The Ford Barn - View Single Post - Those leaky lower-hose drain petcocks!

Bobs29ModelA · 01-20-2012, 03:24 AM

FYI, it is a brand-new lower pipe, with new petcocks being installed on it. A very close inspection shows it to be leaking only from inside the actual drain hole in the valve, and not from the threaded area or from the pipe. I, too, had also put teflon tape on these pieces prior to installing them, and the threaded portion seems to be nice and dry.

I may do one of many things... first, I could try removing it and "lapping" it, as suggested... or, I could remove it and put a simple threaded brass plug in there... or, I could remove it, and install a brass adapter that provides a larger threaded opening, and then install a "modern" (as in from the muscle-car era) shut-off valve, which I happen to have in-stock, and have also never had any leakage problems from. Doing the latter might also help to resolve another problem I've noticed... that when you do drain these things, they're so high up that it gets coolant all over the steering linkage, among other parts. Perhaps adding an adapter, which would lower where the drain actually pours out, might make it easier to use than if I stick with the original design?

01-20-2012, 03:24 AM	#13
Bobs29ModelA Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Livermore, CA Posts: 124	Re: Those leaky lower-hose drain petcocks! FYI, it is a brand-new lower pipe, with new petcocks being installed on it. A very close inspection shows it to be leaking only from inside the actual drain hole in the valve, and not from the threaded area or from the pipe. I, too, had also put teflon tape on these pieces prior to installing them, and the threaded portion seems to be nice and dry. I may do one of many things... first, I could try removing it and "lapping" it, as suggested... or, I could remove it and put a simple threaded brass plug in there... or, I could remove it, and install a brass adapter that provides a larger threaded opening, and then install a "modern" (as in from the muscle-car era) shut-off valve, which I happen to have in-stock, and have also never had any leakage problems from. Doing the latter might also help to resolve another problem I've noticed... that when you do drain these things, they're so high up that it gets coolant all over the steering linkage, among other parts. Perhaps adding an adapter, which would lower where the drain actually pours out, might make it easier to use than if I stick with the original design?