Header tank brass screw stuck

[FourWheelDrift]

Want to check & top up the coolant on my car but neither I nor a friend can unscrew the brass screw on the header tank.

This is the first time on this car I have tried it and need a bit of tool advice.

How hard can it be tried and if it isn't a stupid question, it's not a reverse thread is it? (manual doesn't say)

Basically how hard can it be forced to open (engine is cold) and any advice on best tool to use.

Thanks.

[N17 TVR]

I normally use a long heavy duty screwdriver, layed lengthways in the brass screw aperure, and it avoids rapping your knuckles when you need to apply any pressure.

Just turn it anti-clockwise and Roberts your Fathers brother

[FourWheelDrift]

I did give it a go with a long screwdriver, it was bending it and I didn't want to put too much pressure on it, but I'll try again later.

Thanks.

[.Markski]

Pipe wrench should do the trick. Worked on mine.

[Ballistic Banana]

N17 TVR said:

I normally use a long heavy duty screwdriver, layed lengthways in the brass screw aperure, and it avoids rapping your knuckles when you need to apply any pressure. Just turn it anti-clockwise and Roberts your Fathers brother

2nded, Does take some moving some times, prehaps put a length of tubing over the screw driver.
Or else can i advise you eat a few more pies FWD and get a bit of weight behind it.

BB

[joospeed]

curse the bloke or woman that fitted it so blo*dy tight, then go get a hot air stripper .. heat teh alloy around the screw and try it again. once it's out coppergrease teh threads and refit it *not* so tightly .. it's only sealing 15psi pressure not holding the whole car together ..

it's often the same story with the blue pressure cap, the number of times i have to get the big grips onto the blue cap is amazing .. it's like people believe that the harder it's tightened down the better ..

[ATG]

The brass top on the swirl pot has got a bloody washer to seal it too. Absolutely no reason to tighten it so much.

[shpub]

I usea 2 foot long prybar. Just need to bring it close to the swirl pot and the thing starts shaking in fear and voila the cap is undone.

[stesrg]

Hmm had this problem a few years ago on a different car but same senario, used a blow lamp to heat up the outer circumferance of the plug and used a decent set of mole grips to shift it,a new different plug went into it then.

[FourWheelDrift]

All done, just gave a big pull using a long screwdriver. I was just wary before of how much force to use in case there was a knack or something like loosening something else to help.

Hardly needed to top it up either, just a little in the header tank, bled the radiator but had water straight away so no air and a little in the expansion tank to half way.



I'm off now for some pies.

[GreenV8S]

Several different layouts have been used, but the best one has a swirl tank in front of the distributor (with a plain brass plug) and an overflow tank with pressure cap at the front of the car. With this layout, the swirl tank will automatically top itself up from the overflow tank in normal use. All you need to do is make sure the overflow tank stays topped up. If the overflow tank does run dry, you may get air in the rest of the system. If it is only a little bit of air it will collect in the swirl tank and you can slowly pump it out to the overflow tank by repeatedly squashing and releasing the hoses, but it's probably easier to refill via the swirl tank. But you shouldn't get in this situation unless you've drained the system or you've had a coolant leak and the overflow tank has run dry.

[JonRB]

I've had to use a rubber strap wrench (eg. Baby Boa) on the blue expansion tank before now.

First time I ever had to get the brass plug off the swirl tank I too had to use a 2 foot pry bar, but since then a long screwdriver does the trick.

[alex.mcintosh]

Run the engine for a few minutes to heat up the swirl tank and then try to undo the brass screw a VERY small amount (!!) - much easier