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How to drain the cooling system in a 1998 Sambar

Discussion in 'Subaru Sambar' started by JTT3, Jul 29, 2020.

  1. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Hi all I’m new to the Sambar KS4. I’m trying to drain all the fluids and put fresh in but having trouble locating a way to drain the radiator. So far I’ve flushed it by cranking it and running the engine either the radiator cap off and a garden hose running water constantly and waiting for it to run clear then drive it around and repeat. There has to be an easier way so HELP ME PLEASE. Thanks John
     
  2. Ohkei Dohkei

    Ohkei Dohkei Active Member

    I've never done it, but the manual says the radiator drain plug is on the front left (passenger on RHD) bottom of the radiator. It also lists a drain hose on the drivers side along the frame near the rear of the cab. I have read enough posts that getting air bubbles out is more of an issue than getting them in. You can download the manual on this site if you do a search. Good luck!
     
  3. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Thanks for the reply. Kept trying to down load the manual with no success. Wish I can get it.
    Thanks again. John
     
  4. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

    Yeah there’s a drain on the bottom of the radiator, it’s in the bottom tank on the right side , it looks like a plastic wing nut and has a small stub sticking off the bottom you can put a small tube on to control the draining into a bucket . Sometimes you’ll have to unscrew the whole wing nut thing if the drain slit in the drain valve or drain nipple is clogged
     
  5. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Hi forum just to give you some perspective on our Sambar, it’s a 1998 truck non SC & it was sitting unused for a few years in a chicken house because the previous owner couldn’t get it to run. My brother an I took tons of pictures of the engine and carb before removing it so we’d have an idea of where everything went on reassembly. When we first took the engine cover off and looked at it my brother said “looks like an octopus orgy” there were so many tentacles going to it. We have a farm so something like this though surprising wasn’t something we’d shy away from. We’ve dealt with all manner of tractors, engines & equipment. So we decided it’s not our first rodeo and we could rope this little doggie. We may have lied to each other! Disassembled the carb, cleaned all parts & ports cut new gaskets, reassembled and ran fresh gas from an auxiliary clean fuel tank we have, until we can remove the gas tank and properly clean it. We let the fuel pump run a bit to prime the carb and then cranked it. Bingo it’s alive! Like kids in a candy shop we couldn’t wait and immediately hopped in, well maybe wedged ourselves in. Both of us are somewhat gravitationally challenged. Not to bad but we’re going to have to figure out the Idle adjustments. We’ll have to dig out the timing light I suppose.

    Thanks Koffer, found it and your probably right, based on the liquid that came up with just over filling while it was running. I still haven’t been able to down load the manual. I’m fairly computer literate but not having any luck. I keep getting a you don’t have permission message even though I’m signed in. My new task is to figure out how to remove the cooling fan and assembly. I noticed when I was flushing the radiator, (prior to learning from y’all where the drain valve is, thanks!) with the motor running that the fan wasn’t working. I traced the wiring to the sensor and cleaned the blade for a better connection. Once I was satisfied with the flushing I sealed the cap and let it idle. The temp gauge started to rise and when the gauge went above mid way I expected the fan to begin working. It did not so I tried to put my island sized hand between the radiator and fill tank to see if I could move the fan blade. By the way, next time I try that I’ll wear a glove, apparently the radiator gets hot ha. When I spun the fan blade it began to turn on its own. It wasn’t turning exceedingly fast like most cooling fans but it was turning to the point that the blades were blurred. I though maybe the sensor was bad and not enough voltage was passing to the motor. Not knowing if I’d screw something up by removing the sensor at this point, I decided to disconnect the fan and run positive and negative leads direct from the battery to the fan thus bypassing the sensor. This time I was under the Sambar and could readily watch the fan. I used standard alligator clips to connect the fan wires to the battery. Engine running, I connected the fan to ground, then connected the positive. No movement. Then again I gave the blade a spin and it started turning about the same speed as I observed when looking though the passenger seat hatch. I also tested the the sensor at the fan sensors connect clip. I was getting 12 volts positive on one blade of the connector and to my surprise multiple positive current readings from the other blade so I suspect that the sensor is bad but also believe the motor of the cooling fan is bad because of the slow rotation and ease in actually stopping the fan once rotating on its own while powered up.
    Now I’m not a rocket scientist but do know my way around engines but trying to figure out how to get the fan shroud assembly Off and out seems like a tremendous undertaking. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks forum! John
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2020
  6. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

