Hi, first post here!

Got a 2007 SportKa, which ive had for a year now, and i really enjoy it. I dont use it as much as id like to, due to living away from it at Uni, but now im home for summer its all go!

Just had its MOT done, and i'm about to do a quick service. I noticed a while back the heating was always hot when it was up to temp, so i replaced the HCV with a cheap one from eBay (don't know how long it'll last), but that should sort it.

However, before replacing the HCV it had a slow leak so i topped it up regularly with just water, so the coolant will be fairly diluted. Also the old HCV plastic crumbled when removing it, and i tried my best to get all the plastic bits out the hose, there are probably bits floating around.

That means i'd like to drain and flush the whole system and fill up with 50/50 antifreeze. How would i go about it?

Do i need to remove the thermostat? Because im assuming it'll need a new gasket or o-ring, and i dont really want to go getting that if i dont have to. Can i just remove the bottom hose at the radiator and drain everything out, then use the garden hose to flush out the radiator and engine (separately)?

When its all clear, just reconnect all the pipes, then slowly fill up with coolant, start the engine and squeeze all the pipes to get rid of air, then top up accordingly? Any help would be great, thanks!