Good Job!! And THANK YOU!! (I'm working on a '16 Ford Escape and the petcock came out on me while I was draining the coolant to put fresh coolant in. I've been trying for almost an hour now w/o success so YOU ARE A LIFESAVER!!!!
I have a 2011 Dodge Challenger RT w/ a 5.7 hemi and I'm not sure if you can help or not with any info etc., so here goes. During several and after my latest radiater and system flush, because of the difficulty of opening and closing the petcock from above, I've been using a pliers to finish in both directions. The last time, I went too far closed and heard a snap. It did indeed stay closed, but now, being ready to flush one last time, the system is cool, but full, the coolant tank pressure cap is off and I can't get anything out. I'm guessing the valve broke/separated between the actual plug and the opening part, so nothing inside moves when turning to open. The valve has no stopping points either direction. What's still in the system is all but completely diluted, so that's somewhat of a relief, but what kind of issues am I to expect and is this something that can be fixed by myself by just ordering a new petcock, and not having to take it to a shop for extensive and expensive repairs? Thanks!! Barry
Here are some thoughts. I hesitate to say it's advice since the 5.7 hemi is something far from the I-4 and V6s that I've worked on. One general concern I'd have is if something truly snapped/broke off, you might have loose plastic in the system that could get into engine and block coolant flow. That could quickly lead to overheating. If the petcock is like the one in my video, you should be able to completely remove it. That'll drain most of your coolant (be ready for that!) but you'd be able to see what (if anything) of the petcock is broken (or the plastic threads of the radiator). If you're unable to get fluid to drain via the petcock now, you can remove the lower radiator hose and "drain" (in a rush!) the coolant that way. Just be ready for a large amount of coolant all at once. Maybe that'll also draw any plastic bits out and into the bucket. If it were a vehicle I was working on, I'd go after the above things first (and have a new petcock at the ready in the hopes that it's as simple as putting in a new one) before taking it to a shop. A shop will most likely just want you to replace the radiator (which you can probably do yourself) since it's not known if the problem is the petcock or the radiator threads. They might also suggest things way more invasive just in case plastic bits got into the engine. Not sure if that helps or not. I feel obligated to also make sure you read my disclaimer in the video description(s) - I'm just a lowly DIY homegrown garage wrencher. Good luck with your Challenger! Great car!
@@CarbonsDIYGarage Thanks for the info. I've watched a few videos on the somewhat crude extraction, which includes heating up a small straight screwdriver and quickly, but carefully pushing it into the plastic remnants of the valve, and turning just enough to open the valve to hopefully have a normal drain, then carefully removing it all together. I'll have to remove the so-called broken outer adjuster first, so I hope that all goes well. I'm going to the parts store now to order the valve. Thanks again for your quick response!! Barry
I've got the 5.7 hemi in my 08 Ram 1500 and the plug came out , anyway drill out plastic plug and get the rest out w Needle nose pliers . Then find the correct plug and install. Shouldn't take too long Barry. Signed Danny I. 🇨🇱🧨🍺🌮💥
Barry you can just drain from bottom radiator hose too. And leave the plug like it is, and not chance any more expense. That is what I would do. Just another idea. D. C. I.
Every modern car radiator should have a drain valve on it. Where it's located and what it exactly looks like will vary. It should be at the lowest point of the radiator, though, probably by the coolant hose at the bottom of the radiator. If you search for the valve/petcock for your particular year/make/model, you can probably find a picture of what to look for. Good luck! Thanks for watching.
If my dorman radiator drain plug is bad and it is dripping does it only drip when the car is running or only drip when the car is parked or will it drip all the time snice the plug is bad?
If the drain plug is bad, it should drip all the time since there's always coolant in the radiator, even if the engine's off and the coolant isn't flowing. Since the drain is at the bottom, it would always be dripping out. It might drip more/faster when the engine is on, though, because the system will be pressurized. Hope that helps - good luck! Thanks for watching.
You may have already done this but I would probably try to pull it (gently) out of the radiator as you’re turning the valve. I think the engineer would say that “this can’t happen” due to the threading of the valve, so something might be broken on the valve. Hopefully you can wiggle it out. Don’t pull too hard; I’d fear breaking the plastic on the radiator and then having to replace the whole radiator. Sorry, not much help. I hope you figure it out. Thanks for watching.
Check out the video description for extra info, parts, tools, torques, and any updates.
Thanks, huge help! Before I came across you; I was hearing, ‘new radiator required if petcock broken.’ 180 degree turn only is key!
@@kevinclements7629 yay! Glad the video helped! New petcock is definitely way cheaper and easier to replace. Thanks for watching.
Good Job!! And THANK YOU!! (I'm working on a '16 Ford Escape and the petcock came out on me while I was draining the coolant to put fresh coolant in. I've been trying for almost an hour now w/o success so YOU ARE A LIFESAVER!!!!
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!
