FordFusionClub.com banner

what an absolute piece of crap! (radiator drain valve)

21K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  borland 
#1 ·
Went to do a coolant flush on my '06 Fusion. As soon as I put any force on the radiator drain cock valve the knob broke off in my hand.

Anyone else experience this? How did you get the rest of the valve out of the radiator?

Of course I can't even order a new one now till Monday.
 
#2 ·
Is it a male threaded plug that screws into the radiator, by any chance? I had this happen on my 78 Civic. The end broke off, leaving nothing to grip onto. So I took a flat screwdriver and heated the tip with a torch, red-hot, then stuck it into the broken plug body until it sank in and cooled. Then I just twisted it out.

That was on a metal radiator, so be careful if yours is plastic. Haven't needed to look at my car that closely yet, thankfully. HTH, good luck.
 
#10 · (Edited)
This just happened to me as well!

This is even a newer FoMoCo radiator... I was trying to change my thermostat due to the P0128 code I am having and got the tire, belt, and power steering pump off, a hose fitted to the drain connector with a pan underneath, and turning with my fingers, it just snapped off!

 
#11 · (Edited)
'06 Ford Fusion radiator drain plug.

Hi all. I have a 2006 Fusion with a 2.3 (manual trans). I have a FoMoCo radiator p/n: 6E53-8005-CD. It has the red-orange drain plug with two o-rings and a rubber gasket at the radiator. Turning it out allows the coolant to drain out of a tube below the plug. My drain plug broke off from just trying to unscrew it with my fingers. I literally put just the beginning of a twisting torque to remove said plug, and it just snapped right off of the radiator.

I was able to remove the old plug with an easy out, but I am trying to find a part number to replace it with. I called the Ford dealer, and they told me, "That part is only serviced by replacing the Radiator... ...I can understand your frustration, but I am sure there is an aftermarket replacement for it if you look around." Autozone shows a metal drain cock replacement, but it is for something from the '80s. Other parts stores list nothing for the Fusion. I considered trying to make one out of stainless to match, however the threads are more like an ACME thread with a rounded shoulder to them. That could be very hard for me to fabricate. I also considered drilling and tapping the radiator to fit a bolt or similar item in it's place, but it actually acts as more of a valve to allow it to close off the passage to the tube beneath it.

After searching online, I found a part number for something that looks similar. It is for a Mercedes though. The part number is: Behr 0005000185. Is this the part number we need? I am going to order one tonight and see if I can rush order it so I can get my car back on the road quickly. I have some photos, but for some reason I get an error when I click the attachment link...
 
#14 ·
The part will be here Friday. I bought an extra just in case the new one breaks when installing. It was inexpensive enough. I came up with an idea to try and get some strength back in the design of this piece using some epoxy or similar material inside the molded hole that goes deeply through the core of the part. If it works, I will let you know.

Because the part is shaped more like a valve than a plug, I am inclined to think that even if I re-thread it and install a pipe plug, it might not keep the coolant in the radiator.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Hella/Behr 376747041 is a match!

Apparently our cars have something in common with upper-crust makes like BMW and Mercedes, at least as far as radiators are concerned. Fortunately for us these parts are alot cheaper than buying a new radiator. I can't believe I was told I had to buy a new radiator to replace something this inexpensive. That's like being told I need to buy a new car because a radiator is leaking...

The only visible difference that I see is the o-rings seem to have a sort of graphite metallic shine to them.

I filled the hole in the top that weakens the part with superglue, and used a paperclip to work it all the way into the hole to get the bubbles out. Hopefully that helps prevent future breakage in the flawed design. I guess they couldn't spring for an extra gram of plastic in the molding process...

It is interesting to note that this item is listed on some BMW sites as a one-time use item. It should be replaced every time the coolant is drained. Yet Ford chose to use it in their radiators, and don't list a replacement part number (?). I don't think radiators were ever meant to be a one-time use item. I guess there was some benefit to working part-time as an auto parts professional a number of years ago.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I did not/could not re-use.

I could not tell what that washer was exactly. It looked like mine was rubber at one time and dried hard and crumbly, so I replaced it with a 7/16 id neoprene washer. The crush in the neoprene should allow for some holding properties when it is tight, at least until it hardens up. The super glue didn't dry until i put something in the hole to fill it up. I used a screw that i cut a little shorter from an electrical box clamp, I believe something like a 10-32 screw. With the super glue holding it, I might be able to remove the plug with a regular or #2 square drive screwdriver now. A left hand thread screw would be ideal, but I figure something in the hole is better than nothing. (lol)

That little tool you made is slick though. It's amazing what you can come up with when you have a hardware store and some inspiration.
 
#19 ·
That neoprene washer should work fine. The washer acts as a stop too, so it may need to be thick enough to keep the valve screwing in too far.

I really didn't like the aluminum lock washer, as it really makes it hard to loosen the drain cock with you fingers. I didn't have enough finger strength to do that, so I made the tool.

Seems like the friction of the O-rings pretty much keeps the valve from working loose anyway. The radiator is isolated from engine vibration, so the I don't see a need for the aluminum lock ring.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top