2002 Sentra Engine block coolant drain plug

[sentra]

The following photo, from the factory service manual, displays the location of the engine block coolant drain plug.

Please note that the photo caption that states "drive belt removed for clarity."

However, i found the drain plug on the other side of the engine, where there is no drive belt.

Can any other 1.8 L Sentra owners confirm that the plug shown in the photos below is indeed the engine block coolant drain plug?

 

[morris]

my bet is the factory didnt use anti-seize. ya think?

 

[oggb]

I'd leave that well enough alone and drain/fill the radiator.

I have found that messing around with block drains has never been worth the trouble.

Keep it simple.

 

[Kuato]

+1; forget about the plug.

I've never drained a block, but have changed coolant every 2 years (green) or 4 years (newer coolant) by draining and refilling the radiator. I've never had a problem with corrosion or cooling.

 

[Trav]

Thats the block drain. It looks like they used thread sealer, i bet it will come right out.
That plug is solid not hollow and the block isn't rusted, just use normal caution.
Use teflon tape putting it back, it will loosen easy next time.

 

[user52165]

Originally Posted By: JRed
I'd leave that well enough alone and drain/fill the radiator.

I have found that messing around with block drains has never been worth the trouble.

Keep it simple.


You might be surprised how much sediment comes out when draining (and flushing) the block - especially if it is cast iron. Car makers put them there for a reason.

Use a new crush washer if one is present.

 

[Eddie]

If it removes easily then I would drain the block but, if it were very difficult to remove, then forget it. JMO. Ed

 

[sentra]

Thank you for the responses, guys. As Eddie stated, if it comes off easily, i will drain the block. If not, i will leave it as-is.

 

[Donald]

Use a 6 pt socket for the best chance. If its a regular thread bolt it should have a o-ring. If its NPT then clean the threads and use teflon tape. Given that its all the way in, its a regular thread and has a o-ring or seal of some kind.

But its not at the bottom of the block, or does not look like it is. What good does it do. The drain plugs for my GM 5.7L are near the bottom of the engine and are brass/bronze (marine engine).

I just drain and fill the radiator every year or two to refresh the system. Its easy and cheap.

 

[Donald]

Use a 6 pt socket for the best chance. If its a regular thread bolt it should have a o-ring. If its NPT then clean the threads and use teflon tape. Given that its all the way in, its a regular thread and has a o-ring or seal of some kind.

But its not at the bottom of the block, or does not look like it is. What good does it do. The drain plugs for my GM 5.7L are near the bottom of the engine and are brass/bronze (marine engine).

I just drain and fill the radiator every year or two to refresh the system. Its easy and cheap.

 

[Trav]

Its way below the freeze plugs so its close to the bottom.
One gut tug and its coming right out. It is probably NPT and are usually tapered, thats what makes them easier to remove.

 

[Sayjac]

Depending on how difficult the block drain is to remove, a distilled water flush series wouldn't be very difficult or expensive. According to the owners manual, the cooling system capacity is only ~6 qt. 2-3 distilled water radiator d&fs after the intial drain, and then add 3+ qts. of the coolant, good to go.

OT Lucky you to have the 1.8L, and not the 2.5L Sentra SpecV. Like my 03 2.5L Altima, all the 02 2.5 Sentras, had the precat fatal flaw, which eventually fails and the substrate particulates get sucked into the engine, destroying it.

 

[sentra]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Depending on how difficult the block drain is to remove, a distilled water flush series wouldn't be very difficult or expensive. According to the owners manual, the cooling system capacity is only ~6 qt. 2-3 distilled water radiator d&fs after the intial drain, and then add 3+ qts. of the coolant, good to go.


Yes, i picked up distilled water and coolant earlier today. The coolant was purchased from a Nissan dealer. The price was $24, up about $6 from last year when i bought the 3.84 L jug for my Nissan Quest van.


Originally Posted By: sayjac
OT Lucky you to have the 1.8L, and not the 2.5L Sentra SpecV. Like my 03 2.5L Altima, all the 02 2.5 Sentras, had the precat fatal flaw, which eventually fails and the substrate particulates get sucked into the engine, destroying it.

When i purchased the Sentra, the 1.8L was chosen to avoid the precat flaw that plagued the 2.5L. A friend of mine has the same car and our cars have been very reliable.

How has your Altima been?

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: sentra
When i purchased the Sentra, the 1.8L was chosen to avoid the precat flaw that plagued the 2.5L. A friend of mine has the same car and our cars have been very reliable.

Oh, so you bought this as a pre-owned/used vehicle. I ask because at the time of production, the precat issue was an unknown (supposedly) issue. But, many of the SpecV owners got new engines because of spirited driving their precat/engines failed early on. Of course, unless a new redesigned precat was also installed, the precat would fail again.

Quote:
How has your Altima been?

Terminal. Read all about it.

To the topic, Nissan dealer coolant price is whacked imo.

 

[sentra]

sayjac, i remember that thread. I wish Nissan had treated you differently. Will leave it that.

Getting back on topic, as expected, the plug in the photos is the engine block coolant drain plug. Given the confined space, it was a little difficult to remove, but i didn't give up on it, even though that thought crossed my mind a couple of times.

The drained coolant looked to be in pretty good shape, containing no rust or any other noticeable particulates. I refilled and drained it with distilled water anyway.

 

[sentra]

Also, the plug didn't have an o-ring. There was some white residue on it, though, which i suspect is Permatex thread sealant. The factory manual lists that as an after-market sealant that can be used to seal threads.

I used teflon tape before installing it back in.