Torque on coolant plugs, hood bolts and paint on intake bolts?

[95Viper]

I can't find in Service manual
- torque spec on coolant plugs?
- torque spec on 4 nuts for hood?

My intake bolts are a light grey color and the tips look crummy. What to repaint them with? VHT1500?

[Steve-Indy]

..." torque spec on coolant plugs? "

There are NONE as they are pipe threads.

[95Viper]

Steve, I can use a socket and torque wrench to install them, how many lbs should I go? 20?

[Steve-Indy]

Craig, I'd be afraid to guess a torque setting here...I just use a small ratchet and LIGHTLY tighten the plugs. What I have had recommended to me was to tighten them by feel, using some teflon paste or antiseize on the threads...then checking for leaks after refill and full warmup cycle.

As GTS Dean said in 2003:

"Most pipe plugs are a problem if they are left in place for a long time. I've found a couple of things that help ease the pain.

1) If there is room, use a drift punch and hammer to hit the center of the plug with several sharp licks.

2) When you have the removal tool on the plug, give it just a little turn *tighter* before you try to unscrew it.

3) If those things don't work, an O-A brazing tip or a miro torch can be used to gently heat the area around the female threads, but you don't want the aluminum to get over about 300F. Then try methods 1 & 2 again. 9 times out of 10, you will get the plug out without ruining anything.

You should also be very careful about the radiator tank drain plug. The boss is soldered into some fairly thin metal and could distort or tear out with too much torque on a stuck plug.

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GTS Dean - Team Texas "

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And Ron:

"I've taken the block plugs out of 2 different 1996 Vipers and while they all "snap" a bit when they loosen, I did not fear damage. Quite a bit of coolant was trapped up there. Big deal if you don't remove? Probably not.

On the other hand as Steve mentions, the thermostat air bleed is way too tight (and the head is too small to get enough torque on it anyway) to risk removal unless the housing is off for a thermostat change. I've only heard of one person that has successfully removed it while on the car. Careful refill, burping and starting practice eliminates the need anyway. The upper hose bleeder helps with the burping but does not free the air trapped under the thermosat. That is only removed via the thermostat bleeder or when the thermostat opens. The problem is that the air trapped under the pellet delays the opening until you're in an near overheat situation. Shutting the engine down after warm up and then letting the heat soak open it solves the issue.

The culprit is not the age (first 1996 was 4 years old, second was 6 when plugs were first removed) or the plug itself, but a brown thick locktite type sealer that is way over applied. I reinstalled the block plugs with antiseize and then added a dab of silicone seal on the head of the plug smeared over to the block. Just enough to prevent vibration from backing it out. 10K miles later, perfect.

As Dean states, the radiator plug is probably the most dangerous to remove the first time. Very flimsy area of the tank....."

Above from this old thread: Re: engine drain plugs

http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/sho...mp;o=&vc=1

[95Viper]

Cool...good reading...I really wonder now if I could have just jacked the rear up and let most fluid drain out the radiator and left the plugs alone. It was risky to get them out and I doubt I'll do it again.

I'm really curious about the torque on the 4 bolts for the hood, it didn't take much to back them out.

[AviP]

Coolant plugs have NPT threads. That means they are no different from plumbing accessories/connectors. There is no torque spec. Just like your plumber would fix the leak by tightening some more, so would you. Just don't overtighten to begin with.