    Yep
    Sounds like the fan is shot , I’d fix that first before worrying about the sensor , if it was super hot and when you spun it and it started turning it sounds that the wiring is working correctly at this time.
    I know all about the squeezing into the cabs on these trucks as I’m 6’3” and not on the string bean size but you learn where to fold the legs into the right places to get stuff to work :D
    As for getting out the fan you got to go from underneath. The motor is probably compatible with other Japanese cars and trucks or at least close enough to get to work , if the radiator is not all plugged up inside the fan doesn’t run all that offen even when it’s pretty hot out . I think part of it is the motor all the way in the back and the radiator being in the front with multiple steel pipes running from front to back to feed the coolant to the radiator,heater core etc helps as a heat exchanger so it doesn’t need to be a perfect replacement, just has to have a good fitting fan shroud to work
     
  7. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    I looked on eBay for Subaru cooling fan motor and found some. They are for a Forrester but the motor and mounting flange on the motors look like a match, problem is I don’t have the dimensions of either yet. I’ll let you know thanks again. By the way do you have a manual on the Sambar that you have saved as a pdf? If so Would you be willing to send it to my email address? I’m having no luck downloading most anything on the sight. Thanks every so much John
    PS ID LIKE TO SEE A PICTURE OF THE FOOTWELL WITH YOU IN IT. I’m 6’, can’t imagine much bigger person getting in. You driving from the passenger side, ha?
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2020
  8. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    So started thinking about doing a better job in cleaning out the cooling system so what we’ve done is what we’ve done with our 6.0 diesel trucks when cleaning those systems. We connected a hose to the outlet of the Sambar’s radiator with a mid size transfer pump in the middle & ran that hose into a 25 gallon plastic barrel with a screen & cheese cloth in a colander that sits in a hole we cut to fit at the top of the barrel (By the way spaghetti never tasted the same after we first did this & wife made me buy another one). Then a hose connected to a pipe coming out of the bottom of the barrel with a transfer pump connected to the outlet hose. Two gallons of Evapo-rust from harbor freight and 5 gallons of water in the barrel. Turned the pumps on and immediately realized we didn’t need both pumps. Disconnected the the first pump and just used the one between the barrel and return hose. 5 hours latter with some stops in between to clean out our strainer we were done with phase 1. You wouldn’t believe the crud that came out. Step 2 which was much faster, strained the solution to save it for our next vehicle flush & stored it. Step 3 even faster, fresh water in the barrel and pump back on to see how clear the water was. Satisfied with the results we reattach the hoses and topped off the radiator, thanks to Ohkie and Koffer that located the drain valve for me, drained out a gallon plus a quart then refilled with coolant. Cranked Sammy up and looked for leaks. None, mission accomplished!
    Now for project 2, we screwed up! We should have taken the cooling fan off before we did all this. The cooling fan motor is bad. This is where we need some help. We can’t figure out how to remove it without it becoming a hot mess. Any instructions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Forum, John
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2020
  9. mrimpala02

    mrimpala02 New Member

    Michael Abacano and JTT3 like this.
  10. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

  11. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

  12. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

    The part number for the fan motor
    45123-TA020
     
    JTT3 likes this.
  13. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Thanks Koffer & mrimpala02 that’s just what the dr ordered. I’ve decided to take pictures of what I’m doing to create a file to add to the resources tab. I think I’m also going to try and do a file with info on USA PARTS that can be used to repair the Sambar non SC. Seems like there’s a ton of info but scattered in different threads. I’m guilty of it already & only been on the sight a week or so. Oh as an side note apparently these mini trucks are like rabbits found another one Suzuki/Mazda carry/scrum, boy it’s had a rough life. Really didn’t know what to look for in problems with it other than mechanics. It had been left in the woods at a hunting camp because it was overheating and needed a water pump. No one around here works on these things and the owner was an older gent and didn’t know how to get parts or repair it. The cab seems smaller but if we do any thing with it we will need to find a cab and frame. Apparently at some point it was rolled on its left side and crushed some of the door jam at pillar A & B, broke the windshield out and owner fabricated a make do windshield and I do mean make do. We’re talking about a wood frame with a boat split windshield. Now for the bad part, ha, we got it to the farm and started to really giving it a go over. Pulled the mats out and the vinyl floor cover after removing a bunch of dried mud, not good! Luckily there is some plumbing and other structured beneath the floor that prevented me from going all the way through it. Lots of rust out On the driver side. I don’t think there enough good metal to make a floor pan and tack it in. I’m not sure it can be salvaged. I’ll take pictures & post them, when I figure that out, for your amusement and my chagrin.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2020
  14. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

