block coolant drain location
- Thread starter Benji
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Yeah that is it.
- Thread starter
- #5
That's it, I figured it out by getting a little messy 
. The drain was not blocked with rust as many have found. I was very impressed how clean the system was. I was not having cooling issues, I just wanted to put new coolant in.
I also found that I did not have to do any complicated burping. I just parked the nose up hill and let it run with the rad cap off until the thermostat opened. After letting it run for a while, squeeze the upper rad hose to expell any extra air pockets and fill with more coolant (total 2 gallons coolant and 2 gallons DI water).
The engine temp did not change after the flush.
. The drain was not blocked with rust as many have found. I was very impressed how clean the system was. I was not having cooling issues, I just wanted to put new coolant in.I also found that I did not have to do any complicated burping. I just parked the nose up hill and let it run with the rad cap off until the thermostat opened. After letting it run for a while, squeeze the upper rad hose to expell any extra air pockets and fill with more coolant (total 2 gallons coolant and 2 gallons DI water).
The engine temp did not change after the flush.
found it. what size wrench?
FWIW for future mudders, my 1988 3FE block drain plug was a brass 14mm hex "bolt." Productive stream, agree worth draining.
The 'Brass' plug part is 14mm - The 'Union' (as Toyota calls it) the bass plug threads into, which is then threaded into the block, is 17mm.
If you remove the brass plug (it fully unthreads) and the flow is slow or non-existent, hold the nozzle of a hose-end garden sprayer against the Union and force water into the block. I removed the lower radiator hose from the Radiator side and let it dangle and this method really flushed the block and head.
I then flush/ fill with DI water, drive a few thermo-cycles, then drain and fill with pre-mix Zerex old skool green (NAPA).
If you remove the brass plug (it fully unthreads) and the flow is slow or non-existent, hold the nozzle of a hose-end garden sprayer against the Union and force water into the block. I removed the lower radiator hose from the Radiator side and let it dangle and this method really flushed the block and head.
I then flush/ fill with DI water, drive a few thermo-cycles, then drain and fill with pre-mix Zerex old skool green (NAPA).
@Spike Strip gave this ^ a try. Merely disconnecting the radiator lower hose let more drain out the block.
For the garden hose flush pieced some 3/8ID heater hose into 5/8" ID silicone hose to snug over the 17mm. Was enough to fill the block + push out darker flush water than gravity stream method.
For the garden hose flush pieced some 3/8ID heater hose into 5/8" ID silicone hose to snug over the 17mm. Was enough to fill the block + push out darker flush water than gravity stream method.
15 years ago I installed the Prestone Coolant Flush kit. The tee installs at the heater line by the firewall. At the time I also flushed the system by removing the block coolant drain.
Two weeks ago I flushed the system, first by adding coolant flush and driving around for a week or two. Next, I drained the system through the radiator and then added water and another bottle of coolant flush. Drove that around another week. Then I drained the system again through the radiator and began back flushing with the Prestone tee and fresh water. Several flushes later I was done and the water was clear. When refilling with coolant be sure to burp the system by squeezing the radiator hose and adding coolant VERY slowly. It takes patience to get it all back in there.
Two weeks ago I flushed the system, first by adding coolant flush and driving around for a week or two. Next, I drained the system through the radiator and then added water and another bottle of coolant flush. Drove that around another week. Then I drained the system again through the radiator and began back flushing with the Prestone tee and fresh water. Several flushes later I was done and the water was clear. When refilling with coolant be sure to burp the system by squeezing the radiator hose and adding coolant VERY slowly. It takes patience to get it all back in there.