- 1). Position a bucket with a capacity of at least two gallons under the Mercury Cougar's radiator drain plug. Touch the radiator to verify it isn't hot or warm. If it's cool to the touch, open the drain plug and let it drain completely into the bucket. Then pour the old coolant into a sealable container for proper disposal.
- 2). Use a socket wrench to remove the nuts that hold the coolant recovery tank in place. If there are any hard to access nuts, you'll need a sock extension to remove them. Be sure to put the nuts in safe place after removal to prevent losing them.
- 3). Take a pair of hose clamp pliers and disconnect the coolant hoses from the recovery tank. You can use regular pliers, but it's much easier with the specialized pliers. Be sure to elevate the hose so you won't spill any coolant that could remain inside them.
- 4). Remove the defective coolant recovery tank and replace it with the new tank. The new tank's connectors should slide right down over the bolts that held the previous recovery tank.
- 5). Put the nuts back on the bolts and tighten them with the socket wrench. Make sure the tank is securely in position by applying pressure to it. A loose tank can cause the coolant hoses to eventually come loose and leak.
- 6). Reconnect the coolant hoses to the recovery tank with the hose clamp pliers. Pull on the hoses to verify that the connection is solid.
- 7). Shut the radiator drain, refill the radiator with coolant and start the engine. With the heater setting on high, allow the Mercury Cougar to run in this manner for 15 minutes or so. Then shut off the engine and check for any leaks. Finally, close the hood, dispose of the old tank and clean up any mess.
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