Thoughts on the engine coolant taps?

[AndyPen]

Having messed around at very awkward angles to get the block plug out, these look like a sensible addition.

Does anyone have an opinion on them?

I wonder why they come with the rear inlet blocked off with a threaded finger grip thingy?

[Polarsilver]

Who is the Tap supplier ?

[Andrew1967]

Some early BMC A series engines came with that tap as standard.

Got one on my '60 850.

It was fitting one that I found out just how choked up that gallery was

[Peter Laidler]

Yes, does seem strange to have a stopper on the inside end. Could it be a safety feature. I don't know for what - or even whether it was worth a daft suggestion!

[iain1967s]

It’s a bodge.

A few years back the MG crowd started to complain to Moss etc. that new cast taps were dripping.

Rather than spend the money required to correctly hone and blue the two conical edges so that they seal properly, the vendor chose to make it into a cosmetic part.

So now they rely on a solid bung to stop the drips, and it no longer acts as a tap.

Either get an original part and refurbish it, or try to bed in the repro part with some fine grinding paste to lap in the cones.

[Spider]

I got some small industrial brass ball style valves a few years back that I've put on some of the cars.

They are good BUT to keep them useful, you need to to use them semi-frequently and keep the cooling jacket fairly clean.

[Polarsilver]

The Taps were fitted to Engines before anti freeze was available (back in the motoring dark ages) & the engine block needed draining before a winters night.
if your brass tap leaked it was not a big issue as the rad; water got topped up regular as the handbook asked driver to check oil & water each day .

So it is not always possible to get this type of Brass Tap leak or may ooze a bit Free of Leakage . ( other than to put a Moss company stop bolt in the end)

Moss should be ashamed to supply such an item and ask for your money .. shame full business practice me-thinks.

[iain1967s]

The full story
https://mossmotors.com/media/instructio ... FO_web.pdf

[Peter Laidler]

Ah, yes, all clear now. Surely now we know, it's a simple job to lap the tapers together as suggested by Iain. Seems like a simple enough job. Agreed, they should be water tight already - but they ain't

[AndyPen]

Thanks everyone, recent experiences told me not to trust them and the pdf file says it all doesn't it?

Glad I bought some new bungs too!

[Exminiman]

Thats just mad, (Moss suggestion) why would anyone really fit one just for looks......?

These might work, not sure if they would cope with the pressure,

https://www.stationaryengineparts.com/Water-Drain-Taps/

As an aside, always thought exhibiting stationery engines at country fairs an odd but rather attractive pass time, in a “secret pleasure” sort of way -

[Peter Laidler]

Those look promisingMiniman, but you'd still have to turn the main block part for it to look original. As for the Moss part....., I think that it'd take 10 minutes at most to strip down and lap the tapers using a slow running pillar drill or lathe and grinding paste.

[AndyPen]

Those look promisingMiniman, but you'd still have to turn the main block part for it to look original. As for the Moss part....., I think that it'd take 10 minutes at most to strip down and lap the tapers using a slow running pillar drill or lathe and grinding paste.

Bearing in mind the gritty rubbish that came out, and the time it took to clean the thread with a tap, I can see any careful lapping being destroyed in no time Peter, its a rough environment of steel crap down there.

[hugbilly]

Interesting though that many older vehicles, boats and bikes used petrol taps which looked very similar and didn't seem to have much of a leak problem . . .

[Gray]

I found that a tap fouled the exhaust manifold.

[Exminiman]

Isn’t easier to just pull off rad hose to drain coolant ?

Or get tap fitted to bottom of rad, if does not have one already

http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/in ... ts_id=5901

[Peter Laidler]

Good idea Cliff. I asked Sercks in Oxford if they'd fit a tap to the bottom of my rad when they re-cored it. They used one from an old rad they'd obtained and did it at no extra charge.

[AndyPen]

Isn’t easier to just pull off rad hose to drain coolant ?

Or get tap fitted to bottom of rad, if does not have one already

http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/in ... ts_id=5901

Yes my rads can all be drained via a radiator tap or removable plug Cliff, but once in a while a block flush might be a good idea as all the rubbish sits below the water pump aperture so may not be removed.

I have chunky hands so learned many years ago that removing the bottom hose was not for me, despite buying a special long screwdriver and positioning the clip correctly every time.

I have a maniflow on the car in question, but good thought about the clearance problems for the tap.

[Polarsilver]

I have a maniflow 3 branch on my 997 Engine & cannot fit the "Original " Brass Drain Tap as this type exhaust does not clear the block drain Tap.

[iain1967s]

It fits - just - with an original S pressed steel manifold.

This is a refurbed original tap I got from Nick Rogers. Fitted it when I was trying to sort my cooling issues - draining several times in a day would have been really tiresome otherwise