sterlinglee40

I'm not a Mechanic nor am I very mechanical. I simply wanted to flush out my radiator and end up stripping I think the petcock or drain. The only radiators I seen in the past get drained, the petcock just screws out completely. On this 82 Ford F150, it seems like it's a valve of some kind. You have a small pipe with a butterfly nut half way down the short pipe and then a funnel like piece that goes into the radiator. Can someone explain what I'm not understanding here? Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Lee

wde3477

Not sure what is on yours, but mine sounds similar - a plastic valve with the wingnut handle recessed in a tube.

There is a drain nipple on this valve, but it is such that a hose needs to be stuck on it to direct the coolant into a bucket instead of having it run all over everything.

The valve will back all of the way out - in effect removing the valve stem. Not a problem - make sure everything is cleaned up for a good seal and screw it back in.