84 512 bbi coolant drain

3. Bleed valve
4. Drain
6. Fan switch (sensor)

When I've done it, gravity handles most of it. A little forced air through the expansion tank can push out much of the remaining coolant, but you'll likely still have some in the heater lines and pipe leading up to the top of the radiator. Not sure how others truly purge out all coolant (eg, if switching to "waterless coolant").


Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

this is what barry already has written, but he asked about drain plug at the engine block.

also this drain plug at the radiator I would not touch when old. all corroded and may be will break. better is to loosen a hose and drain the coolant there

 

I hope someone who actually knows 512BBi will respond, but my quick look comparing the SPCs indicates that adding easily accessible coolant drain plugs to the back end of the cylinder heads was something they did (or learned that they needed) on TR, and they don't exist on 512BBi.

 

Two drain plugs in the engine, one on each head, awkward to reach unlike the Testarossa and the drain on the rad at the right front. I've never had a rad drain break and if it did its a 5 min job to replace it.

 

I had 2 times the problem that the drain plug has been corroded at the thread and then the whole thread soldered in the radiator broke out. so then just doing a complete radiator repair with a new net

 

I don't get the sense my radiator drain is particularly fragile. Didn't know about the drains on the engine. I don't recall seeing anything about them in the owner's manual or workshop manual either. Are they more for engine outs after other bits have been removed?

 

I agree with Newman.In your case the radiator was corroded junk anyway and needed far more than draining. If it had been drained more regularly and in a timely fashion it would not have been in such poor condition. Better to break in the shop than out on the road.

 

Would those two 512BBi coolant drain plugs be items 2 here?:

https://www.ferrariparts.co.uk/diagram/ferrari/512-bbi/001-crankcase

(Can't see anything on the 512BBi cyl heads that would be a coolant drain plug.)

 

Thanks, that #23 is it per the SPC note.

 

There's not much coolant that high up. You'd only need to drain a little bit from the rad drain to get the level low enough to not make a mess replacing the hoses (I've done that). You might create an air pocket though (also done that).

 

10300740 is the part number for the water drain plugs in the heads.

If you're changing the coolant then remove the plugs, lots remains in the engine otherwise. If you're just replacing a component or hose then thats different.

 

You can see the large hex head plug on the head above the axle boot thats seen better days. Testarossa and TR has the same plug but relocated to the rear of both heads where you can actually see them.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks for posting that picture of head drain. That looks like a perfect opp'y to get doused in AF having the drain just above the axle.

How we love them so!