[tamathumper]

I'm sick of making a mess when draining the radiator, and I've only had to do it *twice*. Call me a curmudgeon, but I hate getting that sticky coolant and water all over the floor, my lift and jackstands, whatever tools I didn't pick up, etc.



This was an interesting option, but I'm nervous about having a large "dangling participle" on those plastic radiator threads.







So, I came up with the following trick to make at least the first half of the job a lot less messy.



1. Take a latex glove and cut the palm out of it to make a small "sheet" of latex.



2. Cut a hole in the latex sheet about 1" from the top, and about 1/4" in diameter.



3. Stretch the hole over the radiator drain plug so that it latches onto the small shoulder the plug seats against, with the rest of the sheet hanging down. It helps if the radiator is dry and clean.



4. Carefully remove the drain plug. All of the coolant should be directed toward your catch basin, and none should drip into the lower radiator pan.



If using Nitrile, make a round hole without any square corners that can tear or "run". To do this, pinch a bit of the Nitrile between your fingers and cut the pinched part off, trying to leave as round a hole as possible. If you have a small piece of pipe, it can be used as a "punch" on Nitrile, but won't work very well on latex.

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[flash]

a sluice gate and a rag is a 10 cent fix to this problem. it's simple, cheap, and pretty fool proof. i don't understand why people don't use it

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[MB968]

I took the standard drain plug and cut a groove in the first few threads. That way I can pull the plug out so the last few threads keep it from coming out, and the groove will allow a controllable, but good flow of coolant to escape. Ducting it to a pan is easy since the flow is controlled to a reasonable level. It is a lot slower than pulling the plug out all the way, but I start the job by draining the fluid and then do other tasks while it is draining. Or, if I remember, I'll open it the night before.



Tama, I'd also be nervous having something permanently attached to the bottom of the radiator, not knowing how much vibration might occur, and if it could lead to issues.

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[Lear35A]

I've tried many iterations of a metal trough and could never get it set in a way that eliminates coolant getting into the support tray under the radiator. So coolant starts dripping out of all the holes on the bottom of that tray. Big mess every time. The problem is that the bottom of the drain opening on the radiator is at or below the lip on the tray. Gravity pulls some of the coolant leaving the drain opening into the tray before it gets over the lip. I'd love to see a sketch of a working sluice gate/trough concept. I really tried. I like Tama's idea and will give it a try next time I have to drain the radiator (which I hope isn't for a long time.)

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[MB968]

It's easy to remove the top two mounts that lock in the radiator. That way you can pick it up enough to get something underneath it.

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[flash]

all you have to do to prevent it from getting into the tray below the radiator is stuff a rag in there. use a screwdriver to really get it in there. works like a charm.



another little tip is to keep the right side of the car slightly higher than the left, disallowing drainage to the right side.



i'll take pictures when we do ryker's sc install in a couple of weeks.

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[tamathumper]

The gap under the radiator is super small, and no amount of trying has resulted in a "sluice gate" that angles down and away for me. Especially not firmly enough to *stay* there while I fiddle with the drain plug and the funnel I've precipitously attached near the drain hole. I really do need some kind of tall drain funnel/tank affair, but where the heck do I store *that* when I'm not using it? So a funnel and a hose it is for now... The last time I jammed a rag through there, but it took some doing. And for those of us with a lift, getting one side of the car higher than the other is just a pain. It's already up in the air, and I don't feel like letting it all the way down so I can put something between the rubber lift pads and the body - and that just seems unsafe.



So,... cutting a hole in a latex glove takes 5 seconds, and I don't have to take off any mounts or worry about angling my car on the lift, or any of that. Easy peasy.

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[MB968]

Tama, I do like your creative use of the latex gloves. I never pulled the plug out all the way; expected that it would create a stream that wouldn't match up with my drain jug. I think next time I have to drain the coolant, I'll use the glove technique with my notched drain plug to get it to drain away from the radiator mounting and easily into a funnel on a coolant jug.

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[flash]

it's actually really easy, even with a lift. if it's a drive up type, put a board under one tire. if it's an extension arm type, screw the pod up a bit. if it's a bendpak center hoist, put a board under one side.



use a screw driver to jam the rag in the slot. it is easier if you remove the upper mount bolts.



then a small piece of aluminum in a "vee" shape is all you need. been doing it for 9 years now with great success.

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[tamathumper]

@MB, the coolant doesn't shoot out very far, the drain hole is pretty small.



@flash, perhaps your car (and lift) is different than mine. My lift is a drive-over style with adjustable arms and pads, but the pads do not screw up or down, they are fixed, so there is no easy way to tilt the car when it's overhead. Likewise, the slot is not a straight-through shot under my radiator, and even a hacksaw blade would not fit under it. I would have to remove the upper brackets of the radiator and therefore the upper SC shield, and therefore the intake shield, and the intake, and the SC elbow, and...



..., all of that seems like a royal pain compared to poking a hole in a glove. It takes up no space to store it for next time, and it was 0 cents as long as my wife doesn't look under the sink for a while.

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[MB968]

Just tell her it was for the Porsche; she'll understand that . . . wouldn't she <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/unsure.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Lear35A]

[quote name='flash' timestamp='1379463735' post='149537']

then a small piece of aluminum in a "vee" shape is all you need. been doing it for 9 years now with great success.[/quote]

Been doing it for four years now with zero success. My experience is exactly like Tama's. You must have more clearance between the drain hole and tray lip than some of us. In my car a vee shaped aluminum trough slopes up. A mess is unavoidable.

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[flash]

just bend it down a bit. done it on every car i've installed a kit on (6 i think) only screwed up once and didn't get the trough under the drain right. the rubber feet under the radiator should be creating a gap under there, big enough to get the metal under. then you just pull it down a bit and hold it there. no mess at all.

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[flash]

back on topic - i am not clear on the "trick"



i don't understand how the piece of latex doesn't make more of a mess that without. i also don't understand what holds the latex in place after you remove the drain plug.



a pic would go a long way here

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[MB968]

Correct me if I'm wrong Tama, but the hole in the latex is smaller than the boss that sticks out that the threads are in. You stretch the latex over the boss and then remove the plug. The latex flap keeps it draining away from the unwanted areas.

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[flash]

how would it do that? i think the fluid would run down the latex and all over the place. the drain pan needs to be a few inches rearward due to the flow rate. the latex would hang essentially straight down. i don't see that working until it's all but a dribble. i still see fluid making its way onto the tray unless you jam a rag in there to stop it. seems like a lot more work than my method.



again, a pic would do wonders here though.

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[tamathumper]

MB - that's it exactly. Thanks for the term "boss", I didn't know what else to call it other than a "shoulder".

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[MB968]

By the way, if you wanted to keep a hose on there, you should put a 90 degree elbow into the outlet. That would allow you to run the hose parallel to and along the bottom of the radiator. Also, when you aren't using it, you can strap it down with wire ties to some of the holes in the support beam that the radiator sits on. Key thing is to give it some strain relief so it doesn't put any undue loading on the area that it is threaded into.

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[jfrahm]

I just use a wet vac, works great. Cleans out the vac too.

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[flash]

wow-



http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http...Ag&dur=253

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