Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-29-2022, 02:41 PM   #1
SoCalCoupe
Senior Member
 
SoCalCoupe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Point Loma, San Diego, CA
Posts: 422
Default How to drain coolant with no mess?

Hate to post with a really stupid question that makes me sound like a newbee but I'll do it anyway.


I want to drain some coolant out of my '41 flathead to replace the coolant temperature sensor without spilling or making a mess?



There's a petcock on the radiator. Some sources say not to use the radiator drain petcock because the radiator metal is really soft and chances are high that you'll strip the threads. Even if it used, looks like it will splash coolant all over radiator support as it comes out. POSSIBLY a very small piece of tubing could be inserted into the hole in the pet cock but it would have to be so small that draining would take quite a while and would probably make a mess anyway.


Thoughts?
SoCalCoupe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 03:28 PM   #2
TJ
Senior Member
 
TJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Napa,California
Posts: 6,005
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

If your car has the factory radiator pan it has a hole in it for draining the radiator. Place a plastic dish pan at the location of the hole in the pan and open the petcock slowly. Let it drain into the dish pan via the hole.. If you have dogs or cats make sure they are not around in case a little gets spilled.
TJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 07-29-2022, 03:33 PM   #3
Tim Ayers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 6,141
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Your motor should have pipe plugs (on each side) at the lower section of the block around the corner of the flat where the water pumps mount. I use these two to drain the majority of the coolant out and avoid the rad petcock for reasons you described.
Tim Ayers is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 04:44 PM   #4
cmbrucew
Senior Member
 
cmbrucew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: North of sandy ago, CA.
Posts: 2,063
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

If you can draw a vacuum on the cooling system, just remove the sensor and screw in the new one. You might lose a few drops.
Bruce
__________________
Works good
Lasts long time
cmbrucew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 05:05 PM   #5
Mart
Senior Member
 
Mart's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Solihull, England.
Posts: 8,732
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Bruce said it.
I tried it recently and it worked for me.
Watch this video.
https://youtu.be/c1-m06wuo6c
Note the vacuum is just placed loosely near the neck, not a leak free connection.
Mart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 05:21 PM   #6
19Fordy
Senior Member
 
19Fordy's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Coral Springs FL
Posts: 10,872
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Or you could do this but, remember it's there when you remove your radiator.
Would be better if you just add a short piece of copper tubing and then slip on a piece of clear hose that clears the drain pan. This is a Walker radiator in a 40 Ford. Radiator hoses are chrome plated copper tube.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_3433BB.jpg (31.7 KB, 52 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_3437B.jpg (52.0 KB, 46 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_3443B.jpg (46.6 KB, 45 views)
File Type: jpg 3263713-f8600729b6dd952fd04ff285cc266055.jpg (6.1 KB, 51 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_3458b.jpg (57.3 KB, 36 views)
19Fordy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 09:07 PM   #7
ford38v8
Senior Member
 
ford38v8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 6,616
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

If you drain the radiator on the driveway, be sure to have water running to carry it away in order to prevent staining the concrete.
Your radiator tank is not soft metal, and there are no threads to strip. The petcock is a spring loaded brass taper valve, and although it may initially be stuck closed, simple prudence will free it up easily.
__________________
Alan
ford38v8 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 09:29 PM   #8
Pete
Senior Member
 
Pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wa.
Posts: 5,373
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Park the car on the street and let it drain in the gutter. No mess.
Pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 09:38 PM   #9
Alaska Jim
Senior Member
 
Alaska Jim's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Posts: 1,573
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

I usually slip a piece of rubber hose over the end of the petcock. long enough to clear the splash pan. the hose will want to turn with the petcock when you open it, but it is not that difficult
Alaska Jim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 09:54 PM   #10
Tim Ayers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 6,141
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete View Post
Park the car on the street and let it drain in the gutter. No mess.
Hahahaha
Tim Ayers is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2022, 10:47 PM   #11
tomcarman
Senior Member
 
tomcarman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Rochester Wa
Posts: 574
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete View Post
Park the car on the street and let it drain in the gutter. No mess.
Good idea Pete. Better yet park it next to a river or Puget Sound. No muss, no fuss! No cleanup. Might as well change the oil too. LOL. In all seriousness though if it were mine I'd try the proper size hose on the petcock and be gentle getting the petcock open.
tomcarman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2022, 11:04 AM   #12
GaryU.
Senior Member
 
GaryU.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
Posts: 821
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

I've used 3 1/2 gallon buckets when changing coolant, slide right under the petcock and go. Found at Home Improvement Stores.
GaryU. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2022, 12:01 PM   #13
glennpm
Senior Member
 
glennpm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Wiscasset, Maine
Posts: 1,965
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Bruce said it. Mart said it. Glenn says it.

