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I've recently acquired a '73 Pantera (#5035) that had been in storage since 1985.  The car can be considered a survivor and is mostly untouched and original. 

I am in the process of going through the cooling system - drained the system, removed/replaced all hose and clamps, cleaned/restored the pipes, replaced the water pump and thermostat, etc. 

I have read about the challenges of avoiding trapped air when refilling the cooling system and wanted to know if anyone had used the vacuum fill method for replacing the coolant in the system.  Seems like this could be a straightforward procedure but have not tried it.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!

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I just did this on my 1972.  I had pulled the engine and trans to address numerous leaks, upgrade the water pump and thermostat, and really clean up the engine compartment.

I used the Astro 78585 bleeding kit that I purchased off of Amazon.  You need an air compressor to create the vacuum but it worked great.  Car now runs nice and cool.

I have a LS swapped 1967 Camaro that will be right behind it to be vacuum filled.

Make sure you have a 5 gallon bucket full of coolant that start and that you keep the hose submerged in coolant so you don't suck air into the cooling system.

Just wish I knew about this tool sooner.

The vacuum system works great, but you want to drain the system to get new antifreeze in place. My setup also has a gauge that measures line/vacuum pressure, so that you can also tell if you have any air leaks. I have used it on multiple cars including my Porsche Turbo that takes up to 7 gallons (approx) of antifreeze. Worked great there as well with remote radiators and multiple cooling lines, not unlike the setup for a Pantera.

Rick

I have the Schwaben cooling system evacuation tool. It comes with the gauges and different fittings. I was surprised how effectively/easily it works.

Traded my Porsche last year as well,  given what was happening with the market. I had been looking/thinking about Panteras since I saw one in '75. Don't know why it took so long, but pretty happy with this car ( mid 1971) and really looking forward to bringing this car back to life.

Still kick myself for letting the 930 go years back, but who knew what the market would do.

Rick

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