RAFBedfords Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 I am trying to drain my Green Goddesses coolant and have opened both the cylinder head tap and the main tap, I am only get a drop or to and that's it. I filled the radiator to the brim but it wont drain. Am i missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 I know it may sound daft but have you checked they are not blocked with sediment by pushing small screw driver in to clear them if this is the reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAFBedfords Posted May 1, 2020 Author Share Posted May 1, 2020 I thought that might be the issue so i used a bit of wire but no luck. I also removed the hose that runs to the main drain tap and it only had a small dribble, the water remained in the radiator. I also completely removed the cylinder head tap and cleared that but again nothing. I have taken out for around 20 miles over the past two days and the temperature gauge only heats up slightly (possibly failed) but the engine does not run hot. This beast takes around 30l of coolant but I just dont know why it is not draining and why it seems to also be stuck in the radiator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnwardle Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 Silly question, have you taken the radiator cap off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAFBedfords Posted May 1, 2020 Author Share Posted May 1, 2020 1 minute ago, johnwardle said: Silly question, have you taken the radiator cap off? I'm hoping it's a silly simple answer! Yes the cap is off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike30841 Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 Try removing the bottom hose and see what you get out. If nothing, then the coolant has leaked out somewhere. If it's thick and rust coloured, then the chances are that the radiator core and the waterways in the block are at least partially blocked. Other possible reasons for the low temperature reading are stuck/faulty thermostat, or again if the coolant has leaked out, then there's no hot water flowing round past the temperature sensor to give a higher reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAFBedfords Posted May 1, 2020 Author Share Posted May 1, 2020 6 minutes ago, mike30841 said: Try removing the bottom hose and see what you get out. If nothing, then the coolant has leaked out somewhere. If it's thick and rust coloured, then the chances are that the radiator core and the waterways in the block are at least partially blocked. Other possible reasons for the low temperature reading are stuck/faulty thermostat, or again if the coolant has leaked out, then there's no hot water flowing round past the temperature sensor to give a higher reading. By bottom hose do you mean the short hose that goes from the heat exchanged beneath the radiatior to the main tap drain (about 40cm in length)? If the waterways are blocked, any idea on how I can clear the blockage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike30841 Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 The bottom hose is the large diameter (about 2") one that attaches to the bottom of the radiator. Have buckets handy so you can work out how much coolant, if any, comes out. As to clearing blocked waterways, it depends how bad they are and whether they are blocked with sediment or scale. If its sediment, it should be possible to flush clean with a hose or pressure washer. If the radiator is blocked with scale, pretty much the only cure is to replace with a good second-hand one or have it re-cored. If the waterways in the block are full of scale, it's a pig to get rid of, I'm afraid. Hopefully, bearing in mind the low mileages covered by the green goddesses, and the strict maintenance carried out whilst they were in the reserve stores, the problem shouldn't be that bad. Good luck with getting it sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DINGODOUG Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 I had a similar problem with my Champ which had obviously overheated badly before I got it. The only cure ultimately was to take the head off and remove all drains and hoses and flush with a hose down every orifice I could fine until the water flowed freely and clearly. Same for the radiator which should free off ( try boiling water). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAFBedfords Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 4 hours ago, DINGODOUG said: I had a similar problem with my Champ which had obviously overheated badly before I got it. The only cure ultimately was to take the head off and remove all drains and hoses and flush with a hose down every orifice I could fine until the water flowed freely and clearly. Same for the radiator which should free off ( try boiling water). Thanks for the tip. I spent just over 4 hours tinkering away on her and eventually settled with what I got, although it still wasn't coming out of the drain tap. I refilled her and after doing about 10 miles pushing her hard I checked the engine and it wasn't hot and then checked the drain pipe and success, all blockages cleared! I put it all in a video as part of my restoration series, feel free to check it out and subscribe if you are interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAWbiufISGA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DINGODOUG Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Result !! Great news . I also put some flushing fluid through the Champ but I am not convinced it did any good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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