On the 14th-gen F-150 this is a hose-off job rather than a drain-plug job. Most trucks in this generation have no usable radiator drain cock, so you pull the lower radiator hose at the driver-side corner after taking off the lower air deflector with an 8 mm socket. The hoses use constant-tension spring clamps, so real hose clamp pliers are the difference between a 20-minute job and a knuckle-busting hour. Expect roughly 3.5-4 gallons out of the radiator and a couple of quarts of old coolant still hiding in the block, which is why a distilled-water flush is worth doing if the coolant is dark.
What varies is capacity and how many loops you are dealing with, not tool sizes. Every engine here takes Motorcraft Orange prediluted (WSS-M97B44-D2) — already mixed, so no water gets added. The thing people get wrong is the refill: filling the degas bottle to the mark and calling it done leaves air in the heater core and, on EcoBoost trucks, in the turbo coolant lines. Either vacuum-fill it or idle it with the heater on full hot and a spill-free funnel until the fan cycles and the vents blow hot, then re-check the level over the next few cold starts.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum Lift the front of the truck to reach the lower radiator hose. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 3 ton pair Support the truck while you work under the front bumper. | Safety | shop |
| Wheel chocks Chock the rear wheels before lifting. | Safety | shop |
| Socket set 1/4 in and 3/8 in drive, 7/8/10/13 mm 8 mm and 10 mm hex-head screws hold the lower air deflector and splash shields; 13 mm for tow-hook/skid plate bolts if fitted. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet and extensions 1/4 in and 3/8 in drive, 3 in and 6 in extensions Reach deflector fasteners behind the bumper valance. | Required | shop |
| Hose clamp pliers Spring (constant-tension) clamp pliers, cable type preferred Ford uses spring clamps on the radiator and heater hoses; these are very hard to move with regular pliers in a tight space. | Required | shop |
| Flat-blade screwdriver Medium, plus a small pick Break the hose bead loose from the radiator neck and pop plastic push-pin retainers. | Recommended | shop |
| Drain pan 4 gal (15 L) low-profile Catches the roughly 3.5-4 gal that dumps out when the lower hose comes off. | Required | shop |
| Funnel Long-neck, coolant-only Fill the degas bottle without spilling onto the belt and accessory drive. | Required | shop |
| Cooling system vacuum fill tool Venturi type, needs 90 psi air supply, universal cone adapters Pulls the air out of the block and heater core so you avoid a long burp cycle and heater-core air lock. | Recommended | shop |
| Coolant spill-free funnel kit Universal with Ford degas-bottle adapter Alternative to vacuum filling; lets you run the engine and burp air without overflowing. | Recommended | shop |
| Refractometer or coolant tester Ethylene glycol scale Confirms the final mix is around -34 F / 50-50 after refill. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/4 in drive, 2-20 Nm range Small deflector and shield screws strip easily in plastic and sheet metal. | Recommended | shop |
| OBD-II scan tool Live data, coolant temp PID Watch coolant temperature climb and confirm the thermostat opens so the system burps fully. | Recommended | shop |
| Motorcraft Orange prediluted coolant VC-3DIL-B, meets Ford WSS-M97B44-D2; 2 gal (7.5 L) for a drain and fill, 4-5 gal if you flush The only coolant specified for these engines; it is already 50-50, do not add water. | Parts | shop |
| Distilled water 1 gal For rinsing during a flush and for cleaning spills — never tap water in the system. | Consumables | shop |
| Replacement spring clamps or worm clamps Sized to 1.5 in / 38 mm lower radiator hose Insurance if an old spring clamp loses tension or you damage one removing it. | Parts | shop |
| Nitrile gloves Ethylene glycol is toxic and absorbs through skin. | Safety | shop |
| Safety glasses Hot coolant can spray when a hose releases. | Safety | shop |
| Shop rags and absorbent pads Coolant is slick and toxic to pets — clean up fully. | Consumables | shop |
| Fender cover Keeps the plastic engine cover and paint clean while you lean in. | Recommended | shop |
Tool sizes are the same across 2.7 EcoBoost, 3.5 EcoBoost, 5.0 V8 and 3.5 PowerBoost — 8 mm (some 10 mm) deflector screws and spring clamps on the lower hose. Capacity differs: plan on roughly 3.5-4 gal (13-15 L) total for the engine loop on the V6s and 5.0, slightly more on PowerBoost; verify the exact figure for your VIN. PowerBoost also has a second, independent low-temperature coolant loop with its own reservoir for the power electronics that is serviced separately and is not touched by an engine drain.
| Lower air deflector / splash shield screws (8 mm hex head) | verify in the service manual (snug, roughly 7-9 Nm) |
| Radiator drain plug (if equipped) | verify in the service manual |
| Degas bottle mounting nuts | verify in the service manual |
| Worm-gear clamp on lower radiator hose (if substituted) | 4-5 Nm (35-45 in-lb), do not crush the neck |
Fastener sizes (8 mm and 10 mm hex-head deflector screws, spring clamps on the lower radiator hose) and the Motorcraft Orange VC-3DIL-B specification are consistent across the 14th-gen F-150, but capacity varies by engine and whether your truck has a factory radiator drain plug — confirm both in the Ford workshop manual or the owner's manual for your VIN.
Motorcraft Orange Prediluted Antifreeze/Coolant, part number VC-3DIL-B, meeting Ford spec WSS-M97B44-D2. It is already 50-50, so nothing gets added, and it should not be mixed with green, Dex-Cool, or Ford's older yellow coolant.
Many do not, and the ones that do are hard to reach behind the lower air deflector. The standard approach is to remove the lower air deflector with an 8 mm socket and pull the lower radiator hose off the driver-side corner of the radiator.
A drain-and-fill through the lower hose typically takes about 3.5-4 gallons (13-15 L) on the 2.7, 3.5 and 5.0; buy two gallons of prediluted for a simple refill and four to five if you are flushing. Confirm the exact capacity for your engine in the manual.
Best method is a venturi vacuum fill tool on the degas bottle: pull 20-25 in-Hg, hold it to check for leaks, then draw the coolant in. Otherwise fit a spill-free funnel, idle with the heater on full hot until the cooling fan cycles and the vents blow hot, then set the level cold at the MAX mark and re-check after a few drive cycles.