OH MY GOD!!! PLEASE HELP!!!

[00BlackBeautyGT]

Earlier today I posted a thread about changing my coolant. I got the information I needed and went ahead with my project. Everything was going well then all of a sudden my drain plug BROKE!!! The head of the bolt broke that is.

Okay, this is what happened. I drain all the old coolant out. Filled it back up with plan tap water from my garden hose. I started the car and let it idle for like ten minutes with the heater on full blast. I go under the car to remove the drain plug so it'll drain out the water. As I was trying to remove the drain plug it just broke. Only the head of bolt. The part that is in the threading is stuck. Why the hell did Ford put a plastic drain plug??? Why??? How dumb is that. Now I'm stuck with just plain water in my radiator with a broken bolt. I called around everywhere to see about my problem but no one seems to know how to resolve my problem. The dealers were closed when I called. So I just called the local part stores. Can the bolt be removed somehow and be replaced.

Please, please, please don't tell me that I need a new radiator. Can someone help me. Did anyone else go through this before? I own a 2000 GT BTW.

 

[ZarnAutomotive]

don't sweat it just use a bolt extracter to get it out or if you don't got room unbolt rad. and slide it out and work on it then, good luck, and you can buy replacement ones,

 

[00BlackBeautyGT]

I'm searching all over the internet and nothing comes up when I type in Mustang radiator drain plug replacement. All the local stores don't carry them either. They can't even special order it. Tomorrow is Sunday and all Ford dealership parts dept. is closed. I need a new plug ASAP so I can drain all this water out and put in some coolant. It's been so hot latey and I don't want to risk the chance of overheating. It's my only transportation.

 

[Scootr68]

As a quick fix until you get the plug out try getting a siphon hose/pump from Walmart,Autozone,etc...At least this way you can extract out most of the water and get coolant in there.

 

[00BlackBeautyGT]

Will the plain tap water harm my engine. I need to drive it out of town tonight. Maybe for like 40 miles to and from.

 

[mustang2]

Can't you drop the lower rad. hose to drain it for now?

 

[bdcardinal]

youre fine with the plain water. i know people that run pure water with water wetter as the coolant on their daily driver. just dont leave it in there for months on end and youre good to go.

 

[bdcardinal]

Can't you drop the lower rad. hose to drain it for now?

another good idea. thats what i would do if you really didnt want pure water in there.

 

[00BlackBeautyGT]

Can't you drop the lower rad. hose to drain it for now?

I'm an iddiot. Why didn't I think of that. That's the perfect fix for now. Too bad it dark out right now and I don't feel like crawling all underneath the car to do it.

One more question...When I removed the bolt the first time to drain fluid, why did it not come out all the way? It was like you could only unbolt it to a certain point and it doens't want to come out completely. How can the bolt be replace if it's like that?

 

[vidmaster]

dump a bottle of water wetter in it for now. it will keep the chemicals in the tap water from corrodding any part of the cooling system.

 

[Go HoTO!]

My buddy made fun of me for spending $40 at a shop to have my coolant changed. Thanks for proving my point to him. Sorry your having so much trouble, but sometimes it pays to pay someone.

 

[mustang2]

One more question...When I removed the bolt the first time to drain fluid, why did it not come out all the way? It was like you could only unbolt it to a certain point and it doens't want to come out completely. How can the bolt be replace if it's like that?

I don't have a newer Mustang, so I would let somebody else comment on this also before you do it. But there should be a small o-ring inside the plug, after you unscrew it as far as it will go, pull it out with a pair of pliers. The o-ring is what makes it not come completely out when your unscrewing.