Draining Coolant on Y

deyomatic · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 05:39 PM

I know there are supposed to be drain plugs in the block of a Y block for the coolant but I don't know which ones they are. Is it the Allen bolts just behind the fuel pump? I was looking for a petcock. Thanks.

flipklos · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 06:31 PM

I belive the alan screws behind the fuel pump are oil galleys.
Use the petcock on the radiator. If one is absent just pull the lower hose and enjoys the sticky shower.

deyomatic · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:19 PM

I did that...there are supposed to be drains in the block, as well...at least I remember that coming up before.

46yblock · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:26 PM

There are drains on each side of the block. Usually petcocks, but sometimes people just put in a plug. If it is a plug, four sided head, be careful not to round off the corners, because they can be hard to remove. May require heating with propane torch. As flipklos said, the allen head plugs on the DS are oil galley, though it is poss. someone put in a allen plug. I believe the drain is above the line of oil plugs, in the front half of the engine, and will go out and take a look in a bit.

If you only drain the coolant from the radiator petcock, or lower radiator hose, a lot of coolant remains in block around both banks of cylinders.

flipklos · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:29 PM

On my Y block drawing there are two plugs on the DRV side behind the fuel pump. One shows a standered treaded plug. the other (top one) is a petcock. This is the drawing out of Eickmans "Y block". No note as to what the petcock is for.

46yblock · #6 (**permalink**) 06-30-2009, 07:42 PM

Flip is right. On the DS there are two plugs/ports below the front freeze plug, close to centered with the freeze plug. The one for coolant is the one closest to the freeze plug. On the PS you cant miss it. Below the front freeze plug, slightly forward of center.

Oh, the block I looked at had a plug with four sided head inplace of the petcock. All corners rounded off, so it will take some effort to remove it.

Rusty_S · #7 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 08:52 AM

This is alittle late but here are two photos of my 56 292 that shows the petcock drain on the driverside of the block. I am not sure if there is one on the passenger side since its hard for me to see on that side with the heater and blower assembly in the way.

deyomatic · #8 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 09:10 AM

Thanks for the info, everyone. I actually drained it and pulled the motor WITHOUT spilling any antifreeze!

Mine has a Fordomatic hooked to it, and (without looking at it right now) I think they used the locations of these drain holes as coolant feed and return lines for the Fordomatic tranny cooler. That's why this was so confusing on my end. In the end, I saw one of these hoses going into that little tranny cooler and just yanked it...I bet 4 or 5 quarts came out of this little heater hose, I was pretty sure that I'd found the access to the block drain at that point.

Thanks.

Rusty_S · #9 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 09:13 AM

lol well your lucky the Ford-O-Matic on my 56 is an air cooled unit (regardless the 49-59 parts illustration & text guide indicated it should be liquid cooled)

one thing though if you want to make it easier you can go to some place like carpenters site or some other ford restoration site and you can get a 90* elbow petcock drain. I was thinking of getting one of those for my 56 since it has a nipple you can hook a hose to and prevent coolant from draining all over the pan under the radiator. Its just a thought if you wanted to make it easier but it seems you got a good way to drain without spilling.

deyomatic · #10 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 11:59 AM

The radiator already had that petcock nipple with the hose on it, which I've also since found in the HELP section of a NAPA recently. I had thought it was a stock part...stock or not, it's as handy as a pocket on a shirt!

On a side note, that HELP section is where it's at...after buying an NOS '67 Pickup Master Cylinder Booster pushrod (the intermediate threaded rod that connects the pedal to the master cylinder) on ebay for like $20, I saw one in the HELP section for $10...oh well, at least mine has a neat old FoMoCo wrapper!

Rusty_S · #11 (**permalink**) 07-12-2009, 12:50 PM

Oh well mine is orignal from 56 and it has the same type my 78 mercury like in the photo above. I doubt its been replaced but I guess I would be crazy to say it never has since the car was drove daily up till 1980