I first tried this a few years back on a SBC temperature sensor mounted in the intake manifold and it worked wonderfully with no leakage of anti-freeze.

Regarding petcocks I have 2 on my Flathead. I've found that the paddles will spin if they haven't been opened for a while. I soldered the paddle to the splined portion and then JB welded the extension tube to it so that I could slip on a hose to drain in a bucket.

Glenn
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Flathead Petcocks.jpg (39.5 KB, 29 views)
glennpm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2022, 04:28 PM   #14
SoCalCoupe
Senior Member
 
SoCalCoupe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Point Loma, San Diego, CA
Posts: 422
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Bruce/Martin, the vacuum cleaner trick worked well. Changed the sensor and didn't spill a drop. Even though I didn't stick the pipe into the coolant and didn't seal the opening, still managed to suck about a quart of coolant into my shop vacuum. Better to have the coolant there than spilling in the engine compartment, garage, driveway or street.

Last edited by SoCalCoupe; 07-31-2022 at 10:20 PM.
SoCalCoupe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2022, 04:36 PM   #15
Steve in Denver
Senior Member
 
Steve in Denver's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 563
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Don't drain it into the gutter. Antifreeze is hard to get back out of the water and someone down stream has to drink that water.
__________________
Steve in Denver
Steve in Denver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2022, 07:24 PM   #16
paul2748
Senior Member
 
paul2748's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Midland Park, NJ
Posts: 3,965
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

I assume that those people who suggested draining into the street etc were joking, but it's no joke and people who don't get the joke and take it seriously can raise all kinds of h**l at such postings and this site.
__________________
48 Ford Conv
56 Tbird
54 Ford Victoria
paul2748 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2022, 07:28 PM   #17
paul2748
Senior Member
 
paul2748's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Midland Park, NJ
Posts: 3,965
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

I ran across thos drain plug - it's a marine item and works a lot better that the butterfly type. You can attach a hose to it too
Attached Images
File Type: jpg drain valve.jpg (45.7 KB, 38 views)
__________________
48 Ford Conv
56 Tbird
54 Ford Victoria
paul2748 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2022, 08:59 PM   #18
Graeme / New Zealand
Senior Member
 
Graeme / New Zealand's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lower Hutt , New Zealand
Posts: 2,125
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

You only have to drain enough off to lower the level in the engine so coolant doesn't piss out when you remove the sensor ( same applies for pulling the stats). Your coolant doesn't have to go anywhere, including the gutters because if you catch it from the rad petcock you can reuse it. I had a stat turn sideways in the hose at the head and applied the same method to right it.

GB
__________________
"you can't make honey out of dog sh*t"

"You're a long time looking at the lid"
Graeme / New Zealand is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2022, 10:37 PM   #19
SoCalCoupe
Senior Member
 
SoCalCoupe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Point Loma, San Diego, CA
Posts: 422
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

Quote:
Originally Posted by glennpm View Post
Bruce said it. Mart said it. Glenn says it.

I first tried this a few years back on a SBC temperature sensor mounted in the intake manifold and it worked wonderfully with no leakage of anti-freeze.

Regarding petcocks I have 2 on my Flathead. I've found that the paddles will spin if they haven't been opened for a while. I soldered the paddle to the splined portion and then JB welded the extension tube to it so that I could slip on a hose to drain in a bucket.

Glenn
Clever. I like that. Don't know why all petcocks don't have an extension welded on for a hose.
SoCalCoupe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2022, 10:50 PM   #20
1oldtimer
Senior Member
 
1oldtimer's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: South Orange County, Ca.
Posts: 680
Default Re: How to drain coolant with no mess?

They do.
1oldtimer is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:30 AM.