last nite i decided to replace my coolant.

I jacked up the car, removed the underpan, took off the coolant filler caps then removed the radiator drain plug. the coolant was clear - good sign.
I then proceeded to drain the engine block - once again coolant was clear, nice.

I then went to put the radiator drain plug back in so i could refill with coolant, i was going to do a flush first but decided against it as the coolant looked to be in such good shape.

As the drain plug was close to tight - snap. i snapped the twisty bit off the drain plug, leaving the rest of threaded part and the black rubber washer stuck in the bottom of the radiator

i thought i was going to have to remove the radiator, drill out the plug hole then flush it out to get all the plastic out from drilling the broken plug out. then have to worry about finding a plug to fit my drilled drain plug hole.

i decided to try get it out with a dentist like pick tool iv got. I picked the rubber washer out then to my surprise was easily able to spin the broken bit out with the pick. lucky me!

end of boring story

 

Would have been a big bummer if you couldn't have gotten the plug out with your tool.

 

yep it would have sucked. i think iv found a new drain plug at a place just down the road from me. ill go pick it up soon.
hopefully its correct so my car will be running for the weekend

 

just got back from the mazda dealer, they got the wrong part. they got like a sump drain plug or something...
i have to go back thisafternoon and they should have got the correct part in for me..i hope!!

 

This might be the rotary gods' way of telling you to replace that radiator. Engine death due to plastic endtank failure is, unfortunately, a real threat.

Sonny

 

Because Mazda is stupid and used a pos drain plug. I would upgrade the radiator with a Fluidyne and get a brass petcock. I get so tired of drilling out the stock drain plugs. They always strip or break.

 

id like a new radiator, i might get one when funds permit.
Just got back from mazda , it looks like they got the right plug this time.
its slightly different from my broken one but the threads and the rubber washer look to be the same.

-this one has a groove for a phillips head screw driver on the head not a T type plug that you can turn by hand so i hope its correct.

its friday afternoon now, and im leaving work soon so if it aint right then i cant drive my baby over the weekend - damn i hope mazda got it right!

 

I'm in the process of replacing my radiator and was very surprised when I encountered a plastic plug! Plastic end tanks were bad enough.......but wowww. C'mon mazda!

The thing was stripped too so I just drilled through it and I'm glad to know it's common practice. It's easy to drill knowing it's trash afterwards, and I can't imagine having to drill it and then using it again. Much easier to replace. So you're telling me you got that thing out with a pick while upside down??? Cheers to that! How are your eyes and neck doing?

Knowing it's plastic now should get you to put that new radiator at the top of your list. Hope the plug works out for you.......I know how it feels not having the FD available....

 

The oem plug has a philips slot and always strips.

 

I hate that stupid drain plug....I've stripped two of the Philips heads out. Pain in the butt...