Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: johnnydog on 01 September 2020, 22:59:03
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Having just done a coolant drain and flush, the original red radiator drain tap was looking a bit weathered and brittle, plus discoloured through age. I removed it, and the washer below the head was quite badly corroded.
The red drain tap and washer are NLS from Vauxhall, and both have been superceeded by a black version (not requiring a washer under the head). Both my local VX dealers have no stock of the black version, and have given 'several days' to supply one. Been through previous topics on here and some suggest the black version doesn't seal as well as the original red one.
To get the car back mobile, I have bought a replacement red one from ECP, but it doesn't come with a replacement washer. It is exactly the same dimensions as the original VX version I removed.
Might seem like a small problem, but to get the correct amount of compression on the O rings to seal the drain without damaging them, it requires the washer under the head to get the correct spacing.
The original appears to be a steel washer with grooves from the centre to the outside edge, but is badly rusted so I don't want to reuse it. As the original washer is NLS, what is the consensus about a replacement washer? Steel, aluminium, fibre, or copper? The coolant sealing is theoretically done by the O rings, so is the purpose of the washer like a lock washer or just for correct positioning of the O rings to create the coolant seal when shut?
I can't believe a simple washer is the subject of this topic ::), but I'd rather get it right first time, rather than risk having a leak and loosing the relatively 'expensive' GM coolant unnessecarily.
So what type of washer is thought to be the best for this purpose?
TIA...
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What is the old one made of?
Not that it really matters, as you're using two plastic threads to hold 1bar of pressure. You could probably make leather work ;D
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That will learn you for even looking at it.
Popping the bottom hose is far more efficient for draining the system without breaking anything ;)
Refit the old one and be thankful that you didn't break it...
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What is the old one made of?
It's steel, with what appears to be ribs around its contact area which possibly indicate part of its function is to prevent the tap from working loose, as well as probably correct spacing for the O rings to create a water tight seal (?).
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Decided to go with the original, and eventually got a steel washer of the same internal diameter and thickness. Bit of an odd ball size, but 5 minutes with a fine cutting disc on a Dremmel replicated the original grooves on the contact faces, which must prevent the drain tap working loose. Fitted the new red tap with fresh GM coolant and everything is good :)
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You could probably make leather work ;D
How about a fried egg? Or rice? Or any of the other dirty options from yesteryear ;D