Coolant

Really quick one guys: anyone advise the quickest way to drain the system on a '99 P38? Have no coolant so need to get it drained and filled asap before I get caught out with a cold snap!

Thanks
Jock

remove lowest hose fitting, remove rad cap and stand well back.

you could try the purpose made drain plug on the bottom of the rad??? then flush through wit cold water hose, then put in 5 litres of antifreeze folowed by filling with water!!

that way you know its just clean water and antifreeze!!

As Gav says, I know the diesel, not sure abuut petrol, has a drain plug right at the bottom of the radiator.

Also, the diesel has a drain screw on the exhaust side of the cylinder head, its tricky to find (from underneath) remove that too for a full and proper coolant change.

I got almost the full system emptied and refilled this way.

Thanks guys - I'll try the drain plug. If I touch the hose, something will break. Mind you, I'll probably manage to bugger the drain plug somehow too...

the drain plug on my rad is a 21mm socket but it a brass plug,if it,s the v8 i would remove the square plug on the passenger side of the block near the exhaust manifold an open ended 11mm spanner will fit it,wear some sort of eye protection incase of any crap or trace of antifreeze is there.
let it all drain out,usually a good time for a cuppa tea,refit the plugs and refill with a 50/50 antifreeze water mix,i usually use a plastic jug and premix so the system gets the right mix.

BigJock2005 said:

Thanks guys - I'll try the drain plug. If I touch the hose, something will break. Mind you, I'll probably manage to bugger the drain plug somehow too...

Click to expand...

you probably will cos its plastic!!!

if you do just go to a plumbers merchant, ask for an 1/2 inch iron plug and some ptfe tape, alot stronger and more reliable!!!

cant yu use the usual radiator bleed plug?

whats that then? the exhaust when liners go????

the one on the bottom of the rad IS the drain plug specified in rave!!!

sorry Gav - i didnt explain myself very well - on the Discos a common mod is to replace the top radiator bleed valve with a household rad bleed valve (the one with the little square screw) I wondered if that could also be used to replace the bottom rad drain valve, instead of a steel plug.
hopefully that now makes more sense.

the whole lot would prolly go in, not just the little bleed screw. the iron plug is used to blank water and gas back plates, the kind where an outside tap screws into or the bayonet for the gas cooker. a nice square end so you can get at it instead of the silly plastic bit you get from the factory!!

The silly plastic plug at the bottom of the rad is a known real weak point, overtighten it and the head comes off, leaving the hollow screw body in the rad and your coolent all over the road. Been there done that! but it didn't go imediately, it went a couple of hours later in Tesco's car park....thank god I always carry a cheapy pound shop pack of that epoxy putty stuff.... 1/2 hour later back on road with a quick top up.

I've now replaced it with a brass one. To fully drain the system you need to do the other plug on the exhaust side of the block, as the rad one only drains roughly 1/2 water, I found about the same amount again came out went I did the block one.

Apparently the plugs on the diffs are the same, so got a couple of extras to do them too, but haven't got round to it yet.