petcock????

I am going to flush the radiator and change the thermostat in my 2000 XJ today. My question is where the hell it the petcock on the radiator on this thing?

Look through the grill.. passenger side lower on the side of the tank.

LoL. I just did this for the first time on my Jeep the other day. I was looking on the back where I usually see them.

If you look through the wheel well on the passenger side, you can see it on the side of the radiator. I have my Jeep trimmed, so I don't remember if there used to be plastic in the front covering it up. Should be able to find it without too much more trouble though.

If your radiator is the orginal, LEAVE THE PETCOCK ALONE--it is a cheap plastic piece that will most likely break on you.

Pull the lower radiator hose.

Guess I got lucky. Mine loosened and went back in without a hitch. Even pulled it all the way out, and it still looked like a healthy piece. I have a 1996 with 150k on it.

Yeah I am gettin impatainent as I get older, I pulled the hose lol. Now I find out there was NO thermostat in it. So my question is does the thermostat have to face a certian direction? I know on some hondas it has to be clocked a certian way.

If you really want to tackle opening the petcock I recommend you get a Radiator Petcock Socket, Thexton P/N 473. I got mine from NAPA to avoid the shipping charges from Thexton. This tool used with a 1/4" drive, fine tooth, ratchet and a 6" (or 4"-can't remember) extension can be carefully used to open and close the radiator petcock. The petcock only needs to be opened about one full turn - any more and it pops out. This is where I dicked up my original petcock. I backed it all the way out and screwed it up trying to get it back in. The replacement came in handy.

http://thexton.com/index.cfm/pageid/27

Get a replacement petcock before beginning job. I got mine from the dealer but saw one at O'reilly's later on.

Gain access to the petcock by removing the right headlight bezzle and feed the socket/extension/ratchet through an opening in the frame (see pics).





The FSM says to attach a 1/4" ID hose to the drain but that's wrong, you'll need a 5/16" ID hose.

The spring end of the thermostat goes in the head, the "peak" in the thermostat housing.

Lower hose works great for draining coolant. And no danger in damaging petc0ck

Thermostat can only be installed one way, as Joe describes.

On the same subject, has anyone replaced there rad drain with "zinc anode"?

--- http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FLX-32060/

I bought one a while back to install when I got my CSF rad, it doesnt seem to fit. What size is the petcock hole anyways?