Firevette

How do you guys drain your coolant? I was looking for a drain plug on the radiator and couldnt find one. Anything you can do besides pull the lower hose? I was looking for a more "controlled" alternative.

XQIZT

there is a drain (on my 85 anyway) on the lower passenger side of the radiator. ya gotta really get under the car to see it. and if you want to drain the block too, just pull the knock sensor in the bottom right side of the block. it'll be as empty as you could reasonably expect.

CFI-EFI

AND the block drain plug in the corresponding location on the other side of the engine, too. Otherwise, you've only drained one side of the block. The radiator drain **** is a 1" or so flat, plastic, blade, pointed down, buried up inside the rad housing. It is just above flush with the housing. You can get your fingers on it, but a pliers may work better. When I do a drain and flush, I loosen the lower rad hose at the radiator. After the engine warms up, I pull the hose off of the rad. This larger opening will pass larger chunks, without stopping up the smaller drain **** and insures they get flushed OUT.

RACE ON!!!

ClarenceT

All true; I'd go snap a pic of that thing, but can't find the camera, and it really is cramped. I had the car up on 4 jackstands anyway, so it made crawling around easier. But put your hand on the firewall side of the radiator, right on the pass. side corner. It's a plastic screw in deal, with a flat piece that you grasp and unscrew.

XQIZT

i was just thinking....ya might be just better off taking off the lower rad hose if you want "controlled" draining....the little valve that we are all talking about is kinda in the rad housing and its doesn't flow real nice. it kinda dribble pisses out and into the housing and then just runs where ever it wants. just my $.02. (again)

Firevette

Found it!
Thanks fellas, I would have spent all day looking for that thing otherwise.

Vic'89

It is still a better idea to pull the lower hose off.

Vic

Firevette

Im not looking to flush it, just wanted to drain enough to pull the intake.

mikey whipreck

Draining the coolant has still been the worst job I've had to do with my '85...

I will never be doing this job myself again

XQIZT

lol...worst job, huh? how long have you owned the car? just wait. I LOVE my 85, but she can be a wretched bee-otch when it comes to taking her apart (see my posts about the recent brake job).

mikey whipreck

about 8 months... so yeah: I haven't done major jobs such as the heater core, or brakes yet...

spark plugs/wires/distributer wasnt too bad...
ripped apart the steering column and entire dash searching for bad grounds...

I've done alot of other projects too: I still think coolant is the worst, not because of the difficulty but because of the mess... I just hate dealing with the stuff

CFI-EFI

Wait until you have to do a water pump. Not only do you get to drain the cooling system but the water pump was the second item that went down the assembly line... Right after the heater core. I don't see the big deal with draining the cooling system. I do mine twice a year.

RACE ON!!!

85vet

Wait till you have to change the heater core

Sorry - didn't see your second post :o