure it's fuel related? If you bled the system, which is sounds like you did and it won't start you may have a problem with the ECM or perhaps the timing sensors. It sounds like you have bled it correctly.

Josh, I know this video is 7 years old but @ 6:46-6:52 it looks like there are bubbles or foaming on top of the coolant. With our reservoir cap off(ours is a black steel tank) while running we have a lot of foaming or bubbling on top of the coolant(ours is a 2003 3126E HEP08621and the coolant is the same color). Is this normal? Thanks

I have a 38 foot motor home with the heater hoses going to the front. In description it says rv. will this work for this diesel pusher?

@victorhettinger4412

3 жыл бұрын

He is working on Desil motors....fyi ya might have missed that part

@victorv4340

3 жыл бұрын

@@victorhettinger4412 I have a diesel. I did buy one last year it it showed where a hose clamp was not tight enough. After tightening it it worked great. worth the money

have the same exact AIrlift , installed to ttruck to use - pressure went to almost 15 = collapsing the thermostat hose then it went to almost 0 and it just doesn't go down anymore ( tried a few times - making sure ev is correct ) - I said must be a leak ?, Refilled truck - no fluid leak ... I simply draw a blank = don't get wat's wrong ?, any advice would help , Thank you

@johnsmith9161

Жыл бұрын

The older style Air con hoses with the worm drive hoses clamps would do the same thing they would leak under vacumn but not under pressure.You do have a leak but they can be quite difficult to find as it draws air in while a pressure leak pushes fluid out.

I've used this before on smaller systems. Curious about how it might work on a large motor coach (tour bus) which has coolant lines all the way up to the front of the bus from the back? We do close the valves when we can. These coaches are about 30gallon systems.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

I have used it on Van Hools, MCI, BCI, Thomas, and Blue Bird buses with success. Since it vacuum fills it works great for all the extra lines, it just takes longer to pull a vacuum the bigger the system.

@chrism9965

7 жыл бұрын

+Adept Ape thanks, yeah I am going to get one. I have a coworker who said it wouldn't work well with our systems, but there has to be a better way than using high idle to get the temp up to 185 degrees F and hoping the system burps itself. I think he doesn't know what he is talking about and this tool will work well.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Chris M I wish I would have invented this tool because it really does work great. I have never had a problem filling a system with it, other than one time filling an old RV with a plastic expansion tank and the tank imploded!

Can you suck air out of the system when there is still coolant in the engine?

cooling related question... do you know how many btu's are produced by the cooling system on a 550hp C15? I am looking at adding intransit heat on my trucks for insulated cargo tanks but want to use water to water plate style heat transfer blocks and not introduce my coolant to an unknown contamination.

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Kevin Perkins That is a question I've never heard before. I've never seen a specification on how many btus of engine heat is produced by the engine. I would probably contact the intransit heat company and see if they have a spec on a C15.

@kevinperkins1402

7 жыл бұрын

Adept Ape I found one data page that showed 10000 btu/minute. If that's true, I believe a 50000-60000 btu exchanger would transfer the energy needed to the trailer. If you find anything please pass it on and I'll consult a couple radiator guys. The intransit is just connections to a plate welded under the trailer beneath the insulation. The trailer manufacturer might know

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Kevin Perkins I'm try to look tomorrow on the Cat site for anything about it.

I have a coolant question...do you know what requirements CAT had for coolants in the 3126B? I'm buying one next week (school bus) with that engine want to buy some coolant that meets the CAT standard for those engines in case I need to top it off. I just don't know what the specification number is. Engine Part #: 64F8D1190SB Engine Serial: 64112H034 Engine: 3126B This engine was rebuilt about 5 years ago by Reviva, so I don't know what was put in it (by them or school system), but I figure the best thing to do is buy something that meets the CAT specification number. Thanks for any assistance man!

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+Jonathan Bopp The best coolant for that engine is Cat ELC, the red one. If the engine has green in it though you would want to find out what kind and fill it with that. That engine serial number you listed isn't a Cat serial number btw.

@jonathanbopp6964

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info on the coolant. I will have to see what it has in it. At some point, I'd like to change it, anyways, but no money for that now. Well, those numbers must be ones assigned by Reviva as the engine was rebuilt by them. My guess is that they removed the original CAT stickers when the engine was rebuilt. I'm sorry for the incorrect information, but this was helpful as I now know that those stickers provide no valid CAT information.

looked like oil in that overflow tank

Does the vacuum hold the thermostat open how do you get past the thermostat ???????

@walterk1221

3 жыл бұрын

Through the waterpump and lower radiator hose... the thermostat is not the only way in.

I have a smart car and it has a section of the block higher than the expansion tank, hoping that a vacuum fill can push fluid up in there, bleeding through running the motor doesn't work and Mercedes-Benz stopped servicing this vehicle.

Before I used my new airlift tool to refill my cooling system today, I squish-checked the hoses going into the top and coming out of the bottom of my rad. They were stiff and made a "crunch" sound. I removed them to find a thin black flakey film built up on the inside was making the crunch. What little fluid remained in the hoses after draining was brown and loaded with rust particles. A peek into the top of the rad showed more rusty gunk buildup. I've got to drive this thing 1,700 miles, and soon! It seems like the majority of the coolant lines are hard steel pipe rather than rubber hose. Should I replace the rubber sections, and then fill with distilled water + the "quick" Cat coolant cleaner to get the rust and crunchy flakes out? I've also heard of vinegar, comet, dishwashing powder, and all sorts of stuff being used for this. I'm paranoid that my radiator will get clogged with debris and grenade my engine on the long haul back home. What do you recommend Ape?

