ODOMETERGEARS/JEFF

[GripGreg]

I finally installed my/our instrament panel. Lookin' good! It even works! Thanx.
I'm a lil confused about your post to Blaise. You say the block drain plug is on the exhaust side, under #6 and we're able to see it if we remove the left front wheel. The fact that the exhaust is on the right of the car is what's got me goin'. Of course I haven't looked yet. All I have to do is look, right? Greg

[Blaise]

Greg:

Are you wondering where the engine block coolant drain plug is? If so, it is on the right side of the block, towards the rear. You can definitely see it from underneath the car. If I remember correctly, it is a 19mm hex head.

Blaise

[Odometergears]

ok, its the right side!!! Not paying attention.

[cpalmer]

I was just about to do this. It's near the BACK side of the engine block???

I just looked a couple days ago, and I though it was the large bolt near the front.....

Think I need to look again...

[Mike W.]

I was just about to do this. It's near the BACK side of the engine block???

I just looked a couple days ago, and I though it was the large bolt near the front.....

Think I need to look again...

Yep, in the back, under the exhaust. Around cylinders 5/6, 19MM I'm pretty sure. Just looks like a regular bolt, not like a drain plug.

[Odometergears]

Like Blaise said, it's on the exhaust side, under #6. Should be a 19 or 17mm with a copper crush ring. Pull the PASSENGERS!!! side front wheel and you can see it easily. From under the car, the down pipe will hide it a little. Loosen the coolant cap and the liquid will flow.

jeff

[cpalmer]

Thanks Mike, Jeff and Blaise..

Happy I didn't go to pull the bolt in the front! Wondering how much gunk I will get out of there.

Cheers

[cpalmer]

So, got under there, got the bolt off......it was very corroded.....popped a long screw driving through it all. Nothing came out.......Took off the cap on the expansion reservoir.....nothing......Sprayed some PB blaster in there and scaped out more crud.

I was just going to flush it like I did a couple years ago, from the bottom of the radiator until I saw this post and remember about the bolt to flush from the engine.

I'm a little nervous now about what to do.....

Any suggestions?

[Blaise]

Just sell the car. Just kidding.

When I pulled the plug on mine....very little came out. I had to poke a screwdriver to get through the crud.

It sounds like you tried that. You have to devise a way to poke through the crap that is blocking the hole. As long as you are careful of the threads in the block, you are likely not going to do any damage with a little hitchcock psycho action.

If you really can't get it to drain.....you could (don't tell anyone that I suggested this)....fire up the motor. Put all the other hoses back on, close the overflow bottle, leave the engine block drain plug OFF and start the engine. Have someone carefully watching that drain. As soon as it gives, shut her down. That internal pressure might just do it. I can't imagine that it would do any damage, as long as you are careful not to let the engine overheat.

[cpalmer]

Thanks Blaise,

How far does the hole go back? It kind of looked like it went back about an inch and came from the sides. Does is go back a couple/ three inches and come straight down? Looked like threads ended and went back half an inch? Means I definitely have some sludge back there. Need to pull it off again and spray some penetrating oil in there at a better angle then wait a day. I did flush from the front on the bottom and the top. I can't imagine there is such a huge amount of gunk, but that may be the case.....which means I'm not getting maximum flow in there....

[Mike W.]

Get a screwdriver or welding rod or coathanger and work it around in there, eventually it will loosen up the stuff and coolant will come pouring out. It's nice to flush it, but having the deposits in there I don't think creates much of a problem, it's in the bottom of the cylinder area where cooling is needed the least. You don't need PB blaster or anything like that, it's got coolant on the other side of it and it's just solids that have settled out over the years. I had a time on my old Bav getting anything to come out, thought I had the wrong spot, but some work and out it came. It's all cast iron in there, don't be afraid to work it, short of a hammer and punch you aren't going to hurt anything.

As far as how far in it goes, it goes into the water jacketing around the cylinder, so with the right curve or a flexible device you could theoretically get it to come all the way around the cylinder and back at you again. In theory...

[cpalmer]

Once again.....................................
Thanks Mike, and Blaise. Thought it would be a much quicker deal, and had already done the brake+master a few days ago. Work weekends and Mondays and didn't have the time to mess with it. I'll get back in there in a couple days. I should have known as the bolt was a bear to get out, gunk. had to put a pipe on the ratchet to get some good leverage to pop it off.There's a good chunk in there.....

[socalfiver]

I just finished doing this on my '80. Couldn't get the bolt off. tried and tried.

I ran some Peak Super Flush on a 10 hour, all day trip. Today I tried the bolt again, and it came right off with very little force.

Nothing came out of the hole, though. Poked around with a screwdriver, it started to trickle. I put the garden hose into the overflow, and once a little bit of pressure had built up, it popped some crud out and started flowing full force.

I rinsed until clear water came out, then refilled. She's running cooler at idle now, but I have yet to take it on the freeway, where my car tends to run hot.

[cpalmer]

Got around to it last week and it was pretty much what you all said. Got in there with a clothes hanger and scraped out a bunch of deposit until it trickled then ran.... Flushed and ran a few times, let it sit over night. Did it again the next morning and got half as much, but still enough to be glad it's out.

Not a huge difference in needle range, but I'm glad to know and I think my water pump will be happier in the long run.

Thanks again everyone.