Strange factory defect on radiator

[morefishplease]

I go to flush my radiator this morning and [PoorWordUsage] my drain valve is a factory defect. The drain fitting was never finished at the factory, you can see where it is but it appears it was never tapped out and installed with the drain valve???? The truck is a 2004 GMC 1500 5.3 4x4. Anyone know what my next options are to as to can I take the truck to GM and have it fixed since it is a factory defect? What do dealerships or shops do when they discover problems like this on vehicles getting repaired??

[jeffreyd]

Well this is a bit late but i would have never even used the drain as an option simply because they have a problem seating after they are used. If this is under warranty, i would call your service writer to see if they will tow it over. If you are paying for it, i would suggest calling a radiator shop, to see what they recommend. since they are plastic tanks, not much that can be done. If you have to pull the radiator it is not that big of a deal. good luck.

[morefishplease]

um maybe u misread the post??? As to draining and flushing the cooling system you have to drain the radiator, only other way would be to remove the lower radiator hose and let the radiator drain that way. I believe the newer GM's do not even have a drain plug on the radiator as they just remove the lower hose to drain it. As for a tow no? I was not able to perform any work because the radiator does not have the drain valve installed on it, before I would have started any work at all I needed to make sure I could get the radiator to drain.

[jeffreyd]

well if you are draining the radiator, why would you not change the lower and upper hose at the same time? i understand that you are draining and flushing but if you are concerned about the coolant being old or worn, the hoses are too. Not trying to argue, just clarify my thought. I understand that to do the work you have to drain the system, i would however once you get it repaired, replace with extended life coolant. Good luck. Jeff

[Shack]

Quote:

As to draining and flushing the cooling system you have to drain the radiator

Not so sure anymore. The flush machines they have now might just recycle the coolant with out one drop hitting the floor, even on an 04.

Yep, pulling the lower hose beets playing with the petcock any day That is what I would. Hoses should not have to be replaced, unless they are showing signs of replacement. Mushy, soft, bulges or worn spots.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Are you sure its a "defect" and not the way there are manufactured?

Petcocks are nothing more than trouble waiting to happen!

I rarely use them because of the problems we have run into with them leaking. Whatever repair I am doing to the cooling system is usually done without opening the petcock. Remove whatever is broken and the coolant drains out of the area of the removed part.

As far as flushing. We remove the upper hose from either the radiator or the outlet. Attach the appropriate flush adapters and flush. When done reattach the upper hose.

If your trying to do a drain and fill on a Dexcool cooling system your not doing yourself any favors. Get the system completely flushed!!

[morefishplease]

Thanks for the advise airjer, yeah you are right I will just have to bring it in and get it flushed, just trying to save a few bucks flushing it myself. As for the drain valve it is not there....it has the hole where the drain valve is suppose to be and where the drain line and brackets are to hold the drain line but the drain valve was never installed, if u seen it you would know what im talking about, but anyway I will have to just bring it in. Im not a cheapskate, I just like working on my vehicle on the weekends and trying to do as much maintainace as the do-it-yourselfer can do. Seems that these vehicles are just getting so complicated you can barley change the oil yourself lol

[Jeremy airjer W]

Is there a square hole about 1/4" across?

[morefishplease]

No its a round hole on the lower left side exactly like the illustration in the Haynes repair manual, its just missing the valve and is molded closed. The drain hose is there. Really strange to say the least.