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Water pump removal - engine drain cock


Rosco

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I am removing the water pump on the original engine of my ‘50 Plymouth to send it out to be rebuilt.   I drained the antifreeze from the rad with no problem.  Then I left the rad cap off and opened the drain cock on the side of the engine but nothing came out.  Should I be concerned about that or is it normal?  The car hasn’t been started for about a month -  could that have anything to do with it?   Thanks in advance for any input.

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There is most likely sediment built up behind the drain cock which is fairly common on older engines. After opening the drain cock up all the way. you may be able to push a fine piece of wire up inside and clear it. If not, I believe that the drain cock can be unscrewed and then you can unclog it with a small screwdriver or wire. Be sure to have a drain pan under it. Best of luck.

John R

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Will add here since I currently am going through a overheat issue., want o follow this thread.

I ordered a new water pump today from Rockauto, $35. I am going to hold onto my old one and see about rebuilding it myself later.

I have at this point used vinegar in the radiator, it was plugged and has some ok flow at this point.

The heater control valve in the head was completely clogged with mineral sediment, I replaced it with a modern 1/4 turn valve, looks stupid but will work while I fix a cooling issue.

What I am concerned about, is the distribution tube being rusted, Here is a video to watch and you can get a better idea about it.

 

And you should read the thread where I got the link

Just saying, not a deal breaker, but may be a lil bigger issue then first thought, lil more labor and you will have all working like new again.

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Thanks to everyone for your input.  Much appreciated!  I tried poking around the drain cock with a piece of thin wire with very little success.  So then, I just went ahead and began to remove the water pump.  After I got the thermostat housing off, there appeared to be very little coolant left in that part of the block and also very little sediment .  In fact the inside of the block looks very clean.  Once I got the water pump off I checked the distribution tube as far into the block as I could and it looks pretty clean as well so I think I may have lucked out.  (Los_ Control  - I’ve seen that video before and I have to say my distribution tube and engine block look a whole lot better than that!  Lol! ).  Now to get the pump fixed and back on the car.  By the way, getting the pump off really is relatively easy unless you’re a rookie like me!  However, I did manage to get everything disconnected and the pump off the car in about two and a half hours.  We’ll see how it goes back together whenever I get the rebuilt pump back.

Edited by Rosco
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Rosco..........if you have the water pump off now is a good time to remove the drain cock from the side of the engine, it just screws into the block, should be either a 1/2" or 9/16th AF spanner to undo the draincock......... once its removed you will be able to gently poke around in the block and remove the crud thats probably stopping the drain cock from working..........the drain cock should open anti clockwise so once its removed place it in a bench vice, squirt some oil/WD40 etc onto the threads and clean it out..........also maybe worth checking the 5 welch or freeze plugs on the dissy side of the block........any that have any weeping should be replaced now, I only ever use brass plugs as you then never have to worry about them rusting out again...........think they are 1&5/8th diameter...........regards, andyd. 

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Hi Andy - how are things in Australia?  I certainly appreciate the suggestion to remove and clean the drain cock (also suggested by John Reddie and Merle Coggins above) and to check the freeze plugs and probably will follow your advice before I reinstall the water pump.  It’s been a while (about 40 years) since I worked on one of these engines (‘40 Plymouth) so I’m kind of re-learning how to do things and all the idiosyncrasies.  At this point, I will take all the advice and suggestions I can get!  

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Oz is good.............gunna take the 'ol brown turd out for a run around the block this arvo, it needs its cobwebs cleaned out and so do I....lol......BTW make sure to put some thread sealer on the water pump bolts as 2 or three go into the water jacket and will leak if not thread sealed, can't remember which ones tho'.........put it on all the water pump bolts and that'll fix them........lol.........you are getting the original pump rebuilt?...........I remember do battle with the water pump repair kits when I first got the Dodge and no matter how careful I was breaking the fibre washer that they use, the original pump only have a pair of blades on either side however when I needed a new pump for the 41 Plymouth I had a couple of yrs ago the Gates pump came with a circular impeller with blades on the full circumferance and a sealed bearing and worked absolutely fine........sure it may have been made in China but, those guys also invented Chinese Food so I can live with it.........lol............what sort of setup, ie, bearing and impeller, is the rebuilt pump gunna have? ...............andyd

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Andy - sorry to take so long to get back to you, but I finally got the water pump rebuilt and back on the car.  While it was off, I removed the engine drain cock and poked around inside the block with a piece of wire. After poking around a bit, the coolant poured out, so I think we got that problem sorted.  I also checked the freeze plugs, as you also suggested, and they all look OK, so I’m just leaving them alone for now.  As for the rebuilt water pump, it has a two blade impeller like the original, but they did install a sealed bearing, so there’s no need for grease, although they did put the original grease nipples back on (probably for originality purposes).  I then took the car to my mechanic and had him flush the system, completely replace the antifreeze that I had put in the car (as I wasn’t happy with the mixture/protection) and change the oil to get ready for winter storage.  Anyway, back to the water pump, the car seems to run a bit cooler, and so far, I’m happy with the rebuild.  It was a fun learning experience that will hopefully give me the confidence to attempt more repairs/projects in the future. Thanks again for all your help.       - Rosco

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Sounds like you have had a win........must admit that we never have to worry about anti freeze or winter storage here in oz, well, maybe if you live in the Oz Snowy Mountains but even then they don't really get what you guys call snow, maybe a foot or two, not a few yards worth.........lol.........how long do you keep the car out of the cold?....................andyd.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Andy - must be nice to not have to worry about winter storage.  I’m just about finished prepping the car for storage now, and then I’ll fill it with gas, put a little fuel stabilizer in the tank, take it for one last long drive, cover the seats, and then it’s into the garage to hibernate for four or five months til the weather warms up (usually around the middle of April or so).   By the way, a friend of mine was just in Australia recently visiting family with two of his daughters and they had a great time.  That was his second trip and he raves about how wonderful your country is.  Would really like to get there myself.  Maybe one day!            - Rosco

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Rosco............if ever you get down here the coffee jugs on and we've got a couple of spare beds...........lol............as for temperatures.....I'm inside and its nearly 5pm, temp is 97F  with a warm westerly wind, yesterday was in the low 100's...........lol.............we spent the weekend playing Peter Petrolhead at a Rod Run at Armidale up on the new England tablelands, warm days but cool nights, perfect weather to kill a few more brain cells.........they get a couple of light snow falls each year but all we get in the Clarence Valley is a few days of frosty mornings, with days being between 65-80F during winter............winter here officially starts the beginning of June through to end of August, our summer started 2 days ago, 1st December............regards, andyd.    

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