| Author | Message | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
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You'd be surprised Nev. The GT4 manual states 18L. I got more like 20~22L out of mine. There's still quite a bit in the heater core lines, the cores themselves, the main supply line (runs from the engine, around the gas tank, under the door...). Filling it took about as much (excluding air bleeding). | ||
| Neville Pugh (Nevpugh68)
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Yeah, I know what you mean .... when draining the rad I spilt a little on the floor, but just thought "oh well, it'll evaporate" .... guess what, it's still there :-) Well, I think the drain was quite successful ... I think these cars take about 17 litres of coolant dont they .... last night I filled up with 16.5 litres, so air bubbles not withstanding I think I got it all out :-) | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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Sorry Neville, I keep on telling you it's a hex nut when it's a wing nut type deal. My plug is just like any other plug on the car (gearbox oil, engine oil, so it works for me). Yeah, I don't get how they decided that gushing coolant over the entire bottom half of the engine, or the entire front radiator compartment, was a reasonable means of draining the coolant system. You gotta love Ferrari. Plus, next to the silt that builds up in a diesel engine, coolant is the most disgusting stuff of all. It flows really fast so it gets over everything, but it's not like water, it's an oil almost and is vicious (eat through paint, smell eternally, etc). Alright, enough complaining out of me. | ||
| Neville Pugh (Nevpugh68)
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Peter, BretM, yup you're right ! Went out and got a 32mm socket last night, undid the big copper nut, and oil started coming out .... DOH ! Quickly popped it back in and tightened it back up again. Whilst I was sat there on the floor thinking "oh nuts, that's not water", just happened to glance up and left a bit, and guess what I saw .... a wing nut jobbie, just like on the radiator. I've been looking on the wrong bank !!! Doh :-) My drain cock does have "handles", and I presume it's supposed to be hand tight, but I still had to use a spanner on it, to crack it off. But there again, who knows when it was last undone. Also, what a daft location to put it .... it just chucks the coolant all over the engine / gearbox / chassis .... messy. Nev | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
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I'm sure your QV would have had something similar. I guess it all depends who had their hands on it last. In my case with so much defered service, no ones, hence originality of parts. I did notice it was quite delicate, probably someone broke yours and just replaced it with a metric bolt. There are avaliable drain petcocks in taper, inch pipethreads that could be adapted (I think a 3/8NPT would fit). With your engine out, now's the best time to fix! It'll make it easier for future end-of-year maintenaces. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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Peter, once again you lucky bastard. First with the cylinder head bolts, now with the coolant. It seems that Ferrari went backwards in ease of maintenance during this time period. | ||
| Jeff 77 GTB (Jbk)
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Here's a suggestion for anyone who doesn't want all the coolant from the radiator petcock to drain all over the front pan and garage floor. As long as you don't mind drilling a hole in the fiberglass front pan, do so and put a cutoff plastic bottle in front of the petcock to channel the coolant into a jug under the car.  | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
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Bret, the drain petcock on my block has a little handle, no tools needed for draining. Nev, that 32mm is the backing nut for the oil pressure regulating piston. The coolant drain petcock is located right under the #2 exhaust port. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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32mm, you might be talking about that big bolt that goes into the oil path as it goes through the block (the nut is right below the sinistra bank belt). I took it off first too and quickly realized it was oil related (I think I used a 1 1/16" box end). The one for the coolant is a hex wrench that is 15mm, something close to that (it's the second largest wrench in the set I usually use so not sure of size). | ||
| Neville Pugh (Nevpugh68)
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.... next problem, finding a 32mm socket or spanner. Bit of a big nut, that ! I'll do a write up of the whole procedure (incl replacing thermostat) shortly, when it's done. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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Yeah it is copper colored, it's probably the one you're talking about. I'll be removing my radiator and all soon so keep us posted on how the coolant change goes. | ||
| Neville Pugh (Nevpugh68)
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I've already drained as much as is going to come out of the radiator, but the rad is a touch higher than those pipes. I've got the plate off at the front, and I'm going to crack open one of the main pipes tonight (not literally of course :-) I think I've seen that drain plug .... is it a big copper coloured one ? I think I know which one you mean, and I wondered what it was at the time .... :-) Thanks ! | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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The drain cock on my QV is on the opposite side of the engine (under the sinistra bank) on the passengers side. If you take out the passenger side wheel well you can get at it. It's on the back side of the engine (on the block) and is a big hex nut if I remember correctly. It's quite an interesting system as there seems to be no way to really control the flow into a container, rather I put an oil pan under it and used my finger to prevent it from becoming niagra falls and all over everything. Remember to open the expanision tank and thermostat bleed, as well as the radiator bleed. From what I've heard, using the drain cock on the radiator gets very messy and isn't as effective as breaking loose one of the coolant lines that run to the radiator underneath the car. Apparently somewhere near the steering box area (generally) you can get at them. I haven't really looked to be honest. I think you might have to remove a panel under there to get at them, but not sure. | ||
| Neville Pugh (Nevpugh68)
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Okay, so I know there's a coolant drain cock on a 308 engine, but where the frell is it and how do you get to it ? The (small) picture in the handbook shows it as being somewhere near the starter motor (front of the engine), but I've stared and grovelled all over the engine and can't find it. Do you get to it from above, below or the side ? Also, if I empty from this drain cock and from the front radiators drain cock, and by loosening one of the circlips round the pipes just under the steering rack, will that have got all of the old stuff out ? Thanks ! |