Draining coolant system...

[BongoBongo123]

Am I correct in saying that the bottom hose is the right place to drain it. Any advice on getting as much out as possible ? Any obvious do's and don't over and above the Youtube Bongo Bleed videos. I am building my own documentation and notes on how to do it for next time.

Much obliged as always.

[mikeonb4c]

Am I correct in saying that the bottom hoes is the right place to drain it. Any advice on getting as much out as possible ? Any obvious do's and don't over and above the Youtube Bongo Bleed videos. I am building my own documentation and notes on how to do it for next time.

Much obliged as always.

The main radiator has a drain cock (drivers side i think) and the rear heater has one also i think though personally i've never bothered draining tbe rear heater circuit. No doubt others will confirm.

[JoeC]

Drain stop cock will be slow to drain so if you wanted full drain then go for the removal of pipe. However, I think that there will still be a bit of coolant left in the system but not a lot you can do about that. Some people say have the rear of the van much higher than the front so that any extra water drains out.

[cmm303]

Drain stop cock will be slow to drain so if you wanted full drain then go for the removal of pipe. However, I think that there will still be a bit of coolant left in the system but not a lot you can do about that. Some people say have the rear of the van much higher than the front so that any extra water drains out.

Agreed, rad stop cock is slow but works. Time for a cuppa! Remove both pressure caps and bleed pipe bung (held high)
Estimated it leaves behind 1-2 litres, say 15%
I can see how raising the rear could improve drainage of the for/aft pipes but would not like to say how it would affect the refilling and bleeding dynamics.

[cmm303]

The main radiator has a drain cock (drivers side i think) and the rear heater has one also i think though personally i've never bothered draining tbe rear heater circuit. No doubt others will confirm.

did not notice one during my spell under the rear heater fitting its hoses.

[mikeonb4c]

The main radiator has a drain cock (drivers side i think) and the rear heater has one also i think though personally i've never bothered draining tbe rear heater circuit. No doubt others will confirm.

did not notice one during my spell under the rear heater fitting its hoses.

My memory is vague on this but i think it was referred to first by others on here and then (when i looked) in the workshop manual, which i used when doing my coolant change. The manual is badly translated but at Step 7 says 'Remove the under cover' and then shows a diagram with another drain plug. I suspect that as soon as i read Step 7, and since i'd already witnessed crystal clear coolant coming out of a very clean system, i decided not to bother. Maybe you can't see a drain plug until the under cover is removed? Then again, if you were fiddling around down there, i'd have thought it would have been on view. The manual calls it a 'drain plug' and its on the 'Radiator hose upper pipe' (a metal pipe i guess). That's all i know.

[cmm303]

The main radiator has a drain cock (drivers side i think) and the rear heater has one also i think though personally i've never bothered draining tbe rear heater circuit. No doubt others will confirm.

did not notice one during my spell under the rear heater fitting its hoses.

My memory is vague on this but i think it was referred to first by others on here and then (when i looked) in the workshop manual, which i used when doing my coolant change. The manual is badly translated but at Step 7 says 'Remove the under cover' and then shows a diagram with another drain plug. I suspect that as soon as i read Step 7, and since i'd already witnessed crystal clear coolant coming out of a very clean system, i decided not to bother. Maybe you can't see a drain plug until the under cover is removed? Then again, if you were fiddling around down there, i'd have thought it would have been on view. The manual calls it a 'drain plug' and its on the 'Radiator hose upper pipe' (a metal pipe i guess). That's all i know.

I wonder if it is inside? Underneath, all I noticed from poking around was rust held in place with underseal . The "under cover" could be covered over with underseal but the two plastic spigots just drop straight out through the floor pan. Because the feed/return pipework is underneath the rear matrix (apologies for pointing out the obvious!) a drain on on the heater will not drain the fore/aft hoses and pipes which is where I suspect much of the residual coolant sits. Correction ... I do remember getting a faceful when I removed the first heater matrix hose , probably a mugful.

[haydn callow]

There should be a second drain tap in the large bore metal pipe that feeds the top hose .

[mikeonb4c]

There should be a second drain tap in the large bore metal pipe that feeds the top hose .

Thanks Haydn - that sounds like what is being referred to in the workshop manual. Is it actually anywhere near the rear heater? The confusion could have been caused by references years ago on here to there being a drain plug for the rear heater. On seeing a second one mentioned in the workshop manual, i would naturally have thought it was the one being flagged up on here.

[Northern Bongolow]

i wouldnt disturb that one if i were you, its a little 10mm 15mm stub with a clip and cap on it, these can rust really badly, it faces down towards the floor and all the moisture and weather crud hangs from it causing them to even fall off altogether, ive found several in the belly pan leaving a hole in the underside of the steel pipe.

just another pipe and clip to worry about.

13-104t on here. it actually faces the floor, not the side.

http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... no=.html#1

[cmm303]

There should be a second drain tap in the large bore metal pipe that feeds the top hose .

Thanks Haydn - that sounds like what is being referred to in the workshop manual. Is it actually anywhere near the rear heater? The confusion could have been caused by references years ago on here to there being a drain plug for the rear heater. On seeing a second one mentioned in the workshop manual, i would naturally have thought it was the one being flagged up on here.

Found the picture! Rear heater hoses ....

The top hose metal pipe that Haydn mentions runs from the front of the engine bay into the bonnet area. In the photo, light from the drivers seat opening is just reflecting top left, so some way from the front of the engine.