Petcock access

[camarokiddave]

What's the story with draining the radiator from the petcock on a 99 4.0----access from the front with the grill off is bad ---underneath is ridiculous----what needs to be taken off? tough to do or am I being lazy?

[87manche]

I just took the grill off and reached in

[langer1]

You lucky you got one a all.

[Wayne Sihler]

What's the story with draining the radiator from the petcock on a 99 4.0----access from the front with the grill off is bad ---underneath is ridiculous----what needs to be taken off? tough to do or am I being lazy?

Pull grill,remove head light.IIRc I used a small hole saw to cut enough room to fit my fingers.The drain is a plastic with a weird thread.You need to push in and turn,the O-ring is very hard to push in.When tighting--
A better but messier way to drain is to pull the lower rad hose off.
Wayne

[SteelblueSteve]

A better but messier way to drain is to pull the lower rad hose off.
Wayne[/QUOTE]
Second that!

[camarokiddave]

Messy is fine with me-that's what I did and refilled with about 2 gallons of 50/50. got most of the muddy stuff out. Thanks guys.

[Blaine B.]

Lower hose is much easier, just sit and let it drain down the driveway into the street..... All you have to do is remove the airbox and presto, you have 100% access to the hose clamp!

[dizzymac]

X a gizillion....pull the lower hose. good time to inspect it too.

[GSequoia]

I would never recomend draining into the street, no matter what anybody says that just looks bad on us (not just wheelers, but shadetree mechanics as a whole. That's what causes anti-wrenching rules / legislation).

But I do second pulling the lower hose, the petcock is a joke (as well as a funny word). I use a five gallon paint bucket to drain into and generally don't spill a drop (I pull the hose off from the water pump side, not the radiator side. Helps control the flow).

[Blaine B.]

It's not messy either. Make sure not to let it drain on grass or any other living plant though......animals can die from drinking it too, remember.

[dizzymac]

P.S>....don't forget that if you do spill any to blot up what you can and flush the area real well, dogs just love anti freeze.

[Blaine B.]

You're probably under the impression that I don't, but I do rinse off all areas well and make sure to rinse it all down the sewer (luckily one's right by the garage and driveway...a few feet away from the driveway curb.)

[GSequoia]

You might want to check where that "sewer" goes Blaine if you don't know...

Around these parts the storm drains lead to the ocean.

[dizzymac]

I figured you are a responsible person, just had to throw that disclaimer in there, the enviromental cops might be watching...lol

[joe2feathers]

It's not messy either. Make sure not to let it drain on grass or any other living plant though......animals can die from drinking it too, remember.

no wonder our tap water down here sux ...

[andyr354]

If you are going to replace the lower hose just slit it with a utility knife for alittle less messy drain than just dumping the hose loose all at once.

[johnlv6]

I just took the grill off and reached in

Yep...same here. I thought that was pretty easy.

[Blaine B.]

Ususally its about 2.5 gallons to 3 gallons if you flushed the entire system and then filled the radiator and block until only green coolant came out the thermostat housing (not water)

[Timber]

First time for me, I used at least three different types of damn pliers getting at it from underneath (it's a '99). After that first year, I learned about just taking off the lower radiator hose. Works so much better/faster.

[Blaine B.]

Or just remove the airbox and have easy access from above?

[XgeekstarX]

i thought that's what the bottom radiator hose was for

[8Mud]

I've seen different styles and threads depending on the manufacturer of the radiator. On mine I found an elbow with matching threads and screwed it into the pitcock hole, connected a piece of tubing with a clamp and greased a bolt as a plug and clamped that on the end. It sticks out the bottom, near the vacuum canister on my Renix.
When I'd drain by the water pump lower hose methode, the bucket would always end up with a lot of dirt mixed in with my coolant (filtering it is a pain). Now if the coolant is relatively fresh, I can save it with no mess and reuse it. I spend a lot on fluids, I save where I can.
Old coolant works pretty well as rust remover. I keep a jug of old coolant and throw seriously rusted nuts and bolts in there. They come out rust free after a week or so.
If you have covered wood (not exposed to the rain) and it is moldy or green looking. Coolant kills mold and is also a pretty good insecticide, after it dries you can paint over it. A mix of Borax and coolant, kills ants (or wood beatle larve) really well, if the coolant doesn't get them, the Borax constipates them to death.
My little town has a collection point for used automotive fluids and old batteries and stuff. Pretty neat idea really.

[Wayne Sihler]

I just took the grill off and reached in

Not all XJ,s created the same,With the change in body style the drain access got very small and the radiator went to the goofy plastic drain.
Wayne

[mikeny59]

I have dual Optimas mounted very securely, mpita to get at lower hose.

I just reach directly up ('98) on my 4.0 and undo petcock. MUST do cold though, but with rubber industrial glove have done it hot...

DISCLAIMER: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME :flame:

[Robs92XJ]

it was never that big of a deal for me- just take off the front grille and theres just enough access to get to the petcock, without removing anything else. Did it in a parking lot in the dark once.

I also took a 3 ft length of spare heater hose and fished it up from underneath the bumper on the passenger side until the end would slide over the petcock housing. Ran the other end into a bucket. Once you loosened the petcock a bit the coolant would flow through the heater hose into the bucket. Very minimal mess.

[AlohaBra]

You might want to check where that "sewer" goes Blaine if you don't know...

Around these parts the storm drains lead to the ocean.
Yeah, anti-freeze will kill dogs and other animals. I pour mine into the toilet (if I do it at home) so it goes to the treatment facility.

At shops, they have a tank that gets picked up by a recycling service. (At least where I worked in California.) Maybe Wal-Mart will let you take it there.

[mikeny59]

when i was mechanics' helper in the 80's, a very knowledgable mentor told me that by giving the animal off the shelf liquor, it would neutralize the type of alcohol in anti-freeze.

Saw this on a recent episode of House, I bet if you ran a search this probably is true... IMHO...

[Blaine B.]

The Duke of Oil took my oil and drained it down into their tank.....perhaps antifreeze too, I'm not sure if they can mix or not....never asked.

[Billfaceeee]

When I drain my radiator's I syphon as much out directly from the radiator into GallonMilk jugs and proceed with using a large funnel and more milk jug's under the lower rad still messy and splashes yet helps keep the over spill to a min.

[mikeny59]

Don't ya just love motor-city engineers?!?

[REDDOGG.XJ]

On my 92’ I cut the last set of connectors that connect the uprights in the grill then reached in with a set of 90° Channelocks.

[Blaine B.]

why not just remove the grille?

[REDDOGG.XJ]

After the grill was cut I never had to remove it again which was great since it had a big fat set of Bosch rally lights sitting in front of it. Plus you couldn't tell unless you knew what to look for.

[johnlv6]

why not just remove the grille?

You could..if that was your thing. It's just a cosmetic piece.