[Mk2] [NA] Alternative way to drain coolant?

[Laurens PNut]

Hi guys,

I need to replace the coolant on my MR2.
The plastic drain plug on the lower section of the radiator has seized. One plastic wing on the wingnut has broken already and it can't be turned by hand, and when using a nose needle plier it's only a matter of time before the other wing will break. So that's no option.

Is it possible to replace the coolant by taking a coolant hose of from the radiator, jack up the rear of the car and try to get as much coolant out as possible?

I know the radiator won't be completely empty but if I can replace 80% of the coolant this way I'm a happy chap already.

Please let me know! Thnx in advance!

[toxo]

There are 4 drain points on the SW20, the one on the bottom of the radiator is only one of them. Lets be honest, you can get all the coolant out of the radiator by taking it off the car!!

The other drain points are 1 on the back of the block, and 2 on the coolant pipes underneath the car, in the middle of the floorplan.

Also, you can buy a replacement drain plug from Toyota for sod all, so get it out with the pliers and replace it with a new one!

[Laurens PNut]

Yep, I'm aware of the other drain points.
I don't want to go through the hassle of removing the radiator.

In that case, can I safely ignore the radiator drain plug and just go ahead with the procedure using the other draining points?

Knowing that there will be fluid in the radiator which hasn't been changed directly.

[toxo]

It's really not much hassle to remove the rad, especially if you have the car up in the air to get to the drain points underneath the car as well. But yeah, gravity dictates that as long as the top of the coolant system is open to atmosphere, if you open the lower drain points the coolant should nearly all flow out.

I would still take the rad off so you can hose out any crap that's been caught in it. You can hose out the heater matrix too, that catches a lot of corrosion in it and you don't want it to get blocked!

[MR2Pagey]

It's really not much hassle to remove the rad, especially if you have the car up in the air to get to the drain points underneath the car as well. But yeah, gravity dictates that as long as the top of the coolant system is open to atmosphere, if you open the lower drain points the coolant should nearly all flow out.

I would still take the rad off so you can hose out any crap that's been caught in it. You can hose out the heater matrix too, that catches a lot of corrosion in it and you don't want it to get blocked!

How do you hose out the heater matrix? Just by putting the hose on the pipe in the frunk by the bulk head?

[toxo]

Disconnect the 'heaterpipes from hell' in the engine bay and hose out from there.

See http://www.mrtwo.net/mr2modproject/serv ... flush1.htm