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Why, just why?
I need (want) to remove the temp sender from the passenger side head and just block it off.
Changing the beer keg at the same time as well and tidying up some of the hoses (because that's what you do when you change the oil-pressure gauge line....)
So I need to drop the coolant level to at least that point and as I recall the drain on the rad is in the least accessible spot available and usually just pours out all over the cradle and everything as you attempt to drain it
Sees to me last time I needed to do anything I siphoned it out of the rad by removing the upper rad hose instead, then out of the keg, unbolting the keg and dropping it below the heater core to drain the lines, the.... etc etc etc.
Seems to me last time I did this I swore I was going to put a drain fitting in the engine block...
Anyway, just getting per-frustrated for the afternoon
M
Rookie suggestion: Loosen the lower radiator hose just enough to be able to bend it slightly until coolant pours out into a catch pan.....'
OR
Put a catch pan under the temp sending unit and loosen it enough to be able to control coolant flow into the catch pan
THEN
Install a drain plug or a petcock in the temp sender threaded hole.
AND
IF you are really brave...drill and tap a 3/8" NPT into an easily accessible freeze plug
Most of the large radiators used with the BB and Automatic cars are difficult to open the petcock if there is even one there. I have done the lower hose method and it works but it's a pain too so I use a drill pump and some 5' lengths of garden hose, sucks out the coolant from the radiator in no time. I use it to flush the system too, which is now overdue on my car. Suck out the radiator, fill with water, start and let the stat open or just replace the stat, suck out and continue until it's water, then add distilled and Antifreeze and you're good for 2-3 years.
I don't know about tapping threads on a thin / tin freeze plug. Besides, they are too high on the block to drain the crude out the bottom of the block.
I have a petcock on both sides of the block, down low, from the factory.
I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. Been sealed or closed for decades. The petcock handle would snap off just sure as chit..
On the radiator is a drain bolt / washer instead of a petcock.
The threads on petcocks need to be lubed and used every few yrs or its never going to open.
Yeah mines on the bottom under the lower hose so it's a PIA to get to and then there's no way for it to pour out, just all over the support, a drain on the face of the other end would have been nice.
Lower rad hose I've done as well, BB so again, not much flippin room and it pours over everything until you get it pointed at the tray.
I'll be doing the rad method again this time, just a pain
(First world problem)
M
Got to Harbor Freight and buy 1) 36" Pickup and Reach Tool $1,99 and 2) Multi-Use Transfer Pump $6.99. Now cut both end off the pickup tool and you have a hollow tube, connect the inlet hose of the transfer pump to the tube and drop that into the radiator. Take a clean Lowes bucket and pump the coolant into that. Takes all of 10 mins to empty the radiator and most of the block, you can refill the engine with the same coolant through the T-Stat housing. Use a Fel-Pro 35562T T-Stat housing gasket to make this even easier.
Just finished pulling this same fitting out of the passenger side head. Drained radiator down to the last drop and then took out fitting and about a 1/2 gallon of additional antifreeze came out. Unless you have a hole drilled in your thermostat to break the vacuum created when drawing down the radiator, your going to get wet when you pull that fitting out. The alternative is to break the vacuum by taking the thermostat loose.
Thanks for the warning.
I removed the pump bypass hose first and that let everything drain down. fitting is out, I thought I had a plug but can't seem to find it so I removed the other hoses and got the keg out. I'll have to start going through boxes tomorrow looking for a plug
M
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
Wow the 68 actually has something right over the later years. The 68 points to the rear on the drivers side and the shielding is shaped so you can get to it. On the passengers side there is a removable piece of tin you you can get in there and tighten the radiator hose clamp on that side.
If it where me I would put and elbow in and a petcock in the end of it if I had that set up.
On all my engines, I find that if I have to get to anything lower in the block below the water pump I pull the block plugs. It lets all the crud out and its really easy to get to them unless you are using the chrome boomerangs. But then its just a 1/4 bolt holding those on.
[QUOTE=Mr D.;1603391779]For you guys with radiator caps;
Great idea. Picture of finished product?
Got to Harbor Freight and buy 1) 36" Pickup and Reach Tool $1,99 and 2) Multi-Use Transfer Pump $6.99. Now cut both end off the pickup tool and you have a hollow tube, connect the inlet hose of the transfer pump to the tube and drop that into the radiator. Take a clean Lowes bucket and pump the coolant into that. Takes all of 10 mins to empty the radiator and most of the block, you can refill the engine with the same coolant through the T-Stat housing. Use a Fel-Pro 35562T T-Stat housing gasket to make this even easier.
Wow the 68 actually has something right over the later years. The 68 points to the rear on the drivers side and the shielding is shaped so you can get to it. On the passengers side there is a removable piece of tin you you can get in there and tighten the radiator hose clamp on that side.
If it where me I would put and elbow in and a petcock in the end of it if I had that set up.
The drivers side is better but not great
If I ever have the rad out again I'll have to think about running an elbow out to a better spot... not that I plan on having the rad out again any time soon but with the way I seem to work who knows
I also have some vague recollection of wanting to pull the block drains and replace them with brass plugs or even valves but then calmed down and left it alone
Anyway, just another simple job on most cars that are a different on our beloved C3s
M
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I agree, in not much of a fan of the radiator place ment myself. Having it angled back so that the incoming air has to make a 90 degree turn up then a 120 degree turn to go through it wasn't a good solution. Either a better duct in front or multiple radiators...I would prefer a short straight one in place of the original angled one then 2 additional small ones were the gills are. I know when I was having issues, (before adding a bigger air dam, then a big block radiator), turning the heater on made a big difference, especially for such a small radiator(heater core). 2 small ones about twice the size of the heater core fed by air ducts in front of the wheels would have been a better idea with 2 small electric fans. Or 2 bigger ones aft beside the spare tire tubs with an under car scoop exiting through a diffuser out the rear...having side exhaust leaves 2 gigantic areas back there....should have had side exhaust as factory with no under car exhaust available. It would keep the cabin cooler as well.
This does look a possible solution for my trouble with draining my big block with ac. I assume you cut your lower hose in half and splice this device in? Has anyone done this yet? They come in black also btw.
This does look a possible solution for my trouble with draining my big block with ac. I assume you cut your lower hose in half and splice this device in? Has anyone done this yet? They come in black also btw.
I used one for my steam port- big block Dewitts rad and support -but not a Big block.
Next time I drain $50 of coolant out I'll upgrade to it. I already removed/replaced the useless rad petcock already- and was just going to undo my current coupler to drain.
Rad Drain - small rant
