radiator drain valve stuck

[Seaaan]

Alright I got a little problem... I was draining my radiator and loosened the radiator drain valve, but only a little was coming out. I decided to try to loosen it more with pliers and ended up threading it and ripping off a good amount of the plastic. Now I cannot tighten or loosen it anymore with pliers. Does anyone know how I can go about getting this off [I ordered a new plug from autozone]? Are there any specific tools that I could use to get it off or should I just take the radiator off and go from there :[?

[AGT]

Are you talking about your coolant fluid cap? You said plastic so I was confused

[comanche]

Robo-grips or adjustable pliers?

I've done this more than once, but I've always gotten it out. The new design uses the end of a 1/4" extension to remove the plug.

[Seaaan]

Are you talking about your coolant fluid cap? You said plastic so I was confused

sorry it's the radiator drain valve i was going to flush my cooling system and was trying to loosen the plug, but now it's stuck won't tighten or loosen. It's the one where you loosen and it'll let the coolant out of the radiator from the rubber hose under the car. I think it's just the outside part that you turn that is plastic or some sort of material like that...thanks

[Seaaan]

Robo-grips or adjustable pliers?

I've done this more than once, but I've always gotten it out. The new design uses the end of a 1/4" extension to remove the plug.

I tried using the 1/4" drive extension at first, but turned it too much so I threaded the inside up pretty good. After that I tried pliers but just can't get a grip on it because it keeps ripping off the plastic and there are a bunch of things in the way. I'm getting frustrated lol I might just take the radiator off so there is nothing in my way.. unless there is some kind of other tool I can use to possibly get it out and off since I ruined this one..


edit: btw i have the 2.4L alero sedan

[rustyballs_69]

Mine has the plug were i can put the quarter inch ratch in, i busted mine off getting it out. It had a pin in there so it could only turn 180*. Even with the pin busted off the plug still stays in, I have drove about 40K with it like that with no problems.

[Seaaan]

Mine has the plug were i can put the quarter inch ratch in, i busted mine off getting it out. It had a pin in there so it could only turn 180*. Even with the pin busted off the plug still stays in, I have drove about 40K with it like that with no problems.

problem is i cant drive with mine like that, all the coolant from the radiator leaks out i cant tighten it anymore or loosen it i totally ...well i wasnt too gentle with it :[ i got frustrated lol

[rustyballs_69]

Yours must be a bit different than mine. After the little pin in mine broke i pulled i could pull it out but it would go back in and tighten up.

[Seaaan]

hmm that is weird it is stock? which model? tell you the truth im not even sure if mine might be a different radiator now that i think about it when i crashed my car about 3 years ago and leaked all my trans fluid/coolant out as well...bleh back when i first got my license, no bueno..

edit: you know what i'll take a pic of it tomorrow, i threaded it up pretty good gonna try to get it out tomorrow since i ordered my new plug...

[Seaaan]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d42/seanpaul81087/IMG_0203.jpg


alright some reason i cannot post a picture, so here's a link to the picture of the drain valve that won't come off or tighten :cry:

[rustyballs_69]

Looks nasty. Can you push it in any?

[comanche]

sometimes a hex key worked for me.. not sure what size or if that applies to this plug

[Seaaan]

yep pretty nasty i ended up breaking the whole plug but managed to get it out since i cracked the whole thing randomly came out after a couple hours...bleh.. but yeah got a new plug in there and this one is soooo much easier to use just push in twist and lock, no possibility of breaking really either since it's a different material. thanks for the input

[Cliff8928]

sometimes a hex key worked for me.. not sure what size or if that applies to this plug

3/16" hex or a 1/4" square is what the service info says.

[alerored04]

thats why i always just pull the lower radiator hose just because i am in fear of breaking off that cheap little plastic plug.

[Seaaan]

thats why i always just pull the lower radiator hose just because i am in fear of breaking off that cheap little plastic plug.

yep i broke it with the 1/4 square extension, then the pliers just made matters worse, but at least that's over and done with and now my plug is so much easier to take out and put in... altho that isn't necessarily a good thing i guess if someone is an ass and decides to let your coolant out by reaching under there and taking the plug off :ninja: