98 Express van Where is the radiator drain ?

[Bob1942]

I just bought a nice rust free Texas van in the Dallas area and drove it home to Michigan into a big blizzard ! It is a Express 1500 van with 5.7 V-8 a conversion van ...Temperature here is 6 degrees right now and dropping lower tonight ... I checked the antifreeze/ coolant and it is checking around 0 degrees ...I like it lower than that I like a 50/50 mix ...So I go out to drain out a gallon of coolant and add a gallon of full strength Prestone universal antifreeze and I can not find the drain on the radiator ...How are you supposed to drain the coolant on the 98 1500 Van ? ... I tried sucking it out with a "suction gun" thing ... but the tranny cooler is in the radiator and you can only suck out a little bit you cannot get the suction hose in there ...Any suggestions are greatly appreciated ! ... Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone ...BOB

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by Bob1942

I just bought a nice rust free Texas van in the Dallas area and drove it home to Michigan into a big blizzard ! It is a Express 1500 van with 5.7 V-8 a conversion van ...Temperature here is 6 degrees right now and dropping lower tonight ... I checked the antifreeze/ coolant and it is checking around 0 degrees ...I like it lower than that I like a 50/50 mix ...So I go out to drain out a gallon of coolant and add a gallon of full strength Prestone universal antifreeze and I can not find the drain on the radiator ...How are you supposed to drain the coolant on the 98 1500 Van ? ... I tried sucking it out with a "suction gun" thing ... but the tranny cooler is in the radiator and you can only suck out a little bit you cannot get the suction hose in there ...Any suggestions are greatly appreciated ! ... Thanks and MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone ...BOB

They try to hide them.
It is on lower part of rad some on bottom and some on lower drivers engine side.

But they are plastic drains and a problem area.
May break or not seal back up when opened.

I always just remove a rad hose to drain or remove a heater hose and let it pump some coolant out heater hose.

Let us know how it goes.
Good Luck

[usa1qman]

The drain on my 2000 Savanah (GMC's version) is on the passenger side lower radiator tank. Its not the old school brass threaded valve you rotate lots of turns, its a plastic one with an O-ring seal. Like MT, I just loosen the lower hose as the valve seems too tight for fingers and I fear a broken valve or torn O-ring = new radiator!

Love my conversion van w/350, some things to watch

-if you have rear heat/ac the rear lines running along passenger side frame are very prone to corrosion. Coat with grease may help.

- intake manifold gasket- a nylon gasket with rubber molded in place. Epidemic leakers on all vortecs, and a tough one to do on that van. Mine drizzled into the lifter valley and some mornings the lifters would tap badly for up to a minute (made a sticky varnish everywhere in the lifter valley. Installed new fel-pro steel with rubber over-molded gaskets.
Good luck and enjoy it

[bruiserman]

Just replaced my water pump today and my drain on the radiator is on the lower drivers side of the radiator. There are no holes for the fluid to go so when you open the drain it just pours out every little crack. I almost drilled a hole to try and get it to drain in one spot but just put a bunch of little buckets and pans under to catch as much as possible. It had mostly leaked out from the water pump anyway so no big deal.

Mine is also a 1500 Express conversion with the 5.7 V8. I love the van, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

[Bob1942]

Originally Posted by bruiserman

Just replaced my water pump today and my drain on the radiator is on the lower drivers side of the radiator. There are no holes for the fluid to go so when you open the drain it just pours out every little crack. I almost drilled a hole to try and get it to drain in one spot but just put a bunch of little buckets and pans under to catch as much as possible. It had mostly leaked out from the water pump anyway so no big deal.

Mine is also a 1500 Express conversion with the 5.7 V8. I love the van, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

THANKS EVERYONE for your replies ...

I took the hose loose to drain some of the Dex Cool out of there its to cold now to do much work COME ON SPRING ! ...I did notice a pipe plug on the side of the block perhaps that would be a good way to drain the coolant next time ...This may be a lot sooner than I expected because I have a coolant leak now I posted about that a couple of days ago on this forum ... BOB