Engine Block Coolant Plug

[pinkgrips236]

so i'm right in the middle of cooling system assembly after relocating the rear heater core behind the bumper, and i have just a quick question about putting the drain plug back in the engine block.

i can thread the plug in by hand easily. when i get too much resistance by hand, i can only get about a 1/4 turn on the socket before it won't budge any further. there is about 3-4mm between the head of the bolt, and the female hex fitting that is in the side of the engine block.

i can't remember if this is how it looked when i took it out, or if i need to put some more elbow grease into it. anyone do a coolant drain recently and remember what's what?

[timsrv]

What you describe sounds about right. The plug is machined to make a "metal to metal" seal with the bushing it's installed into (so sealant or Teflon tape is NOT required nor is it wanted). You only have a problem if there is a leak. The only way to find out is to put some fluid in there and check it out. If you have low confidence, then I would start out with water. If it doesn't leak then drain the system and refill with antifreeze.

To keep from messing with the drain plug again, monitor the volume of water you put in. If there are no leaks, then catch the water you drain back out. Using math to determine the volume of water still in the block, you can now add concentrated antifreeze to achieve the desired 50/50 mix. Tim

PS: If your hose water is acidic or has high mineral content, then I'd recommend using distilled water.

[pinkgrips236]

i think i'm just going to go ahead and fill it up and check for leaks. after some minor complications with my heater core relocation, (why doesn't anyone make an elbow fitting that is also a reducer?) i'll have a million little places to check for leaks.

all in all though, i'm pretty excited for to be starting fresh with all the hoses and cooling bits!

the second photo shows the gap between the head of the plug and the receiving end.

[timsrv]

The gap between plug & bushing look good. If you have a leak I wouldn't expect it to be here. Tim

[Suzu]

If I had known it would be this difficult, I might have taken it to a shop....

Can someone please tell me how to get all of the coolant out of the van so I can flush it and refill it with clean anti-freeze?

I took out the plug on the lower passenger side of the radiator and barely a gallon of fluid has come out. Plus I can't get the plug back into the hole... and it's 90 degrees out there....

I seem to recall there should be at least two gallons of liquid coming out. It was not low when I started this....

Is there some other spot you have to open up to get the rest of the fluid out?

Thanks....

[Suzu]

Wow, fifteen thread views and no one has a response... hmm.... I must be in the wrong place! Seems everyone else here is a lot more knowledgeable than I am about virtually everything to do with these vans. Sorry for the intrusion!

[originalkwyjibo]

Maybe it's the 90 degree heat talking but being rude won't likely get you much assistance. Perhaps the people who viewed your post didn't know the answer either. There is a block drain that you can remove to get more coolant out of the block. There will still be some left in the heaters that will just have to be flushed out.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/Engine/IMG_1849.jpg

[Suzu]

Maybe it's the 90 degree heat talking but being rude won't likely get you much assistance. Perhaps the people who viewed your post didn't know the answer either. There is a block drain that you can remove to get more coolant out of the block. There will still be some left in the heaters that will just have to be flushed out.

No, the muggy weather doesn't help, and four weeks ago I asked a different question that went unanswered while a thread hijacker got what they needed and I am still waiting. 230 views there.

Thanks for the info. I suspect that drain plug will be rather difficult to get loose. Maybe I ought to just put the old coolant (minus the grit) back in and forget about it.

[terrence]

Why not just pull the radiator hoses and flush it with a garden hose?

[Suzu]

Why not just pull the radiator hoses and flush it with a garden hose?

I'm not sure what that would entail.... Sounds like it would send anti-freeze all over the yard?

[terrence]

I'm not sure what that would entail.... Sounds like it would send anti-freeze all over the yard?

If you are trying to rid the system of all the coolant, that would be an easy way to do it. Get a 5 gal. bucket and let it drain into the bucket. Use a garden hose to flush it into the bucket.

[pinkgrips236]

The secondary drain plug on the engine side isn't too bad. Mine had all the wrench flats rounded completely off and it still came off easily with some vicegrips.

Only one way to find out though...