Coolant Drain Plugs - 351W Block

[MidOHasp]

Location?

I'm switching from water to Evans NPG this weekend and need to drain the block. I understand there are 2 drain plugs. Front pass side and rear driver's side. Is this right?

Procedure?

Pull them out, drain the coolant, thread sealant, plug it back up? Anything else I should know?

Any insight would be......fantastic.

Thanks all!

JP

[trularin]

If they are the brass screw fittings:

1.Locate the fittings from under the car.
2. Connect a piece of clear hose to each fitting and run the hose to a catch pan.
3. Turn the "T" knob until the collant begins to flow.
4. Watch pans as they may over fill.
5. Transfer coolant to tanks and place an empty under the lower rad hose.
6. Pull lower rad hose and finish draining the system.

Hope this helps. Knowing my luck I answered this post entirely wrong and you were asking for directions to DVSF 4. LOL

[MidOHasp]

No I was actually asking what kind of wax people use on their crank pulleys.

Whatever....

I don't think they're the brass screw fittings, though. Seems like they are just regular allen key plugs. Not sure. Will find out! What's the worst that can happen??

JP

[DonC]

JP:
Don't forget to thoroughly flush the system. I've heard that failing to do so will cause problems with the evans coolant.
Please keep the forum updated, I'll be very interested in your results running this stuff.
DonC

[blykins]

Hey JP.....if they're like the ones I just put in my engine when I built it last year, they're allen-headed.

[Edbo]

The worst?

When you finally do get them out you find that over the decades corrosion has eaten away much of the threads in the block, like mine.
You might want to have a 1/4"NPT tap on hand before you try to take them out. If you're going to all this trouble, stop at the parts store and pick up two 1/4"NPT radiator drain petcocks to replace the plugs, which will be junk anyway after you get them out, then you can drain them without going through all this next time.....

Ed

[rdorman]

Then probe the deepest orifice's of everything with suction to get out the rest. Wet dry vac with small hose ducted tape to the end of the hose works. If you have a heater, don't forget about it! Plus depending on how your hoses are routed, water may be sitting in them as well. Unless the run 100% down hill to the drain point. Usually some around the thermostat and even in head pockets.

You are just the man for the job JP!

Rick

[MidOHasp]

Originally posted by rdorman



You are just the man for the job JP!

And why's that? Hopefully not because there will be a lot of sucking and blowing going on.

Sorry Moderator...

I'll keep everyone posted. I actually talked to the Evans tech hotline this afternoon. I'm judging by the guy's horrible grammar that he is an excellent technician. I hope.

He said that as long as I've got about 97-98% of the water out, I'm fine. If this were a high performance install (apparently 500 horsepower is for losers), then I'd need to get the Evans "coolant" pump and use their flush fluid. But if I'm running less than 3% water, I'll be in good shape with my "mild family sedan motor."

I'm excited to see the results. I'm not expecting the temps to be any lower, just more consistent. He!!, with my 160 degree thermostat, the car ran way too cool anyways. But then when idling, it would get too hot.

Hopefully the addition of the fan override and the NPG will have good results.

[Rick Parker]

You will probably have to heat the existing plugs pretty well with a propane or acetalyne torch and melt a small amount of wax on the plug allowing it to wick into the threads before they will come loose, otherwise the internal hex will probably be destroyed trying to get them out. Been there done that!!!!!

Rick

[MidOHasp]

Hi All,

Results Time!!

Well, only put 50-60 miles on with the new coolant, but I was impressed. Talk about a consistent, predictable cooling system. I wired a fan override switch while I was at it and hid it under the dash. I think I might make one tweak yet to the Evans Cooling system, and that would be the addition of a thermostat.

The Evans tech line said to remove the stat, but I'm running at 170 cruising. Granted it was not a hot day (77-78 ambient), but that was a bit cool. But considering where I'm coming from, that's nice.

When going back and forth between very hard driving and cruising, I'm used to a temp stair-step effect. Start at 170, drive hard, goes to 195. Comes down to 185, drive hard, goes to 200. Relax, goes to 195, drive hard goes to 215.

Yesterday, I was on again, off again, practiced some launches and even (way out in the country....) lit one up in second gear, holding it on the rev limiter for a good 6 seconds before the tires finally hooked (even dad was giddy and smiling after that one). Temp just kept creeping between 185 and 170, never going over 185.

Now when I'd stop, the temp would creep. And left to its own devices, it would get to 200 and the fans would kick on and I'd see a max of 210, fans cycling on and off. Nothing wrong w/ that.

BUT... the fan override does its job. I flogged the car hard then came right back to my driveway and kicked the fans on. Temp never went over 180. I shut the fans off when the needle started heading backwards, so I think they would've actually cooled it off more.

BOTTOM LINE: The Evans Coolant works. It doesn't cool better than water, but when the water gets HOT, it starts to lose its cooling ability. Evans does not. Go to the Evans website and read up on nucleate boiling to better understand. This stuff never gets out of control.

The "P.S." - After I bled the system, I went in to hook up the overflow line from the surge tank to the overflow bottle, no sooner had I leaned up against the fender than I saw a spray of liquid and then a plume of steam. My thermostat bypass hole plug had severed at the hands of the hose clamp and Evans NPG+ was shooting out like a fountain. Nothing I could do but watch it. $28/gallon, not happy. BUT... the aftermath was nothing big. 5 seconds with a hose and it was gone. The stuff is basically clear and non corrosive. And only a quart or two came out. Also non-toxic.

I approve!!!