5/16 square drive?

[jdxj]

anyone in the springs got one I can borrow to get the block coolant drain out. Can't find one anywhere.

[5-90]

anyone in the springs got one I can borrow to get the block coolant drain out. Can't find one anywhere.

Make one. Go to your local hardware store, get a couple of cheap-O 5/16" or 8m/m hex keys, and grind two opposing corners down until it fits in the square recess (it doesn't take much - you can probably measure it out off the wheel.)

That's how I did it when i needed them for those wretched Peugeot fill/drain plugs... Cheaper than buying one outright, and quicker than grinding down a 3/8" drive to make it fit (Rule #1 of planning machine work - get your stock with mill dims as close to desired finished dims as possible.)

[YELLAHEEP]

I did the short 3/8" drive extension grind down. I had a bunch sitting in my tool drawer so I spent a minute grinding down 2 sides and made it fit the plug. :thumbup:

[jdxj]

cool thanks guys

[jimgrms]

Also you may find the correct size square stock at hd or lowes

[5-90]

Also you may find the correct size square stock at hd or lowes

If you do that, you're going to need to heat-treat it to make a useful wrench.

Heat to dull red with a torch, drop it in clean engine oil (oil quenching plain mild steel is probably best - water will probably cause it to fracture.)

Let it sit in oil for about an hour, to get "cool to the core."

Gently heat again with a torch - you don't want it to start glowing, you just want it to turn a sort of straw yellow.

Put it in the oven (heat the oven to 450* or so first - I should have mentioned...) and leave at 450* for an hour. Turn the oven off. Leave the door closed until morning, then remove your new tool.

The first step hardens the steel. The second step tempers it - helping to remove internal stresses and improving the ductility of the steel. This is a rough approximation of what gets done to the hex key - so you can save yourself the trouble and just get the hex key to begin with. Just keep it cool while grinding (a cup of water and dunking the ground end in every few strokes on the wheel will serve. Let it cool down in free air when you've got the last bit - only takes about a half-hour.)

[jimgrms]

It don't need to be heat treated to pull a drain plug

[.40CalPatriot]

Could you just pull the coolant temp sensor out to drain it?

[5-90]

It don't need to be heat treated to pull a drain plug

It should be for the engine drain - that bugger's in there tight!

When I overhaul the engine, it's going to get a drain valve put in in place of the drain plug, just to simplify things (and that will allow me to direct the flow of the draining coolant, and not lose is all over the driveway...)

[tlp1203]

I bought a 2 inch piece of keyway stock from the hardware store. A 12 point socket (do not remember the size) will fit the square keystock. Worked for me last year. Thomas