Radiator drain plug

[Bill Weber]

Drained radiator, filled with water, drove, drained, plug will not screw back in. Pushed in while turning. No luck. Pulled while turning - just spins. Feels like something inside is slipping. Any ideas???

Bill

 

[BGlidewell]

do a search, this was covered in detail last month. Basically you have a loose nut that may be repairable with a needle-nose IIRC.

 

[Bill Weber]

Looked at all the old posts. They all seem to be talking about an "o" ring. I don't have one. The plug valve is sealed with a flat washer. Can not see what is on the inside while the radiator is in the truck. What is a needle nose IIRC??

Bill

 

[BGlidewell]

What is a needle nose IIRC??

Bill

uhoh!



Needle Nose Pliers If I Recall Correctly.

 

[B.G. Smith]

The valve is a plug cock type with inlet in end of plug and outlet in line with the opening tab. There is an "O" ring in the valve body for sealing I believe. If you pull on the tab hard enough the whole plug will come out. It can be re-inserted and reused if the "O" ring is ok. From the start, the plug has to be pulled out a short distance then turned 1/4 turn so the handle or tab is lined up with the drain hole. To close, push in and turn 1/4 turn so handle is horizontal. bg

 

[rashwor]

The valve is a plug cock type with inlet in end of plug and outlet in line with the opening tab. There is an "O" ring in the valve body for sealing I believe. If you pull on the tab hard enough the whole plug will come out. It can be re-inserted and reused if the "O" ring is ok. From the start, the plug has to be pulled out a short distance then turned 1/4 turn so the handle or tab is lined up with the drain hole. To close, push in and turn 1/4 turn so handle is horizontal. bg

Thanks BG! That bone has some meat on it! This probably the best explanation of how this thing works. I think I can handle it on mine now without breaking it.

 

[LRutigliano]

Spray it with WD-40 or add some grease to it, it will pop back in then. I know the sick feeling you are experiencing trying to get it back in...

 

[WCPoe]

Drained radiator, filled with water, drove, drained, plug will not screw back in. Pushed in while turning. No luck. Pulled while turning - just spins. Feels like something inside is slipping. Any ideas???

Bill

Go here and read through the posts:



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...ose-who-will-drain-their-cooling-systems.html



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...2003-2007/230157-radiator-removal-04-5-a.html



Hope this helps.

 

[Bill Weber]

Sorry about the delay in reply. In the process I managed to mangle & break & split my thumb and was out of action for a few days.

The pic that KRY226 had is exactly what I have. Un screwed the plug and pulled it out. Put it back in, tightened the plug. OK. Loosened the plug 3 rounds and had the same thing. Wouldn't screw back in or out. I finally put pliers on the plug and pulled the whole mess out. Tapped the inner piece back in and screwed the plug in. Will never unscrew it more than 2 turns again. 1 turn starts it to dripping out the drain. 1 1/2 turns gets a VERY slow stream coming out (radiator cap loose). 2 turns gets a pretty good stream going and sprays out the gasket also. Would love to meet the designer.

The sad part is the fluid was crystal clear and the inside of the water pump & thermostat housing were shinny steel. A few days went by while my thumb healed enough for me to complete the job. By that time everything was rust. Had do do a complete flush several times to remove most of it.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Kry226]

Bill, even with my new radiator, I have learned a good lesson. Any draining of the radiator will be accomplished through the lower hose, forever more.



Glad yours turned out to be repairable.

 

[Motorhead]

Bill, even with my new radiator, I have learned a good lesson. Any draining of the radiator will be accomplished through the lower hose, forever more.

Glad yours turned out to be repairable.

This is the BEST advice ever!!!

I learned years ago that radiator drains, especially PLASTIC ones are an OPEN invitation for MURPHY's LAW!
I always remove the lower hose. If the hose is really stuck on the plastic necks of the radiator tanks, I carefully CUT the hose to remove it. I have seen plastic radiator necks broken from guys horsing the radiator hose to remove it. MY $0. 02