Need help ASAP broken petcock

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02v6ls

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I was changing my coolant reservoir bottle and when I was screwing the radiator petcock back on I over did it and half of it broke off inside.

What do I do? Help ASAP!!!!
 
02v6ls said:
well since half of it is still stuck in there should I leave it there and just continue on?
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You'll want to replace it. You can probably drill part way into the plastic that is still inside and then screw it back out.

This seems to come up now and then. These are supposed to only be put hand tight. Don't crank on them with a wrench.
 
another issue!!!!! i lost what i think is the air bleed cap!!! cant find it.

when i was bleeding the system it dropped through the engine and i cant find it. where can i get a replacement?

plus, coolant never actually came out through there? i am pretty sure i did it right. theres nothing else around there that i could of turned and removed a car.

is it safe to drive it without it?

need help!
 
Usually what happens when the petcock breaks off is the top hex section fractures. However, other then the hex it has a provision for if I remember correctly an 8mm Allen wrench, and there is usually enough of material left so the wrench can be inserted and the plug screwed out.

If you lost the air bleed cap then you are going to have to use something like vice grips to clamp the hose to prevent the coolant from coming out.
 
Check a salvage yard for an LS or your local dealer for the more than likely most timely replacement.
 
Mine broke the first time I touched it lol lucky me I was able to find a replacement at a local auto part store, but most of them don't stock them. Worse case scenario call the dealer.
 
Bahahahah!

Did this on the wife's ls, my grand prix apparently people feel that it is necessary to over tighten these things. I assume on the cap, your referring to the small flat head plastic screw of the bottle, I did the same thing, but luckily I found it. You may be able to find a nylon bolt that is similar, I would use some vise grips to keep it from dribbling. Best of luck-
 
02v6ls said:
another issue!!!!! i lost what i think is the air bleed cap!!! cant find it.

when i was bleeding the system it dropped through the engine and i cant find it. where can i get a replacement?

plus, coolant never actually came out through there? i am pretty sure i did it right. theres nothing else around there that i could of turned and removed a car.

is it safe to drive it without it?

need help!
Click to expand...

Well, if you couldn't bleed it, there's not much reason to worry about the bleed screw missing (in the short term). You need to correct the issue(s) that is preventing the system from pressurizing so that you can bleed it.
 
Also, do NOT drive the car w/o that air bleed screw installed. Once the system starts working properly it'll spew coolant out of there. If you can't find it, call your local dealer. You may need to buy the entire hose. Or, if you have a pick'n'pull junkyard nearby, you might find one there.

If you have a drill and some drill bits, just drill a hole in the middle of what remains of the petcock. Then wedge something in there - like the nose of some needle nose pliers, although proper bolt-outs would we better - and unscrew. Carefully.
 
This is the air bleed right?

And it aside from that, is it safe to drive with half the petcock stuck in the radiator?

photo1.jpg
 
Not familiar with what model you have but that could be fuel or A/C. Is it just the cap you are missing or did you remove the valve inside?

If the petcock is not leaking coolant, you should be OK since it broke I'm assuming while you bottomed it out.

In the tech articles section there is a title about working with the cooling system.
 
02v6ls said:
This is the air bleed right?

And it aside from that, is it safe to drive with half the petcock stuck in the radiator?
Click to expand...

you probably shouldn't be working on cars and i mean this in the nicest of ways, that is your fuel test port.
 
Does anyone have an actual picture of the airbleed valve? That black and white sketch isnt working for me. I looked everywhere for something that i can twist off but I couldnt find it
 
02v6ls said:
or do i need to remove the intake to see it? maybe thats it!
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Wow. Don't remove the intake. You need a screw driver to take the bleed screw out. It's on the end of a tube that sticks out between the master cylinder and the fender, right at the degas bottle cap.
 
isnt that the heater one? i did unscrew that one and closed it when coolant started to leak out. But i cant seem to see the engine air one
 
The V6 engine air bleed is at the front of the engine, on top of the radiator hose tee thingy. It's a little larger than the fuel rail tap you were playing with, and the tube that it sits on top of is much larger around than a fuel line.

If you search, there are posts on here with pictures, because others have broken them before.

You don't have to remove the intake to get to it. I don't remember if there is an appearance cover that has to be removed (I don't have a V6).
 
02v6ls said:
But i cant seem to see the engine air one
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ummm. there shouldn't be a hose that only air comes out, there also SHOULDN'T be any air in that hose, you just use that hose to get any air that has been trapped in there to come out.
 
1LoudLS said:
ummm. there shouldn't be a hose that only air comes out, there also SHOULDN'T be any air in that hose, you just use that hose to get any air that has been trapped in there to come out.
Click to expand...

The V6 does have an engine air bleed, as well as the heater air bleed that the V8s have. Of course, coolant should start coming out shortly after the air.
 
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