missing radiator petcock valve

[Beap52 2,240]

Friday a friend and I went to Mennonite green house to purchase some plants,  On way home I noticed a spray along side my pickup and it quickly became apparent it was from radiator.  Pulled off the road at an intersection and discovered the petcock was missing!  The petcock was plastic.  Called two auto stores.  One didn't have on in stock and the other assured me they did.  Called my wife and she picked up the petcock and 4 gallons of water.  When she arrived the petcock  was the old style brass--the auto parts guy must have been a new hire or something.

 

Called a friend and he thought he might have one but didn't.  I ended up using my  handkerchief, and stuffing it in the hole and used vice grips to help hold it in place. It wasn't a perfect seal as there were steady dripping. Left radiator cap off and made it ten miles to home-with a couple of stops to add water.  The petcock just flat out broke--34 years old but surely caught me by surprise.  Certainly glad I wasn't pulling the camping trailer.  I caught the leak before engine got hot and had a wide pull-off close by.  

 

Never leave the house without pocket knife, (multiple uses)  finger nail clippers (even good to cut small wires) and handkerchief (excellent for wiping grandson snot and now plugging radiator.)

 

We had five  folks stop and offer help.  Two of them women, one person didn't have a full set of teeth and another knew my truck from the previous owner.  Good folks.

 

Told my wife later If I had know it earlier, maybe sitting along side of road with hood open was good way to pick up chicks!  She doesn't seem to be too worried as her reply "You wouldn't know what to do with a chick." 

 

 

[squonk 46,454]

I have seen them blow out. sign of a slow pressure buildup from a head gasket starting to go. I remember a Renault alliance coming into the shop with a melted overflow tank. The rad cap was on the tank.

 

I was in a band about 35  yrs. ago and we had an old International bus. It developed a rad leak at about 10 PM and about 25 miles from home. I stuck a wad of Freshen Up Gum in the hole. We filled the rad with water from the beer coolers, some ditch water and about 6 cans of Genny Creme Ale!