I have a 2011 Dodge Challenger RT w/ a 5.7 hemi and I'm not sure if you can help or not with any info etc., so here goes. During several and after my latest radiater and system flush, because of the difficulty of opening and closing the petcock from above, I've been using a pliers to finish in both directions. The last time, I went too far closed and heard a snap. It did indeed stay closed, but now, being ready to flush one last time, the system is cool, but full, the coolant tank pressure cap is off and I can't get anything out. I'm guessing the valve broke/separated between the actual plug and the opening part, so nothing inside moves when turning to open. The valve has no stopping points either direction. What's still in the system is all but completely diluted, so that's somewhat of a relief, but what kind of issues am I to expect and is this something that can be fixed by myself by just ordering a new petcock, and not having to take it to a shop for extensive and expensive repairs? Thanks!! Barry
Here are some thoughts. I hesitate to say it's advice since the 5.7 hemi is something far from the I-4 and V6s that I've worked on.
One general concern I'd have is if something truly snapped/broke off, you might have loose plastic in the system that could get into engine and block coolant flow. That could quickly lead to overheating.
If the petcock is like the one in my video, you should be able to completely remove it. That'll drain most of your coolant (be ready for that!) but you'd be able to see what (if anything) of the petcock is broken (or the plastic threads of the radiator).
If you're unable to get fluid to drain via the petcock now, you can remove the lower radiator hose and "drain" (in a rush!) the coolant that way. Just be ready for a large amount of coolant all at once. Maybe that'll also draw any plastic bits out and into the bucket.
If it were a vehicle I was working on, I'd go after the above things first (and have a new petcock at the ready in the hopes that it's as simple as putting in a new one) before taking it to a shop. A shop will most likely just want you to replace the radiator (which you can probably do yourself) since it's not known if the problem is the petcock or the radiator threads. They might also suggest things way more invasive just in case plastic bits got into the engine.
Not sure if that helps or not. I feel obligated to also make sure you read my disclaimer in the video description(s) - I'm just a lowly DIY homegrown garage wrencher. Good luck with your Challenger! Great car!
@@CarbonsDIYGarage Thanks for the info. I've watched a few videos on the somewhat crude extraction, which includes heating up a small straight screwdriver and quickly, but carefully pushing it into the plastic remnants of the valve, and turning just enough to open the valve to hopefully have a normal drain, then carefully removing it all together. I'll have to remove the so-called broken outer adjuster first, so I hope that all goes well. I'm going to the parts store now to order the valve. Thanks again for your quick response!! Barry
I've got the 5.7 hemi in my 08
Ram 1500 and the plug came out , anyway drill out plastic plug and get the rest out w Needle nose pliers . Then find the correct plug and install. Shouldn't take too long Barry. Signed Danny I. 🇨🇱🧨🍺🌮💥
Barry you can just drain from bottom radiator hose too. And leave the plug like it is, and not chance any more expense. That is what I would do. Just another idea. D. C. I.
Great quick fix! Simple jobs become harder when having to deal with all those fluids. Did this fix the issue?
Believe it or not, it did actually fix the issue. Simple, quick, and works is a hard combo to come by, at least in this garage.
thank you. I hate Bayonet fittings!
Agreed! Thanks for watching, Phil.
Does a Buick lacrosse have one my car is dripping alot of water out
Every modern car radiator should have a drain valve on it. Where it's located and what it exactly looks like will vary. It should be at the lowest point of the radiator, though, probably by the coolant hose at the bottom of the radiator. If you search for the valve/petcock for your particular year/make/model, you can probably find a picture of what to look for. Good luck! Thanks for watching.
replacing today thanks for video
Thanks for watching!
If my dorman radiator drain plug is bad and it is dripping does it only drip when the car is running or only drip when the car is parked or will it drip all the time snice the plug is bad?
If the drain plug is bad, it should drip all the time since there's always coolant in the radiator, even if the engine's off and the coolant isn't flowing. Since the drain is at the bottom, it would always be dripping out. It might drip more/faster when the engine is on, though, because the system will be pressurized.
Hope that helps - good luck! Thanks for watching.
I suddenly received a coolant leak… it seems to be coming from under the drain plug and not the actual drain plug
@@dajourdixon5567 😬 Might be a crack in the radiator’s plastic. 👎🏻
@@CarbonsDIYGarage yeah I found the problem , it’s a leak in the radiator itself
@@dajourdixon5567 Booo… sorry to hear it
My drain valve won't come out. Just keeps spinning. Any suggestions? Thanks
You may have already done this but I would probably try to pull it (gently) out of the radiator as you’re turning the valve. I think the engineer would say that “this can’t happen” due to the threading of the valve, so something might be broken on the valve. Hopefully you can wiggle it out. Don’t pull too hard; I’d fear breaking the plastic on the radiator and then having to replace the whole radiator. Sorry, not much help. I hope you figure it out. Thanks for watching.