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Anti-freeze leak

D

Droopy76

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Tazewell Va.
I flushed my cooling system yesterday and had a hard time getting the radiator drain open. Today I noticed it was dripping around the drain. I guess the o-ring is shot. My question is how do remove the drain XXXX to replace the o-ring? I'm afraid I'm going to break it off or something. My jeep is a 98 XJ 4.0. Any help would be appreciated.

Droopy
 
1. The POS plastic petcocks in XJ radiators SHOULD NEVER BE TOUCHED. Cold system, remove the radiator cap, then remove the lower radiator hose, catch the coolant in a container.

2. Good luck finding a repair piece, you might try NAPA.
 
SURE, but its a small peice of plastic bullshit thats 10x as likely to break, then get fixed.
like mr peters said, good luck! try napa. most people replace it with a decent aftermarket aluminum radiator.
 
It's probably slightly cross threaded in there. I got mine out the other day and just put a new one in with a new washer. OK for now. The thread size seemed odd. I tried all sorts of bolts, my selection is large, and nothing fit well into the radiator.
 
What type of radiator did you get? If it's got metal end tanks, either solder a patch over the opening for the draincock, or bring it to someone who can solder one on. Problem solved... forever.
 
I have a 1991+ radiator from Autozone and I replaced the plug with a 1/4" NPT street elbow and then connected a 1/4" X 3" nipple with a cap. If yours has the same sized petcock, (anyone know if the '98 uses the same open system rad as a 1991?) then you should be able to do what I did or use a 1/4" NPT plug. I got the hardware at a True Value but Home Depot usually has 1/4" pipe fittings in brass. Just be careful when you thread it in. If you tighten it too much it will start bending the bung on the metal end-tank.
 
shanesaw said:
I have a 1991+ radiator from Autozone and I replaced the plug with a 1/4" NPT street elbow and then connected a 1/4" X 3" nipple with a cap. If yours has the same sized petcock, (anyone know if the '98 uses the same open system rad as a 1991?) then you should be able to do what I did or use a 1/4" NPT plug. I got the hardware at a True Value but Home Depot usually has 1/4" pipe fittings in brass. Just be careful when you thread it in. If you tighten it too much it will start bending the bung on the metal end-tank.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's why none of the bolts I had fit well. It's a pipe thread that uses a chicken**** plastic plug?
 
Got it fixed. The "plug" is plastic and looks like it only turns like a half turn before it closes. Good luck tryin to find a bolt with a thread pitch like that. Anyway the o-ring was split. I popped the drain plug out replaced the o-ring and all is now well.
 
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