1.9 dg coolant drain problem

[spongo]

Hi guys,
Very new (2 weeks) to T25 life and with competent but limited mechanical skills. I'm trying to drain and refill coolant on my engine but the tin plates over the drain plugs both have seized (on the verge of rounding) nuts on the exhaust side clips.

My question is: Can I successfully drain the coolant from the engine block from any other points? Need to get it all out as it seems that it is almost all water rather than coolant. It came out from the thermostat housing as rust coloured water, no pink in sight.

I understand the implications of this so I don't need to be reminded of the impending s-h-i-t storm but I want to get as much life out of this lump as I can before it blows the water jacket.

Aside from the rad end, which are my best hose options for getting as much rusty water out of the system please people?

Thanks.

[937carrera]

I had to top up my coolant with neat water, about 0.5 litre when on a journey. When I got back home I knew I wanted to top the strength up again.

I had a cheap unused siphon tube like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAPER-HAND- ... SwWB1Z4JVl

I drained off around 3 litres coolant from the expansion tank and replaced with a mix to get back up to the right strength. I had no issues with air locks or having to bleed the system, perhaps you can use this approach to top up with pure coolant, then repeat as required.

Alternatively, look at the connecting points for the front to rear coolant pipes and try using them as a drain - rad end might be easier and you'll certainly empty the rad that way but then you'll need to bleed the system.

[spongo]

That siphon tube sounds like a good idea. It's more the fluid in the lump around the water jackets that I'm worried about though. I might try flushing it through with clean water by shoving a hose in. I guess that as long as the right amount of g12 goes in then the clean water in the block will just form part of the dilution?

[937carrera]

If you drain the coolant off, replenish with fresh G12 and then start the engine you will be replacing the mixture throughout the whole system as it circulates and mixes.

If you are going to shove a hose in then you must have identified a place where the existing coolant will drain from, in which case you can do a flush and refill with fresh coolant. Are you going to do that at the radiator end ?

Ultimately a full flush / replenish should be better, but your problem is the bleed screws. Do you fancy removing the water pump ?

[spongo]

Nah, not really. I know nothing about the engine yet, don't want to mess with it till I know a bit more. I managed a reasonable work around.

First I whipped the thermostat out of the housing. Then I undid the short large bore 90 deg pipe to the housing and rotated it out to an easy angle and inserted a piece of 40mm plumbing waste pipe that I'd attached a washing machine spigot to. It fitted perfectly. Tight enough to fit but not so tight that it was going to over-stretch. Then I just and i just shoved my hose in the end of the spigot.





Then I flushed it with mains pressure cold water until it ran clear. Once it did, I clamped the pipe on the right hand side of the thermostat housing and flushed it again in the hope that this would send more water up the radiator flow and return. It ran dirtier briefly and then ran clear.

Stuck 8 litres of g12+ in then about 3 of water until it flowed from the bleed screw. Felt about the right amount bearing in mind the block and rad flow and returns had sitting water in.

Its a dirty fix but I know its much cleaner than it was and won't bust the block when the temperature drops. Not proud of the half arsed method but I posted the pics because I think its an easy place to flush from and the fact that 40mm waste fits the hose perfectly might make someone elses job a lot easier.

[937carrera]

Congrats on solving the problem & posting the solution.

You do know PB have changed their rules so unless you want to pay them $400 / year your pictures won't show up Can you host the pictures elsewhere ?