epricedright Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 I'm planning on changing my coolant and the drain cock looks like it will be tough to get a tool on down there. Someone here made a home made tool and posted a picture or description of it. I believe it was made from a broomstick. I searched here till my eyes crossed and couldn't find it. Whoever made that tool, could you please post that pic or description again please. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince P Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 1994 SLS I have been able to always unscrew the drain plug by hand. It is a 1.5 inch plastic disk that has a raised ridge on the center. Work your hand down to it and turn. It is not to difficult to get to. Just play with different hand positions. Vince P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted July 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Thanks Vince! I didn't try to get my hand down there yet as it was hot when I looked at it. But I do have big hands though. I'll try that if no one knows of that tool. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Look for a post by JimD. Basically cut a 1/8" wide slot about 1/4" deep across the end of a 6" long piece of broom stick or 3/4" dowl rod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted July 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Look for a post by JimD. Basically cut a 1/8" wide slot about 1/4" deep across the end of a 6" long piece of broom stick or 3/4" dowl rod. Thanks Ranger! I couldn't find his post, but that sounds about right. It might need to be shorter than 6" though, if I use the end of the stick, as it appeared to be pretty tight down there. I'll try that if I can't loosen it by hand. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimHare Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Look for a post by JimD. Basically cut a 1/8" wide slot about 1/4" deep across the end of a 6" long piece of broom stick or 3/4" dowl rod. Thanks Ranger! I couldn't find his post, but that sounds about right. It might need to be shorter than 6" though, if I use the end of the stick, as it appeared to be pretty tight down there. I'll try that if I can't loosen it by hand. Thanks! Too many dam Jim's around here.. .lol I did the Eldo about two weeks ago - following some very thorough instructions on 'the other Cadillac forum'. Here's my tool, from the end of a broomstick. There must be some minor differences between models/years because there is no way anyone but ET could have put an arm down to the petcock from above, in my Eldo. It wasn't hard to do - turn COUNTERCLOCKWISE about a turn and a half, and the stuff will come out the drain hole in the cross member piece. Have your drain pan ready. Wait 20 minutes to half hour for it all. Don't forget to pop the expansion tank cap off as well, and run the engine and heater on HIGH HOT while refilling. Mine emptied out just under two gallons. There has been a lot of talk recently here and elsewhere about how to best get the coolant in, mixing correct concentration, crushing the tabs, where the powder goes, et cetera ad infinitum.. here's what I did, and it seems to have worked. Find an empty plastic 1-gallon jug (or, finish off that Spanada you've been hoarding since high school...lol) Fill it half full with your distilled (or Evian, if you're really outre') water Pour in one-half of one tube of the Bars Leak 12GPB stuff from Walmart Shake vigorously (the jug, not yourself - you'll look like a fool, I'm told) Fill jug with Dexcool. You now have a 50/50 mix of coolant, with some powder in it. After drainage has terminated COMPLETELY, close petcock (do NOT forget this step...) Fill from the expansion tank with this mix, keeping it well shaken to keep the powder in suspension. If you fill it slowly and carefully, you will not run the risk of clogging the relatively narrow Expansion tank hose with your BarsLeak stuff. Take your time. When empty, make another 50/50 mix with the rest of the tube of 12GPB powder, and repeat. You should get darn near two gallons out if you let it drip for a good 20 minutes or so, and the petcock is opened enough. Run the engine up and down from 750-3000 RPM a couple of times to help burp the air out, making sure you have the heater on HIGH and HOT as possible. Keep an eye on the coolant gauge. Replace cap, drive around, come home, park it. Let it cool. Check reservoir. Top up as necessary. I took my empty Dexcool container and refilled it with my 50/50 mix - and marked it accordingly with a large black magic marker - and will just keep that around for any top-offs - which have not been necessary. This way, you don't have to concern yourself with "should I top off with water, dexcool, or what???" Haven't lost a drop, checked every other day since then just to be on the safe side. Temps here have been 85+ with high humidity. Eldo is running steady at 197 degrees just like before. "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard P. Feynman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 See JohnnyG's post here: http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...