Debris in coolant system now what????

[ck1995]

Started out as simple tstat replacement. One of the easiest jobs I've done on this car.........or so I thought. When I was bleeding the system, I went to tighten,(or overtighten), the vent screw on the overflow tank and I snapped the screw head off. Problem is by time I finally worked the screw free,[accidently drilled through it in the process(I know stupid)], approx. 10 to 15% of the screw had fallen into the tank. What do I do now? I'm sure if I run it as is I am just asking for other issues due to blockage from the screw remnants. Can I seperate the tank from the radiator w/out damage, how can I be sure I get all and not just most of the pieces ? By the way its an M20. If anyone has any experience/ideas on my self-made catastrophy I'd appreciate the wisdom.

WARNING, to anyone who reads this post and doen't know better. Do NOT over torque plastic vent screw!!!

[Qube]

Sorry, no answer for you... but funny thing I JUST finished topping off the coolant and was thinking the same thing... hand tight.... hand tight.... what if I snapped the damn thing? :p Of course it's no vent screw, but still!

[uscharalph]

If it's the original radiator, most of the plastic is going to be on the brittle side. Go the realoem.com and there's an exploding picture of the radiator and expansion tank. I just replaced my radiator and there was a lot of crap in there.

[ck1995]

It's the original....... You had debris, huh, wonder if I could get away w/running w/it in there and not killing H20 pump or clogging tstat, etc, etc.

[Kalevera]

:)

I've done it before on a V8 -- used a screw extractor to pull the remnant out with nothing falling into the (brand new) radiator and expansion tank.

But yes, there's no need to torque a plastic screw beyond seating it.

best, whit

[ck1995]

Started out as simple tstat replacement. One of the easiest jobs I've done on this car.........or so I thought. When I was bleeding the system, I went to tighten,(or overtighten), the vent screw on the overflow tank and I snapped the screw head off. Problem is by time I finally worked the screw free,[accidently drilled through it in the process(I know stupid)], approx. 10 to 15% of the screw had fallen into the tank. What do I do now? I'm sure if I run it as is I am just asking for other issues due to blockage from the screw remnants. Can I seperate the tank from the radiator w/out damage, how can I be sure I get all and not just most of the pieces ? By the way its an M20. If anyone has any experience/ideas on my self-made catastrophy I'd appreciate the wisdom.

WARNING, to anyone who reads this post and doen't know better. Do NOT over torque plastic vent screw!!!

Can't wait forever.... I'm gonna chance it in the morning and run it with the screw remnants in the cooling system. can't find a way to get them out, hopefully worst that will happen is tstat eventually clogs and then I can easily correct. Will update this post if and when this comes back to haunt me.

[zuzuk212]

I can't see the big stuff making it that far. The scraps would have to travel to the other side of the radiator right? So, a big plastic screw should be blocked and anything small enough to pass should be able to make it through the rest of the system ok ... at least that is what my logic thinks.

Good luck!
Ken