Broke the dang petcock..now what?

[Z28]

Well i broke the petcock on the radiator. Thats what plastic gets ya i guess. The dang thing was too tight and i couldn't get it off. Well i kept turnin at it and sure enough the plastic broke...so now what?

Is there another convenient place to drain the radiator? I don't seem to see one. I'll probably need a pic to help...

[Z28]

Hmm i might have to heat it up...take a flat head to it and let it cool. then i can unscrew it with the screwdriver, but i'll have to see if autozone or someone has a replacement

[Z28]

Well i don't think that's gonna work....

[WhiteGT]

Just pull the lower rad hose off and do it that way. That's how I did mine cause the petcock wouldn't move.

[Z28]

There's a line in the way, i was gonna try doing that. I can't get that clip (not sure of the exact name of that fastener) off. There's a hard line kind of in the way so I can't use a pliers...

[TheOtherNick]

you should be able to get to the clamp. Just keep trying. Or buy some bastard clamp pliers.

[TDCRacing]

Yeah. They can be kind of a pain at times. After you take the lower radiator hose off just shoot some water through the radiator cap opening in the top. You could even take the hose off of the water pump and do the same thing.

[JoshMcMadMac]

Pull the knock sensor, then flush the system by dropping the garden hose in the top of the radiator. Run it up to temperature, crank the heat, then repeat. Do that a time or two and you should have the vast majority of the system cleaned out.

[Z28]

I'm sure i'll be able to get that clamp off, but i feel like an idiot cuz i can't for the life of me get that radiator cap off....i swear it was designed to just relieve pressure. This is only my 3rd car so i haven't worked on a variety of cars. Is this the way it's supposed to be? I can turn it and then it should pop off cuz it's definitely loose, but it just won't come off.

[TDCRacing]

Once you turn it to where it is loose. That is a safty feature so if any presure is in there is will release it. Push it down again and turn it. Should come off.

[Z28]

All done just in time to go see "the hang over" check it out cuz it was hilarious, thanks everyone....

[chili]

x2 on knock sensor removal. That is the only way I drain the system. I flush through the heater hoses with a hose adapter available at any parts store. Makes it easy to change coolent.