=broom&st=0 Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 I always syphone the coolant out of my radiator with a 1/4'' plastic tube. It allows to get one and a half gallon in 10 minutes without making mess. Just remove the cap and you will be able to push the tube filled with water to the bottom of th eradiator. This trick will not work on Northstar. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted July 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Look for a post by JimD. Basically cut a 1/8" wide slot about 1/4" deep across the end of a 6" long piece of broom stick or 3/4" dowl rod. Thanks Ranger! I couldn't find his post, but that sounds about right. It might need to be shorter than 6" though, if I use the end of the stick, as it appeared to be pretty tight down there. I'll try that if I can't loosen it by hand. Thanks! Too many dam Jim's around here.. .lol I did the Eldo about two weeks ago - following some very thorough instructions on 'the other Cadillac forum'. Here's my tool, from the end of a broomstick. There must be some minor differences between models/years because there is no way anyone but ET could have put an arm down to the petcock from above, in my Eldo. It wasn't hard to do - turn COUNTERCLOCKWISE about a turn and a half, and the stuff will come out the drain hole in the cross member piece. Have your drain pan ready. Wait 20 minutes to half hour for it all. Don't forget to pop the expansion tank cap off as well, and run the engine and heater on HIGH HOT while refilling. Mine emptied out just under two gallons. There has been a lot of talk recently here and elsewhere about how to best get the coolant in, mixing correct concentration, crushing the tabs, where the powder goes, et cetera ad infinitum.. here's what I did, and it seems to have worked. Find an empty plastic 1-gallon jug (or, finish off that Spanada you've been hoarding since high school...lol) Fill it half full with your distilled (or Evian, if you're really outre') water Pour in one-half of one tube of the Bars Leak 12GPB stuff from Walmart Shake vigorously (the jug, not yourself - you'll look like a fool, I'm told) Fill jug with Dexcool. You now have a 50/50 mix of coolant, with some powder in it. After drainage has terminated COMPLETELY, close petcock (do NOT forget this step...) Fill from the expansion tank with this mix, keeping it well shaken to keep the powder in suspension. If you fill it slowly and carefully, you will not run the risk of clogging the relatively narrow Expansion tank hose with your BarsLeak stuff. Take your time. When empty, make another 50/50 mix with the rest of the tube of 12GPB powder, and repeat. You should get darn near two gallons out if you let it drip for a good 20 minutes or so, and the petcock is opened enough. Run the engine up and down from 750-3000 RPM a couple of times to help burp the air out, making sure you have the heater on HIGH and HOT as possible. Keep an eye on the coolant gauge. Replace cap, drive around, come home, park it. Let it cool. Check reservoir. Top up as necessary. I took my empty Dexcool container and refilled it with my 50/50 mix - and marked it accordingly with a large black magic marker - and will just keep that around for any top-offs - which have not been necessary. This way, you don't have to concern yourself with "should I top off with water, dexcool, or what???" Haven't lost a drop, checked every other day since then just to be on the safe side. Temps here have been 85+ with high humidity. Eldo is running steady at 197 degrees just like before. Thanks Jim! ET's arm...That's funny! I was thinking the same thing! Thanks for the pic! I hope my stick only looks half as nice as yours. I have the 4.9, so I plan to add 2 tubes of bars leak directly into the radiator. I may add the bars leak to the first gallon of antifreeze/distilled water I mx up though...as that maybe easier and less messy, thanks for that tip. I'm changing my thermostat, upper hose and cap as well. I might flush my heater core, as I was getting no heat out of the driver side floor vent this past winter - Adallak suggested half my heater core may be plugged up. I'll do that if I get the gumption, but I doubt it, as I have lots of other work to do to her with little time to do it - although I'll have my passenger wheel off already to replace my compressor, giving easy access to the other heater hose, so hmmmm? Which heater hose is at the "T" on top, the inlet or outlet? Just waiting on parts now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted July 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Thanks for the link Mike and thanks for the tip adallak! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 You know, after I posted, I thought to myself, maybe it was Jim Hare and not JimD. Oh well, I was 1/2 right, it was Jim. Yeah, if 6" is to long, simply adjust the length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimHare Posted July 13, 2006 Report Share Posted July 13, 2006 You know, after I posted, I thought to myself, maybe it was Jim Hare and not JimD. Oh well, I was 1/2 right, it was Jim. Yeah, if 6" is to long, simply adjust the length. Why does that sound so scatalogical? "My tool was too long so I adjusted the length".... I hear that complaint all the time.. LOL "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard P. Feynman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.