Where is the rad drain on an 85 GSL?

 

theres a coolant drain plug at the bottom of the center housing on you ur block (the one with the dipstick in it)

 

Got it, see it, thanks!

 

It's a nuisance. There's a rad drain almost inaccessible under the rad, as well as the block drain, which is clumsy to get at. I insert a plastic 5/8" tee in the lower heater hose on the passenger side to facilitate drainage and flushing. Makes it easy.

B

 

When you want to use the fluid again, having it drain over the steering linkage makes it quite a nuissance. I guess I'll cover the linkage with a plastic grocery bag to keep the liquid clean.

All this would have been done in 30 minutes on any other car. The upper rad hose is seriously bloated and needs prompt attention.

Stupid thing is that I'll have to do it again for the lower hose and the heater core hoses, since I assume that they are all bad. But since I want to get it on the road on the cheap and before the season ends, it'll have to do.

 

Top hose is always first to go because the hottest water flows thru it. Sometimes the bottom hose will last forever.

Like I say, putting that 5/8" tee in the lower heater hose will save you a lot of time: makes draining and flushing easy.

B

 

Jobs done. Would have been nice if the fluid hadn't shot out into the wheel! Had to regulate the flow using the rad cap...



Is that tee off a rad flush kit or is it something that you bought by itself?

How does it terminate? Is there a valve? What keeps the dirt from going up there?

 

You want a good job? Bring the radiator to a shop for cleaning (rod-out) to ensure that the cores are not clogged. Put a garden hose in the t-stat cover to flush old coolant out of the engine, cover the water pump housing inlet pipe and let it drain thru the drain plug below the oil filler neck. Besides, flushing the radiator with a "T" is a messy job and it doesnt really remove all the dirt out of the engine and radiator." Remember, taking short cuts may cost you $$$ in the long run.

 

That 5/8" tee comes from a Prestone flush kit along with an anti-siphon connector, so I just hook it up to a garden hose and crack the faucet a bit so that water bubbles slowly out of the radiator neck (rad cap off), let it run awhile, start engine to let it warm up a couple minutes until the t'stat opens, heater valve open, let it run that way 10 minutes, etc. Little effort required, spend most of the afternoon drinking beer and swimming in pool while keeping an eye on things. There's a cap that goes on the threaded tee when done. Then you can drain a pint out by opening the cap on the tee, add a little degreaser or rad flush fluid, replace tee cap , replace rad cap, run engine 15 minutes to clean cooling system good, etc. Keep engine revs low, at idle, when chemical solvent in cooling system to keep Bad Stuff from going into combustion chamber. Flush Bad Stuff out by opening rad cap and attaching garden hose to tee, etc.

B

 

Thanks for all the info.