3.5 3.9 engine block drains

[theg]

Hello .
Do these alloy motors have an easily accessible block drain tap . Where do I need to look if so ?
Thankyou

[p38arover]

Yes, one each side of the block about halfway back and half way up as shown in the workshop manual. Some cars had drain taps.

[PhilipA]

Drains YES
Accessible NO
They are inside the engine mount brackets on an RRC.
Good luck.
Regards Philip A

[chazza]

I agree with Phillip - impossible to access.

I ended up taking off the water pump and sucking the coolant out before removing the inlet manifold,

Cheers Charlie

[p38arover]

Drains YES
Accessible NO
They are inside the engine mount brackets on an RRC.
Good luck.
Regards Philip A

I could have sworn one of them was accessible. I remember opening the tap on mine to drain the water. I wonder if the tap was fitted by a previous owner.

[PhilipA]

I could have sworn one of them was accessible. I remember opening the tap on mine to drain the water. I wonder if the tap was fitted by a previous owner. 5th December 2011 07:37 AM

I think so ,as the three RRCs I have had , have just had a bolt there which is impossible to get a spanner on.( unless of course I was not holding my mouth right)
Regards Philip A

[Gavo]

Hello .
Do these alloy motors have an easily accessible block drain tap . Where do I need to look if so ?
Thankyou

Why would you need to use them?
To change I have always started the engine from cold with the garden hose running into one of the heater hoses and a another hose feeding outlet away from the engine so you don't get all wet with water spraying everywhere.
I drain the radiator via the bottom hose. Put it back on start the garden hose water is coming out the other hose and radiator is full start the engine. Stop in when you get clean water coming out.
Drain some water out to fit the additive in after you have everything hooked up again.
I would not disturb anything you don't need too.

[theg]

reason for asking is ive found in other (iron) blocks much debris collects at the bottom of the water jackets in the blocks . Even removed plugs on some and found them blocked solid and needing poking with a screwdriver in through the hole to free all the crud . I just want to do a thorough cooling system flush but it sounds like these plugs in the rover are inaccessible .

[PhilipA]

Have a look for yourself. I am big with big hands . Maybe if you are of delicate proportions with artistic hands it will be easy.

Regards Philip A

[chazza]

I have the proportions of a stick insect with small hands and I found it impossible for the following reasons:
1. On the left hand side with the car jacked up and supported on stands, the plug is accessible but it has a square head, which limits the offset open ender to 8 positions rather than 12. Getting in the way of arms, etc. is the axle; steering rods; chassis and exhaust pipe. I could lay a spanner on it but I couldn't swing it with my finger tips. Nothing of any length could fit.
2. I never found the RH plug until I took the engine out - it was concealed under the engine mount and blocked by the exhaust pipe. Even on the engine stand the mount had to come off first.

On my P6 it is the work of seconds to undo both but not on a Land Rover.

I thought of finding some taps and fitting them, but the job was going on for too long so it never happened.

If you want to clean behind the core plugs, I think the easiest and most effective way would be to take the engine out.

On a another matter; my block appeared to be immaculately clean but when I fitted a Tefba strainer it caught what appeared to be fluff in the first week of running,

Cheers Charlie