Can't get radiator drain plug out....grrrrr!
 

1988 RX7.... we have never drained the radiator ourselves and its due so doing it at home. Hubby CANNOT get the drain plug out. Tried every tool he has and had the car up on ramps but you guys know how tight it is under there so that just added to the frustration. After lots of trial and error and me handing him tools like an operating room nurse and lots of cussing he said It seems to be flat instead of having the phillips marks. Any tricks? He has a 'screw out' and will try that. Ordered new plug because he knows the one in there will be destroyed while getting it out of there.

Thanks

Yes...the "trick" is to stop what you're doing and just disconnect the lower radiator hose!

Also as you may or may not know, the radiator drain is not the main drain for the coolant system...you will not get all the old coolant out by only draining the radiator. You should remove the block plug on the driver's side of the engine (right above the engine mount); this will drain everything in the block, and with the nose of the car in the air it will also drain the radiator (via the lower drain hose).

This is a pretty common procedure, especially when you still have a stock/stock style radiator with plastic end-tanks and a plastic petcock like that.

my radiator drain plug doesn't want to come out either, so i used the block drain instead. its on the center iron by the left side engine mount bracket, on the FC its a long hex, i think 12mm, its all metal so chances of breaking things are small

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There is no coolant in the radiator itself...all water. It ran dry on me...don't ask! Long sad story and I am so careful about all fluids. No air in system and no radiator leak but I had no choice where I was when the alarm went off but to add distilled water so I could start her and drive the short distance home. So......it is all water and needs to be drained to add 50/50. Is there another reason to drain the block if all I want to do is get a 50/50 mix back in the radiator?

Well it depends on how long the car has been running straight water, and if when it ran dry you're sure there still wasn't fluid in the block.
Personally, I wouldn't want all that rust/corrosion filled water still in my engine. As you know, that is the other reason for mixing in coolant besides freeze protection.

Remove the 14mm drain bolt on the bottom of the intermediate iron about 15 inches or so below the oil filler neck.