Coolant drain?

[Alex from GA]

'99 Explorer 5.0. How do you drain the coolant with no petcock? Remove the lower radiator hose or?

 

[RandomNerd2000]

If you don't have a petcock on the passenger side behind a shield that's held in with four bolts, you remove the hose, but be warned, you'll have at least two gallons of coolant to handle, at once, so have a BIG pan, nice and wide and deep.

 

[koda2000]

Even after draining seemingly every drop from the radiator petcock, you'll still be amazed how much coolant will come out of the lower radiator hose when you remove it. Seemed like at least a 1/2 gallon when I had to replace my radiator last month. In my experience, removing the lower rad hose will always create a huge mess, no matter how careful you try to be.

I suppose if you could get the driver's side front a few inches higher than the passenger side more coolant would come out the radiator drain, but I've never tried that.

 

[bryansr]

Isn't there a petcock there, it just doesn't have the exposed wings so you have to turn it with a hex wrench?

 

[swshawaii]

IIRC 5/16" allen socket. Agree with koda though, removing the lower hose is messy but the best way to get the most sediment and old coolant out. Just be prepared for the deluge and be extra safe. Safety glasses, etc.

 

[koda2000]

OP - On the passenger side of the radiator, in the extreme right hand lower corner of the radiator's plastic side tank, on the engine side there is a drain. Some require a wrench to loosen, some have the wings, but it's still the only coolant drain you have. There are none on the engine block. If you remove the plastic cover/box from under the radiator (four 10mm bolts and pull downwards) you will clearly see the drain. Pull the lower radiator hose off if you like. There's really nothing else we can tell you.