I have a 2008 Dodge RAM. it's the one that just says "RAM" not RAM 1500. never understood the difference / significance there. It's the 4.7 ltr. w/ air conditioning & automatic transmission.

In any event I had to replace the water pump, in the process I went to drain the coolant. My last experience with this sort of thing, drain plugs were made of brass and soldered into the bottom tank of the radiator. This one is plastic and has an allen head end on it. So I insert the allen wrench and start turning and coolant begins to trickle out of the spout. Hoping to get a better flow I keep turning the wrench and out pops the body of the valve. Needless to say coolant goes everywhere but the radiator does drain and I complete the new water pump install.



Finally It's time to fill it up with coolant. and I have to put the drain plug back together. I push the plug into the opening and turn. it appears to engage and I again insert the allen wrench and turn CW a couple of turns until I'm getting no drainage from the valve. Frankly I'm scared of it since it just popped apart before when I was trying to unscrew it (drain it). When all is done the plug is not draining and appears to be secure. I have been driving it now for a couple of days and the coolant level is holding and the drain plug doesn't appear to be losing any coolant.



So here is my quandary... I initially filled the system with straight water just to be able to drive it home. Now I need to drain it and refill it with properly mixed coolant. So i'm afraid to open the drain plug, worried it will break. I'm thinking I will go ahead and get a new drain plug to have on hand. the question is... is there any thing I'm missing about how these plugs should be installed? Is it really that simple/ just stick it in and give it a couple of turns ... is that secure??? This all seems far, far less secure than the old school brass spitcocks I remember.

 

once the plug is rotated 180 degrees after it is drawn into the radiator this creates the necessary seal i have done several on several different models and have yet to have any issues or leaks afterward.

 

Thank you cdnmopar88 that does give me a little peace of mind. So it should be a reasonably safe procedure draining the radiator if I only back the plug out enough to start the flow from the little spout and afterward tighten it back to stop the flow?

 

I don't have the patience for the drain valve, and don't like the mess of just pulling the lower hose, so, I got some fuel line that I can stuff in the radiator cap, all the way to the bottom of the radiator, and siphon the coolant out. MUCH faster.

 

yes you can just twist it out enough to drain it straight down I try to do it this way less messy and you still usually have other work that needs to be done while it drains anyway.