Lancia Beta Forum

Technical stuff => Heating/Cooling => Topic started by: JohnFol on January 19, 2024, 05:16:44 PM



Title: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: JohnFol on January 19, 2024, 05:16:44 PM
Just drained cooling system and with heater set to hot and expansion tank open I see about 1-2 litres in the bowl. Feels a bit on the low side.

I read there is a drain plug on back of cylinder block but it's quite inaccessible. Bigger concern is it sheers or doesn't reseal meaning a long spell off road.

Is there any other way to let air into the system so it drains more fully?


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: SanRemo78 on January 19, 2024, 05:40:22 PM
Remove the bottom hose from the radiator and after that, the thermostat?
Guy


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: peteracs on January 20, 2024, 12:37:27 AM
Maybe use compressed air carefully?

Peter


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: WestonE on January 20, 2024, 09:30:25 AM
Hi John

The Block drain Bolt is 8x1mm thread and can be replaced with another 8x 1mm bolt if it is a mess which is very rare. It drains the block very effectively and is easier if you make a take away tinfoil tray water diverter/deflector. This is because when it is removed the water goes sideways not down to your handy container! It you skip the tinfoil deflector expect a mess of coolant in the wrong places. There is probably an expensive deflector tool, but I prefer the easy free way.

Enjoy.

PS I am changing the Monte Water Pump so I did this recently.   


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: JohnFol on January 20, 2024, 06:19:20 PM
Thanks for all the responses. Also struggling to locate it. Images suggest back, right of engine and obscured by exhaust manifold


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: peteracs on January 21, 2024, 11:32:10 AM
Hi John

I think this is what you are looking for marked in red. Photo of block removed from car, but you should be able to ref to yours.

Peter


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: JohnFol on January 22, 2024, 10:03:50 AM
I think I found it but not much space for leverage and still nervous. Tried the thermostat idea but settled on plan C. 8mm bore flexible pipe fed through expansion tank and managed to pump out nearly 2l.



Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: JohnFol on January 22, 2024, 10:06:37 AM
Expansion tank overflow pipe was brittle and snapped so trying to source a replacement


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: SanRemo78 on January 22, 2024, 10:09:46 AM
What snapped? The pipe or the spigot on the expansion tank?


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: JohnFol on January 22, 2024, 04:10:32 PM
Fortunately just the pipe.


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: peteracs on January 22, 2024, 04:32:08 PM
That was lucky, that small spigot looks to be very vulnerable.

Peter


Title: Re: Coolant block drain plug
Post by: Nigel on January 23, 2024, 10:38:28 PM
Hi John,
Any used expansion tank will have similar brittleness so consider
doing a conversion to a new Clio tank, which in my case, was a success.
Details on my HPE page.

Regards
Nigel