Ok - dumb question here - my 99 cherokee is leaking from the petcock - i think it might be loose -
question - if i am below the jeep - my legs sticking out the front - which way would i turn the petcock to tighten it? - thanks

 

Looking at the passenger end of the rad.....righty tighty.

 

The day someone threads something backwards, it is screwed when I'm forced to work with it.

 

ok so i should be turning it towards upwards now downwards - gotcha

 

Something to remember and check, the petcock is made of PLASTIC, so tightening may not stop the leaking. If it still leaks after tightening, then you may have to drain the radiator and apply some teflon tape to the threads or look for an old fashion brass plug, if they exist for the hole size in the radiator.

 

seems like when i tighten it - or try to at least because it's really hard to get in there - it leaks at the bottom of the plug - just had it flushed - would this be normal after a flush? maybe too much coolant?

 

Standard shop Flush should not have anything to do with the petcock, Flush usually is done by disconnecting the top radiator hose and connecting the machine connections to the radiator and thermostat housing. Try using a wrench and see if the large plastic nut attached to the radiator is loose. The petcock plug is threaded into this nut and may be tight, but the large nut is loose.

 

would that make the petcock leak?

 

If the large plug was tighten too much, the plastic threads would stretch and act like a stripped bolt in the hole. This could cause coolant to leak from between the radiator and the petcock mounting nut. Check your local autoparts stores online to see if they carry replacement petcock units. Otherwise I would wrap the threads with teflon tape or coat the threads with RTV sealant and give it a few hours to cure before refilling the radiator. Drain the coolant into a clean container and refill the radiator with the drained coolant again and check for leaks.

 

Damn, I couldn't even get to mine. Their tucked in between there tightly.

 

A couple minutes to remove the 2 headlight bezels, then the grille.......plug is easy to get to then.

 

And a pain in the *** to open.