I've just changed the anti-freeze in the old Rover and been reminded what
a b****r of a job it is. The only way to drain it is to remove the bottom
hose, and access is tight so it usually means removing the alternator to
get enough purchase on it.

It is an expansion tank system, so the rad itself has a filler at the top
closed off by a screw in plug. It would be great to have the same at the
bottom to drain it. The other side of the rad bottom from the hose (left
rather than right) has easy access and a large flat face. The rad is brass
and copper - no plastics on one this age.

I have a spare good rad so am considering modifying it. They are quite
easy to change - once that bottom hose is off.

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain? Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

--
*Can atheists get insurance for acts of God? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying:

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain? Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

Find an old brass/copper rad with a drain on, and hack it off?

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
I've just changed the anti-freeze in the old Rover and been reminded what
a b****r of a job it is. The only way to drain it is to remove the bottom
hose, and access is tight so it usually means removing the alternator to
get enough purchase on it.

It is an expansion tank system, so the rad itself has a filler at the top
closed off by a screw in plug. It would be great to have the same at the
bottom to drain it. The other side of the rad bottom from the hose (left
rather than right) has easy access and a large flat face. The rad is brass
and copper - no plastics on one this age.

I have a spare good rad so am considering modifying it. They are quite
easy to change - once that bottom hose is off.

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain? Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.


Juts get a large brass screw and nut, solder the nut to the rad (after
suitably drilling) and then use a fat fibre washer on the (cut down)
bolt head.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
I've just changed the anti-freeze in the old Rover and been reminded what
a b****r of a job it is. The only way to drain it is to remove the bottom
hose, and access is tight so it usually means removing the alternator to
get enough purchase on it.

It is an expansion tank system, so the rad itself has a filler at the top
closed off by a screw in plug. It would be great to have the same at the
bottom to drain it. The other side of the rad bottom from the hose (left
rather than right) has easy access and a large flat face. The rad is brass
and copper - no plastics on one this age.

I have a spare good rad so am considering modifying it. They are quite
easy to change - once that bottom hose is off.

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain? Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

You can still get these -
http://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/en/...n+tap-details/
Spose the prob is fitting it.

On Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:24:24 -0000, "brass monkey" wrote:

You can still get these -
http://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/en/...n+tap-details/

.....as used on the mini

In the absence of a lathe and tap a 3/8" BSP to 1/8" BSP reducer
(maybe from BES?) with most of the externally threaded section hacked
off will allow a decent sized filet of solder


--

On Nov 16, 10:55*am, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain?

One of the neighbours did this on a seasonally used tractor. The
original block had a drain tap, but it was tiny and seized solid. He
went to the local Chavcar suppliers and bought a moulded silicone
top / bottom hose that would fit the bottom hose and also had a side
tee moulded into it. Then five minutes with bits from Screwfix and he
had a big drain plug made of copper pipe bits stuck in the tee.

Now we're just waiting for blue lights under the rotovator.

Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

Scares me. Patching old radiators is a PITA. It's OK if it's a toatl
rebuild, because then you can strip and clean it properly, but doing
odd bits also seems to make a pinhole appear somewhere else.

In article
,
Andy Dingley wrote:
Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

Scares me. Patching old radiators is a PITA. It's OK if it's a toatl
rebuild, because then you can strip and clean it properly, but doing
odd bits also seems to make a pinhole appear somewhere else.

Since it will be on a plain bit of brass, I can minimise the heat going
elsewhere. I agree if trying to repair a leaking seam, etc.

--
*Some people are only alive because it is illegal to kill.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
I've just changed the anti-freeze in the old Rover and been reminded what
a b****r of a job it is. The only way to drain it is to remove the bottom
hose, and access is tight so it usually means removing the alternator to
get enough purchase on it.

It is an expansion tank system, so the rad itself has a filler at the top
closed off by a screw in plug. It would be great to have the same at the
bottom to drain it. The other side of the rad bottom from the hose (left
rather than right) has easy access and a large flat face. The rad is brass
and copper - no plastics on one this age.

I have a spare good rad so am considering modifying it. They are quite
easy to change - once that bottom hose is off.

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain? Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

Visit a scrap yard and get one of a scrapped cars rad?

One of these would be easy to solder in
http://www.toolstation.com/images/li...bbig/71396.jpg
but would it work loose through vibration, etc.

On 16/11/2010 13:26, dennis@home wrote:

One of these would be easy to solder in
http://www.toolstation.com/images/li...bbig/71396.jpg
but would it work loose through vibration, etc.

Not if you drill a hole through the flats and wire lock it to the hose
connection.

Dave

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
I've just changed the anti-freeze in the old Rover and been reminded what
a b****r of a job it is. The only way to drain it is to remove the bottom
hose, and access is tight so it usually means removing the alternator to
get enough purchase on it.

It is an expansion tank system, so the rad itself has a filler at the top
closed off by a screw in plug. It would be great to have the same at the
bottom to drain it. The other side of the rad bottom from the hose (left
rather than right) has easy access and a large flat face. The rad is brass
and copper - no plastics on one this age.

I have a spare good rad so am considering modifying it. They are quite
easy to change - once that bottom hose is off.

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain? Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

Visit a scrap yard and get one of a scrapped cars rad?

One of these would be easy to solder in
http://www.toolstation.com/images/li...bbig/71396.jpg
but would it work loose through vibration, etc.

On Nov 16, 10:55*am, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:
I've just changed the anti-freeze in the old Rover and been reminded what
a b****r of a job it is. The only way to drain it is to remove the bottom
hose, and access is tight so it usually means removing the alternator to
get enough purchase on it.

It is an expansion tank system, so the rad itself has a filler at the top
closed off by a screw in plug. It would be great to have the same at the
bottom to drain it. The other side of the rad bottom from the hose (left
rather than right) has easy access and a large flat face. The rad is brass
and copper - no plastics on one this age.

I have a spare good rad so am considering modifying it. They are quite
easy to change - once that bottom hose is off.

Suggestions about the best hardware to use as a drain? Soldering it in
place holds no fears for me.

--
*Can atheists get insurance for acts of God? *

* * Dave Plowman * * * * * * * * London SW
* * * * * * * * * To e-mail, change noise into sound.

If you disconnect the top hose you can connect it to a wet & dry
vacuum cleaner and suck 90% of the coolant out. Air goes in the other
open end ie through the radiator.