Block drain plug vs tap?

Webley1991 said:

Does anyone have any opinions on what to use for the block drain on a Series engine?

At the moment, mine has a brass hex head plug fitted. I ordered a drain tap, as apparently should be in there.

However, I thought that means that containmnet of the coolant is trusted to that small part. If it is accidentally knocked, it could open enough to allow the coolant to slowly leak, which may not be noticed until it's too late.

Also, is there a possibility of vibration causing it to unscrew?

I can appreciate that the tap makes changing the coolant that much easier, and Series engines had them in from the beginning.

Any thoughts?

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Webley1991 said:

One reason is that it's easier to contain the coolant using the tap. You can put a tube over the end of the hose and direct it into a container.

The area that I work is surrounded by houses where there are quite a few pet cats and dogs. I am careful not to leave any spilled coolant around for that reason.

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