Engine coolant drain bolt nightmare

[Ploddit]

Being a lunatic before I changed the coolant I wanted to get as much old liquid out as possible.

So I have a battle to undo the coolant drain bolt, but now the SOB won't do up.

It's a horrible brass affair so I think now I've got to do a major strip to get the oil filter mounting off to repair the thread.....

It is 11415A on here

I think I'll have to take this off to get it sorted.

Just hope I don't have to take the fuel pump off too.

[Dara]

they're a rite PITA to get to!!had to use 3 long 3/8th extensions an a wobble joint extension to open mine from the passenger wheel arch.

did you take you brass bolt fully out that the threads got damaged??
ya know you only have to screw it out a bit an it'll drain out of a little pipe comin off it that points at the starter motor

[Ploddit]

Yes I did take it all the way out, as its was so stiff and the flow out of the pipe was tiny.

The threads looked fine, now which is softer brass or aluminium?

[TonyN]

Too late for you, lol, but for others reading, all you have to do is plug a hosepipe in to the hose that goes into to the heater valve and leave it running for a while, that'll flush any crap out far better than just draining the block. And you don't have to mess with the pesky drain plugs.

[Dara]

Yes I did take it all the way out, as its was so stiff and the flow out of the pipe was tiny.

The threads looked fine, now which is softer brass or aluminium?

aluminium is softer....you should have jus opened up to where the water was drippin out or flowin a bit an stuck a hose in the rad pipes or the heater pipes prob would have unblocked it an cleaned out the block at the same time

[Ploddit]

Well the bolt has lost over half it's threads so I've ordered a new one and I'm praying on a nightly basis.

[axelgs1]

Tony where is the heater valve drain pipe located. I have to flush my engine soon. Any pics??

Andy

[Dara]

Tony where is the heater valve drain pipe located. I have to flush my engine soon. Any pics??

Andy

its in behind the head...you'll see the two biggish hoses at the back of the head goin from one side to the other if you look in behind it you'll see one of the hoses has a black plastic box in the middle of it thats the heater valve

[Ploddit]

Theres no drain pipe for the heater valve you have a to and from pipe?

It goes via the valve and comes from the other.

I disconnected them both and back flushed with a hose, same story for the rear heater and turbo pipes

[axelgs1]

Thanks Dara for info.

[Ploddit]

Well a new bolt didn't do the trick, so I've removed the starter motor to try and get enough space to repair the threads.

If this doesn't work I'll have to remove the oil cooler cover, this however looks like a real PITA.

Has anyone removed this before will I have to remove the fuel pump or not?

Also I've noticed an oil leak behind the starter so at least its not a complete waste of time.

[J i m s t e r]

You could also let your rear heater pipes corrode and they'll dump all your coolant on the road for you

I guess mine is clean now - whole watering can of water into rad, once hole had been repaired with section of rubber pipe, then day after, took rubber pipe off to replace heater pipes (so dumping all this water), replace heater pipes with copper a la Ben D's suggestion, refill with 5 litres of premixed Halfords Red.

[Ploddit]

Well all done and happy.

New gaskets on the oil cooler to block and the oil cooler cover but of course I had to take of the fuel pump to get the last few bolts out.

If anyone is interested it was more than enough to put a M10x1 (fine thread) tap in the bolt hole to clean it up and it screws up well with no leaks.

I would still drain the block via this bolt as the cavity was quite a lot more rusty as it seems to be a coolant trap there.

Again after this relatively in depth job I really appreciate the good design of this 1KZ-TE engine.











I learnt:
To remove the fuel pump toyota say to turn the fuel pump drive the wrong way about 30° to ease removal.
When mounting the thermostat to put the 'jiggle pin' within 30° of 12 O clock - I guess that's to allow abit of coolant past to activate it?