Brian B

I need to drain out my coolant. Do I need to put anti-seize on the block drain plus when I put them back in?

Also, where the heck do I find anti-seize? My local auto-parts store and Wal-mart don't seem to carry it...

heinrich

absolutely, that is the ONE spot you totally need it because of the coolant and hard to reach spot. I never unplug those, i just flush the system, because i have had bad experiences on a 944 with its dslanted engine .... antisize can be bought at any auto parts store. International and Specialists also carry it.

Brian B

Heinrich,

If you don't remove the drain plugs, how are you able to get all of the coolant out? I would love to avoid messing with those bolts.

Thanks,
BB

auzivision

There is a drain plug on the bottom of the radiator on the passenger side. It’s much easier to use this instead of discounting the big hose... don’t ask me why I know this.

Brian B

will that drain the whole system?

Garth S

If the rad is drained and the hoses removed from the block, there is still 7l of the 16l still captive in the block.

If you remove the two block drains - do so with a tight fitting 6-pt socket, not a 12-pt. To reinstall with the gasket, this is one location where I much prefer teflon tape vs. anti-seize.

An alternative is to remove the thermostat and stuff a garden hose into the pump suction - it is safe to briefly run the engine with the hose at full tilt: the pump will nicely flush the block, leaving 7l of clean water behind ....

Brian B

I think I need to drain the coolant and not go the hose in the thermostat route. My water comes from a well and I'm sure its chock full of mineral goodness that will probably not be too good for a cooling system...

dr bob

Doing a few TB/WP projects, we've had to remove several block drain bolts. Some 'original fit' bolts were tough to move bu so far all have come out with the correct size bar on the socket. Hint: Don't waste your time with the 8" long 3/8-drive ratchet. Go directly to the 1/2" drive longer handle bar to break the bolts loose. We reinstall with never-seeze and the correct torque, so they come out easily the next time. I've only heard of one person locally who had a problem with a drain bolt. There may be more around but the news hasn't dripped down to me yet.

The block drains get pulled for the WP job because it's the only way to get the coolant out behind the water pump without taking a green bath. The radiator drain only drains the radiator and the two hoses, and part of the heater and the coolant reservoir. I did my first coolant service with the garden-hose flushing the block and didn't pull the block drains. I got all the coolant out that way but... When I did it the next time, I pulled the drains and found some mineral rocks in there. Got that all flushed out and use distilled water now so that should be a thing of the past.


Never-sieze is available at better parts stores, usually in the same section where they have gasket sealers. Hardwarre stores and home centers often sell it too. The most common is a lead-based product that's fine for the steel bolts used in the aluminum engine. I've also used Hylomar sealer on stainless bolts in the same service with excellent results. Hmmm... Next time I'll measure the bolts and use a couple 316SS bolts and eliminate the sticking problem? Stainless is soft, thiugh, so if they do stick there's a ris of breaking the bolt off on the block. That isn't a fun place to go with the left-hand drills and such. the side of the car is in the way.

Mike Frye

Brian,

Wish you had posted this before the weekend. I just started my first TB/WP job and the driver's side drain plug cost me about a 1/2 inch gash when the bolt freed and I got a heat shield in the back of the hand.
I couldn't find anti-seize anywhere at the local auto parts store until I went up to the counter to check out. They had packets of it right there.

Bob, thanks for the advice, only 2 days too late. Oh well, there's another lesson carved in flesh.

Lizard928

I found for removing these bolts the best way was to put the BOX end of a wrench on it and hold my finger over it so it could not pop off, and then take a hammer and whack the end of the wrench a couple times, then it comes free very easily and no big gashes

danglerb

I bought 3 gals of distilled water when I picked up the DexCool at Walmart. When I lived in Riverside, Ca a common science fair demo was a battery made with tap water.

OTOH I printed out the WSM pages showing removing those drains and gave them to my mechanic along with the juice. Wonder how that went.

Mike Frye

Lizard,

Usually I know better than to put my hand in a place where it's going to get bashed like that, but sometimes the only way to get a good grip on it seems like masochism. I really didn't think it would let go all at once. If it moved just a bit I would have changed grip, but, no warning this time .

I try not to employ a hammer unless absolutely nothing else works. Too much chance of snapping bolts off that way (In my experience).
I guess I figure I'll heal but the engine won't .

UKKid35

I couldn't get a socket on to the RHS block drain plug until I'd removed all the air pump plumbing to the exhaust ports. As Dr Bob points out there's no point trying to use anything other than BIG TOOLS (and this time I totally agree).

dr bob

You guys with the mangled fingers... Wear Gloves! Plus remember the "Always pull, Never Push" rule about using wrenches. The long 1/2"-drive breaker bar extends down well below the bottom of the block. It's a nice open space, where your biggest danger is bumping your noggin on the safety stand as you slide under. Use only 6-pt sockets, as others have pointed out.

Mike Frye

Dr. Bob,

I knew I was going to take a beating for volunteering the fact that I barked a knuckle on this one .

Go ahead I asked for it. The gloves didn't help because the side of the heat shield there is like a razor and cut right through my gloves.

In order to stay on topic, I should say that using anti-seize would probably have avoided even this little inconvenience .