Coolant drain plugs

Allwheeldrive · Post by **Allwheeldrive** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:04 pm

Does anyone know right off hand what size hex wrench I'll need to get the drain plugs out?

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 2:33 pm

14mm I believe.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:05 pm

Yep, 14mm allen.

tonflo · Post by **tonflo** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 1:28 am

Is there a gasket or o-ring under theese that is likely to need replacing with a new one? or just take them out & put them back in?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 1:38 am

I think they have aluminum washers underneath that you're supposed to replace.

tonflo · Post by **tonflo** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:17 am

Supposed to or have to? I am planning on replacing all my coolant hoses soon & want to drain & catch as much as possible out 1st before flushing. thanks

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:20 am

Supposed to, you don't have to, but if you're doing this why not? They're cheap.

tonflo · Post by **tonflo** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:56 pm

Got a part #? How cheap is cheap? I just figure the more I drain from the engine & radiator, the less there is to have to flush out & get all over the ground & make a toxic mess.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:41 pm

The parts manual Josh posted lists a few different plugs and gaskets on pages 14 and 15:

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=14485

Apparently the two sides have different size gaskets... But if you plug the gasket part numbers into an online dealer's database, you'll find they cost a buck or two each.

Tleg93 · Post by **Tleg93** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 5:24 pm

I can't get the parts manual link to load a viable document.

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 5:51 pm

Left - 803936020
Right - 803928010 or 803928020

Tleg93 · Post by **Tleg93** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:12 pm

Thanks man

Allwheeldrive · Post by **Allwheeldrive** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:01 pm

In the chilton manual I have it doesn't say anything about the breather on the passenger side of the radiator. Do I have to take this out when I'm draining the radiator and the blocl

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 8:06 pm

No, you don't have to. It's usually used when filling the system, to give trapped air an escape route.

Tleg93 · Post by **Tleg93** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:38 pm

Allwheeldrive wrote:In the chilton manual I have it doesn't say anything about the breather on the passenger side of the radiator. Do I have to take this out when I'm draining the radiator and the blocl

Do you have to open it when you refill?

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:54 pm

What breather?

Post by **Legacy777** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:42 am

I'm pretty sure there is no metal gasket on the drain plugs. There wasn't one on the pas. side plug I removed.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:04 am

Hardy - I'm assuming he's referring to what we usually call the "burp screw."

Scott - Yes, you're supposed to open it when filling the system. You close it once coolant starts to come out. Neither of your cars has this fitting, though; it's only on the non-turbos.

Josh - Did you look really carefully? It might have been stuck to either the block or the plug. Metal crush washers can sometimes seem to disappear this way.

The parts catalog certainly lists the washers. But at some point along the line, I do believe Subaru switched to using thread sealant on the plugs instead of crush washers. I don't like that; they're not pipe threads. But I guess it saved them a few cents per car.

Post by **Legacy777** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:16 am

There were some solid washers on some of the other plugs on the block, but not the coolant drain ones. None of them were crush washers like the oil pan.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 1:52 am

They're not crush washers because of their shape... they're crush washers because they're made of very soft annealed metal. Like the copper crush washers on the clutch line.

I don't know what to tell you. Maybe someone once drained your car's coolant and left the washers out when reinstalling the plugs?

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:46 am

Or like the washer on the front diff/manual tranny plus.

Tleg93 · Post by **Tleg93** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 9:00 pm

I tried to wrench these bastards today. Forget it man. You need an impact wrench to get the ones on my car off.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 3:02 am

The first time I removed them I used a 3-foot breaker bar and pulled as hard as I could; it broke them loose eventually.

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Coolant drain plugs

Coolant drain plugs