Stuck engine drain plug on Beta Bz482

Usually plugs like that are made from softer metal than a proper bolt and are easily rounded off. I would remove the engine mount and try to get a small pair of stilson's to fit from underneath the plug undoing it on the upward pull It will probably chew up the plugs square but that should be easily replaced from a plumbers merchants. Can't tell if it's 1/2" or 3/8" but 1/2" plugs are also available with a female square (for use in old style household radiators) and a square key can be bought from the same plumbers merchant very cheaply.
Pete
 
I had a BZ482 in my last boat. You don't need to take that plug out in order to change the coolant.

Disconnect the hose from the bottom of the fresh water pump, tilt it down and allow it to drain. Attach the hose again and fill the heat exchanger up with a 50% water/antifreeze mix, run the engine up to temperature, allow to cool and then top it off to just below the filler neck. If the coolant you drain is dirty then you could consider flushing with a chemical flush to clean things up.
Change the anode in the heat exchanger while you're at it. I used to strip my heat exchanger anually too as it was pathetically small and needed to be kept perfect to keep things cool enough at full power (new O rings are pence from Beta).
 
Took my engine mount (BZ482) off to get at the drain plug. It was easy, and did not alter the alignment. Do not disturb the top nuts on the mount - just east the one on the underside (you may not even need to do this), and undo the feet and then bolts on the block. Put it back the same way and the alignment will be fine.

I had the same concerns as you before doing it, but it turned out to be very easy.
 
Pye_End said:
Took my engine mount (BZ482) off to get at the drain plug. It was easy, and did not alter the alignment. Do not disturb the top nuts on the mount - just east the one on the underside (you may not even need to do this), and undo the feet and then bolts on the block. Put it back the same way and the alignment will be fine.

I had the same concerns as you before doing it, but it turned out to be very easy.
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Yes, I think I'd prefer to take off the mount than the fuel pump - both because it would give better access, and for ease of the dismount and re-mount involved.
 
webcraft said:
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Tried heating and cooling (freezing spray and mini-blowlamp) but because of the position of the plug it is impossible to really heat/cool it in isolation from the surrounding metal, most notably the engine mount.

drainplug.jpg


It's right under the fuel pump and inexplicably pointing downwards so there isn't room between it and the engine mount to get anything other than an open-ended spanner on. We snapped a jaw off one 8mm spanner.

Only other options seem to be removing the fuel pump or detaching the engine mount from the engine block, slackening the bottom nut and swivelling the mount out of the way - but I am worried about disturbing the alignment with option 2.

- W
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Webby
slack the bottom engine mount nut a measured amount and then take out the allen screws, buy a socket allen key, shoudnt cost more than a couple of quid, maybe a block of wood with a wedge under the sump to stop the engine twisting.

Then you can get at the thing. Forget WD40 etc, its probably a taper pipe thread so its the taper thats keeping it tight. Easing oil wont help here!
S
 
Get a heat proof mat from your local plumber's merchant to concentrate the heat and tickle it up with a decent blow torch, for example, a Rothenburger made one.
 
skipper_stu said:
... Forget WD40 etc, its probably a taper pipe thread so its the taper thats keeping it tight. Easing oil wont help here!
S
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I thought it had helped in my case (albeit without the difficult access), but perhaps it was just my brute force in the end!

So if it's a taper, should one grease it on refitting? (I do, have not had it leak AFAIK, and it seems much easier to remove than when I first did it.)
 
Hydrozoan said:
I thought it had helped in my case (albeit without the difficult access), but perhaps it was just my brute force in the end!

So if it's a taper, should one grease it on refitting? (I do, have not had it leak AFAIK, and it seems much easier to remove than when I first did it.)
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I would put it back in using PTFE tape it will seal the thread from leaking and make it easier to remove next time.
 
pete said:
I would put it back in using PTFE tape it will seal the thread from leaking and make it easier to remove next time.
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Thanks - I've always used a waterproof grease, having cleaned up both sets of threads very carefully, but perhaps PTFE tape would be better/easier.
 
I have the same engine out of the boat at the moment and on the bench.

Taking the manual fuel pump off is really easy as is its' replacement. Both oil and water drain plugs were an absolute s-d to get free, and the older engines had a bit of a bodge job on the oil recovery tubing which has now been replaced by a proper hydraulic hose assembly.

The biggest pain in replacing the feet was the cost of buying 8 new ones! [Two engines and oil/degraded rubbers].
I cut a open ended spanner to give me room with the restricted access in order to remove them. It is important to do the correct lining up of the two flanges as per the instructions with a feeler gauge and 90degrees turns. I thought that I had measured and reproduced the same height as before but found that the latitudinal adjustment on each foot needed altering to get it right. The engine now runs far more quietly and without the old vibration problems.

Good luck.
 
Hydrozoan said:
I thought it had helped in my case (albeit without the difficult access), but perhaps it was just my brute force in the end!

So if it's a taper, should one grease it on refitting? (I do, have not had it leak AFAIK, and it seems much easier to remove than when I first did it.)
Click to expand...
Brute force will have done it. The issue is getting a tight fitting tool on to it that doesnt distort when pressure is applied. Its the access that is causing the prob. A 3/8" drive socket square on it would do the job BUT getting it on to it and having room to access it is causing the prob?
S
 
I would remove the fuel lift pump out of the way to get more leverage, then use a brake adjusting spanner to loosen of the plug after cleaning off the paint. ( I have used two brake adjusting spanners before, because using one was going to chew the plug) If that fails, I would remove the mounting bracket after marking marks for reassembly.
HTH
Billy
 
I disagree that because its a tapered thread (I agree it is tapered) that easing oil is of no use.
I've found that penetrating oil of some type is of use and helps, though admittedly you need to get a squarely fitting drive on it and apply force.

Clean the paint off first. (sharp pointy tool, wire brush - whatever works).
Apply oil. (diesel is quite good, mixture of different viscosities also good).
Read up on the stationary engine forums how they do this. Restoring vintage engines brings far bigger challenges than this one, and they get there - eventually.

On my MD2030 I drain using the hoses as others have said, but that's a different engine altogether.
 
I drained my BZ482 this weekend, It must be a slightly later version because mine has got a short 90deg elbow screwed into that plughole. The tapered plug is then screwed into the end of the elbow. Even with the plug out it can take a lot of poking around with a length of wire/cable ties etc to clear the gunge enough to allow the coolant to drain. I think I last did it 2 or 3 years ago. It's surprising just how brown and grotty the coolant becomes over a relatively short time.
 
alahol2 said:
... Even with the plug out it can take a lot of poking around with a length of wire/cable ties etc to clear the gunge enough to allow the coolant to drain. I think I last did it 2 or 3 years ago. It's surprising just how brown and grotty the coolant becomes over a relatively short time.
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Which is, IMHO, a good reason to drain through the plug, not from above and leave some of the coolant behind as was earlier suggested.
 
alahol2 said:
Just an ordinary ethylene glycol based antifreeze mixed at 50%. I try to remember to change it every couple of years but it always comes out a sludgy brown colour. Filled and emptied 3 times this year, still a bit brown on the last flush.
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Is that with or without OAT? I changed to blue (ie without OAT) and it has been considerably cleaner.
 
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