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Radiator Drain ****/Plug

2428 Views 19 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  f9k9
Getting ready to replace all my coolant hoses and do a good coolant flush and replace it. Was underneath the front today re torquing everything and saw a drop fall from the radiator drain plug. Only owned the rubi 2.5 yrs and the rad looks to be oem. I barely touched the white plastic plug and it fell off. A few threads remain on the plug but, the rest appears to be still inside the rad.

Looked around online for the plug alone but, no luck. I don't mind if, I have to replace the rad because of 105K on the ticker but, would rather not for a just a piece of plastic. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Reed
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get an aftermarket replacment petcock. should be available in brass , maybe in the brass fitting section at your local hdwr store.
Thanks! I did just locate this at rock auto but, it doesn't look right.

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dam, I forgot we have plastic tanks , that is probably the right one, just snapit in the hole once the other one is all the way out
often they snap in and then screw in. this is so that when you unscrew it it is still retianed instead of falling into whatever you are using to catch old coolant in.
Well, for $3.86, plus shipping, I'll try the RockAuto puppy out. Not overly optimistic because, MURPHY has been busy visiting other members and is due back here any moment. I'll just cross my fingers but, assume, I'll be dumping $30 in coolant and distilled water when we have a record cold for Oct! :rotflmao:
Well, I ordered the Dorman one and will leave it seep a little coolant for now. Hope the removal of what is remaining in the rad goes smoothly. Otherwise I will just order a new rad like the one Mac used in his '03.
f9k9 said:
Well, for $3.86, plus shipping, I'll try the RockAuto puppy out. Not overly optimistic because, MURPHY has been busy visiting other members and is due back here any moment. I'll just cross my fingers but, assume, I'll be dumping $30 in coolant and distilled water when we have a record cold for Oct! :rotflmao:
Sorry I'm late, :lildevil:
f9k9 said:
Well, I ordered the Dorman one and will leave it seep a little coolant for now. Hope the removal of what is remaining in the rad goes smoothly. Otherwise I will just order a new rad like the one Mac used in his '03.
which one did mac use?
murphy said:
f9k9 said:
Well, I ordered the Dorman one and will leave it seep a little coolant for now. Hope the removal of what is remaining in the rad goes smoothly. Otherwise I will just order a new rad like the one Mac used in his '03.
which one did mac use?
http://www.northernfactory.com/storefrontB2CWEB/browse.do?action=refresh_browse&ctg_id=85455
select the year TJ and locate the part number
I went throrugh a local radiator shop and they made the purchase for me
i put one on my 03 Rubi its..a direct fit.
f9k9 said:
Thanks! I did just locate this at rock auto but, it doesn't look right.

Well, this drain **** is just wrong! It was listed at Rock Auto, Autozone and Advance as being correct. I drilled a hole in the remainder of the white plastic threaded portion and used an easy out to remove what was left. Researched further on the internet and couldn't locate the puppy. It's roughly 3/8" course thread or maybe the metric equivalent that is a tad larger. I tried a 3/8" bolt with a chit load of pipe tape but, it isn't holding.

Does anyone have an official parts list? I had one on my old PC before it crashed and cannot relocate one. All I need is the part number for the drain plug on the radiator. It's a 2003 model. It's one piece if, that helps.

It's either locate the part number or buy a replacement radiator.

TIA,
Reed
2004 parts manual lists the # as being 04773259 :)
Thanks, Eric!!!
Eric said:
dam, I forgot we have plastic tanks , that is probably the right one, just snapit in the hole once the other one is all the way out
Whoa, something just dawned on me. After searching, without luck, for the P/N that Eric provided me, I just bought a new one from Advance with a 20% off special. It was in stock and I just finished installing it. It suddenly dawned on me that the one I removed was all metal. Copper or brass, I dunno.

The rig is a stolen/recovered one, out of TX with a good title. It Carfaxed good and I had a friend run it through Chrysler before I bought it. A couple of weeks ago I discovered the passenger air bag had been replaced. Apparently the rad that I removed was aftermarket and all it needs is a drain plug. I'm gonna look for a P?N and maybe I can then find the correct drain plug.
f9k9 said:
Looked around online for the plug alone but, no luck. I don't mind if, I have to replace the rad because of 105K on the ticker but, would rather not for a just a piece of plastic. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Reed

105K eh... you are about to need a new radiator soon. That drain plug started to fail on mine and six months later the holding tank busted, was told the radiator tanks have been failing at around 120K (maybe you'll have better luck).
bbusch said:
........105K eh... you are about to need a new radiator soon. That drain plug started to fail on mine and six months later the holding tank busted, was told the radiator tanks have been failing at around 120K (maybe you'll have better luck).
No offense intended but, you should have read the whole thread. I replaced the rad and think that I have discovered an aftermarket rad was already installed.

Yes, I do agree that I was due one at 105K.
f9k9 said:
bbusch said:
........105K eh... you are about to need a new radiator soon. That drain plug started to fail on mine and six months later the holding tank busted, was told the radiator tanks have been failing at around 120K (maybe you'll have better luck).
No offense intended but, you should have read the whole thread. I replaced the rad and think that I have discovered an aftermarket rad was already installed.

Yes, I do agree that I was due one at 105K.

No offense taken... just read the thread again and still didn't catch it so I read again (just didn't flow for me). :laugh:

What is the brand from AA? I just replaced with a Griffin (may have been the same brand Mac ran in his). The ones from Advanced looked expensive.
bbusch said:
..............What is the brand from AA? I just replaced with a Griffin (may have been the same brand Mac ran in his). The ones from Advanced looked expensive.
It was a Ready-Rad Radiator. Nowhere near the quality of a Griffin but, should hold me for awhile. Now that I have found out that the old radiator is all metal I will have a radiator shop go over it and install a drain **** in it for a spare. Swapping it out should go quickly when the need arises. I replaced all the hoses and oem clamps so, it should speed things up.
Very nice price on that one... maybe you can sell the other and get some of that $$ back, as a spare it will probably collect alot of dust.
Well, I figured out what radiator was in it. It was a CSF all metal one for $172.95 and free shipping which is not a bad deal.
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