'97 960 can't find engine drain plug

wasaabi · Post by **wasaabi** » 21 Oct 2019, 16:06

I am changing the coolant and have searched forums and looked at VIDA pics. Everything says there is a drain nipple on the passenger side of the block. The image I have from VIDA and also the owners manual points to the front of the engine on the passenger side. All I have there is a steel line coming out that runs down to the oil filter. This line does have a nipple on the line itself (although this is oil, not coolant, right?). There is not drain nipple visible anywhere in this area on the block. I have looked from the top and the bottom, as far as I can see (the car is on ramps). What am I missing?

Thanks

wasaabi · Post by **wasaabi** » 21 Oct 2019, 18:36

Well, I seem to be adept at answering my own questions! For the benefit of someone else with the question: I did some research to learn that the oil cooler lines are actually coolant lines that flow into a "pancake" style heat exchanger at the oil filter. So that nipple on the right-angled line coming out of the block is indeed a drain nipple. What threw me off is that the drain is not on the actual block itself. I was able to get over 6 quarts of coolant out from there, nicely drip-free with the help of a tube over the nipple running into old bottles. Very clean method.