Removal of Plastic Rad/Thermo Bung/Screw!

Brothers TDI blowers went cold the other morning so told him to check water and put the anti-freez that I got for him ages ago (I remembered as I had only put mine in the week before!)

He came back and said it looked low so I went and had a look wiht him. Took the lower radiatior drain plug (Brass!) out and there was air in the system, took the top drain plug (plastic) out and the top snapped off.

Was then obvious that the water had been leaking from a small hole in the side of the plastic screw.

I did what I had done with mine the week before and put a screw driver in the hole and twisted however due to the leak I think it has sezed!

Tried several times and think I may have messed the Thred up a bit!

I was just going to switch the thermostat housing with a spare I have but noticed it is hard if not impossable to get the bolts out when the head is on the engine!

Any ideas for a better removal idea? I am thinking a blow torch may be the better idea putting paper towels in the bottom to catch the melted crap.

Once it is done I will be getting some brass ones for all of them!

If not a 5min job will turn into a 5 day repair with a head gasket change!!!! lol

wot injun yu got?
200TDi thermostat comes off easy enuf.

300 tdi

Its more the fact its had a lt of hot coolant pass around it that has seized it up!

Going to try WD40 and a Bigger screwdriver now. Then if not I will see if there are any other replys if not may try the blow torch idea!

I used an old wood chisel and a pair of molegrips to get mine out first time.
Replaced with brass so no problem now.
Even if the thread is a bit damaged you should still be able to get a new brass one to seal with a bit of pipe jointing or ptfe tape.
Buy a radiator vent plug so that you can vent it without removing it next time or put a brass bush in with a smaller size plug.

Got it out with a hot knife on my gas soldering iron, just wish I had been persistant when I said to my Bro to get some paper towels to block the crap going into the engine!

If its too far to walk to get them think of the walking he will have to do when the bit of bung that droped into the water gully takes his water pump out! lol

Oh well got it done Just hope the brass ones are better!

Just done EXACT same thing, some monkey had glued mine, i used a punch to break it in 2 halfs being careful not to hit the thread, leave the thermostat in so the 2 large halfs dont fall completely in, then remove the thermostat slowly grabbing the pieces with long nose pliers...... i pulled the thermostat str8 out and they fell in.... luckily i had one of those long grabber thingys that got the 2 bits out...... replace it with a brass one with a bleed nipple, makes bleeding easy!

the daddy said:

....
Oh well got it done Just hope the brass ones are better!

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Use PTFE tape

yup - radiater air bleed valves is wot you want.

Anyone have a link to one with a bleed valve in them? Was just going to get the ones off ebay.

And the waste bit is long gone now so will have to wait for it to surface up somewhere of cause trouble else where! Wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't told him it would end up happening!!!

B & Q - plumbing aisle - 1/2 inch BSP (british standard pipe thread) radiator bleed vents

B&Q, plumbase, Homebase, Plumb Centre etc etc etc. even Screwfix, i think.

about 1.99

inc free plastic bag to carry it home

The Mad Hat Man said:

about 1.99

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spot on! bought 4 yesterday, best way to fit, remove bleed nipple, ptfe up the thread wind in, tighten up flush with a 3/8 drive ratchet (no socket needed) put bleed nipple back in, dont forget to buy a radiator bleed key if u dont have one!

Taxed said:

Just done EXACT same thing, some monkey had glued mine,

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Someone had glued mine back on as well. I found out when driving through a town in Wales and suddenly I was driving through a cloud of steam. I had no tools so called the breakdown - an old guy came out and simply screwed a bolt into what was left of it. Got me back to Newcastle


That was after the mechanic from 'the local Land Rover specialist' stopped and told me the water was coming from a leaking water seal on the timing belt cover and if I towed it to his garage he could fix it within 48 hours...

Think I will change for brass - I had to bleed last week and even with fairly new plastic plugs on they were rounding very easily.

lagpunktortoni said:

the water was coming from a leaking water seal on the timing belt cover

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Inventive

the xeng ones are good blue or red too,bout 7quid a pair,thir www gives a list of agents.

7 squid - yo having a giraffe? B&Q are under £2.

Got the ones with the bleed valve in and the bugger still leaked! Think it was due to the thread damage. But at the same time I got a Brass Blanking bolt one too which fixed that problem! I quite liked the look of this one too but I thought it may pertude too much (Think they have screwed it in the wrong way on the photo!!!)

Started up fine but with a squeek! And it may be me but the water pump sounds loud to me, I am yet to compare it with mine but will asap.

Did the penny trick which sorted the squeek so just hope it was that and not the bloody chunk of plastic in the water pump!

Whilst at B n Q they were trying to sell me a magic valve (for radiators) that is self bleading. When I asked how it worked I was told "its the magic end init!" thought it would be good for it to self bleed but without more information I was reluctent to buy them at £17 a pop but they are chrome! But if it worked that would cut out the need to have a friend/assistant when bleading the system!

I am yet to fit the ones I got for mine so I hope it is just that the thread was beaten on my bros and not B and Qs shoddy fittings!