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

That's a tough one. It is very common for the radiator hoses to be metal with rubber ends. Getting rid of rust is a tough task, I would recommend using the Cat quick flush to help break up the rust, when you go to drain it, try to remove the lower radiator hose section to help drain all the big chunks out. I've used Cascade powder for radiator flushes, but only when there is oil in the coolant and not to remove rust. The idea of using Vinegar is interesting, but I have never seen it used in person. Sounds like that cooling system has been neglected before you got it for some time. You have to be careful as well because those steel tubes can rust through and when you start removing rust can start to get holes in your hoses. I would try the quick flush, drain the coolant and remove the lower hose and then dump whatever debris that has collected in the bottom hose. Flush it again, then dump the hose, then fill it up with new coolant. Then just take it on a little test drive to make sure the thermostats open and you don't have any leaks. Probably the best you can do without removing major components and cleaning them.

@adam7e

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ape!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your sage advice. I'm considering video documenting the rest of the job and posting it for other people to see. I think having an audience might force me to keep a calm level head, and I can try out wrenching without cursing! I hope you're having a good weekend :)

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

I'm glad to help, thanks to your comment, I finally got my donation page up. Plus I like answering questions. Let me know how it goes.

@adam7e

7 жыл бұрын

You're welcome Ape! The flush job is going well, and I'll be certain to make a nice donation with my next paycheck. Without your help I'm not sure I'd make it back home to earn it! Anybody who watches these videos and feels like they saved a ton of money by doing it themselves, consider returning the favor. It's hard to put a price on good information, and Adept Ape passes it on free of charge. Help the man treat his family to pizza! Let's face it, he deserves it :)

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+adam7e Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it.

Hey Ape! Do you recommend "burping" the coolant system after this work, on certain applications? This would be a combination of heating the engine up, opening the thermostat, moderating RPMs/water pump RPM and hoping the coolant circulation will allow air to move to the reservoir and get "burped" out? I have had to do this several times on some v6 SUV setups in order to get the air out, and it worked. What are your thoughts? Thanks for your comment!

@AdeptApe

7 жыл бұрын

+matt “beigmatt” biggs Well usually using this system prevents much air from getting in the system, but it is a good idea to try and burp it after just to get any air out.

I would imagine you could put a vacuum on the cooling system to change a water valve or coolant sensor without draining the system.

@AdeptApe

6 жыл бұрын

Yes you can do that, it'll usually spill a little, but not pour out.

one thing you don't want is a air pocket in a egr cooler

@johnsmith9161

Жыл бұрын

It happens in smaller vehicles and can result in catastropic engine failure some vehicles are more problematic than others so replacement of the coolers before they fail is a must.

I bought the smaller cheaper version on ebay that works using a small compressor. I think I paid around 25.00

what time you start work I will bring this truck

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

+fisnik bojku If you want me to work on it, you'll have to bring it by Monday at 7.

If your system has a overflow or blow by hose do you have to pinch it off?

@triplecranks9540

5 жыл бұрын

Elliot Glenn No. It seals below the overflow tube if you use this at the radiator. If it is a sealed system and you connect at the reservoir, there is no overflow tube in the system.

What’s up ape. Uview has a few versions of these coolant system fillers but I like the one you have because it has the least amount of plastic. I imagine this version will last years to come.

Inches of Mercury. Wow, that is old.

correct way is to use one made for trucks so ur not sitting there for and hour waiting for the system to evacuate.

what I want somebody to do cutout test check VVA solenoids Jake's solenoids stuff like that and maybe Jack up the horse

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

+fisnik bojku We can definitely do that, just call the shop and talk to the new shop supervisor, hopefully he can get you in today.

I thot that you not there so I turned around

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

+fisnik bojku I'm not there, but there are other guys there today, I'll be in on Monday though.

codes 92 93 94 came up now nothing 55

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

+fisnik bojku Sounds like you definitely need that overhead and electrical checked out.

Well, you kind of defeated the purpose by letting the supply fluid get too low. You were actually sucking air with the fluid at the end there.

@shortthrow50

5 жыл бұрын

triplecranks how do you figure? That last 3 gallons the whole system was already full. The rest is in the tank. You can let as much air in there as you want. What do you think an over flow hose is vented to? And how else would you take the radiator cap on and off without letting air into it?

Does it work with a systeem that already has fluid in it?

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

+D. Mulder Yes you can use it to hold a vacuum, but it works best for empty systems.

@D.Mulder

8 жыл бұрын

Does the fluid stay in, or does it go out trough the tool?

@AdeptApe

8 жыл бұрын

+D. Mulder If your system is full it'll pull a little through the hose because it'll collapse the hoses which decreases the holding volume, but you can't suck the coolant out to drain it.

@aygwm

6 жыл бұрын

It works about as well as sucking water out of a water bottle without letting any air come in to replace the water. So it does pull out some water but doesn’t pull all the water out.