  15. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

    That’s parts , and I try to fix anything but if they overheated it badly the motor is probably toast . Got one sitting here that was overheating and took out the head or head gasket , i put water into the radiator and check it with the oil dipstick
     
  16. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

    Looking at the bottom radiator hose it’s probably filled With rust in the water jacket and took out the radiator and water pump .
     
  17. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Koffer we took the bumper off and the radiator out. Now the owner said it would run but the water pump was bad he’d just add water when it started to get warm. Judging from the engine it looks clean, we’re going to try to get it started after we finish the Subaru. The numbers say it’s a Mazda but I’ve read and please correct me that the Mazda is a Suzuki dd51t. The numbers for the one we just picked up are DK 51T.
     
  18. cop on my back

    cop on my back Active Member

    I have a working fan motor with fan blade assembly available if you still need one. It is off of a 1991, I am sure they are the same.
     
  19. Koffer

    Koffer Active Member

    Yep it’s a Suzuki carry with Just Mazda badges , everything is the same but the badges
     
  20. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    JTT3,
    I might be splitting hairs here, but if it were me, I would remove the rust inside the hoses by either flushing the system or replacing the hoses, while I was in there. That's just me. I'm kinda particular on things like that! I'm sure that you realize, how important the cooling system is on a vehicle. Good Luck!
    Limestone
     
  21. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Thanks limestone, yep we’ll do just that when we get the Sambar back up and running. I started another thread on fuel tank removal concerning the Sambar but we will do the same to the Mazda/Suzuki scrum/ carry. I should say that is if we decide to go that route. We’ve discovered some things with it that may not make it worth the trouble. I learned along time ago from my Dad that you’ve got one mouth and two ears and should use them proportionally. Most folks on this site have tremendous knowledge on these vehicles and we listen...so some have sent pm’s with guidance we’ve taken seriously. Seems to have served us well so far. So keep the advice coming please!
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2020
  22. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    JTT3,
    I like the location of the radiator on the Suzuki's, up front, catching air, like were used to, on traditional vehicles, here in the states! On my Daihatsu, the radiator is in front of the motor, but under the seats, and low to the ground, catching a lot of dust, dirt, and gravel! I will improve my underbelly, skid plates, and keep the debris from kicking up underneath! In the meantime, I am working on a plan to increase airflow, from above, minus the dirt and debris! Just a thought if you use the same drain lug, and washer, o-ring/gasket. Just a little Petroleum Jelly/Vaseline, will restore the original rubber in the washer/o-ring material, and it always helps to seal the drain plug without over tightening that plastic plug! Good Luck!
    Limestone
     
  23. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Thanks so much for the advice. Please keep me posted on what your doing to increase air flow. I’m thinking of placing 2 Universal 7 inch oil cooling fans on the radiator instead of the original which doesn’t appear to work. It’s not the sensor but the fan motor.
     
  24. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    JTT3,
    Well, with that being said, that makes me think about the alternator charging issues, (in regards to adding more electrical fans),that some have had. I replaced mine with an alternator that has more charging capacity. These small alternators are mostly 35-40 amps charging capacity, as some of us have replaced them at a minimal cost. I improved my capacity to about 60-65 amps, where as Jigs and Fixtures is upwards around 90-100 amps if memory serves me correct! The neat thing about it is the replacement Denso or equivalent racing alternator, is the same size and bolts right up! I'm still in the process of converting over to LED light, which will help to streamline my electrical charging output, in reference to the alternator! As far as the air flow, when I had my radiator recored, I came close to re designing the front end, and installing it in front, like yours! But I decided not to, and here we are! So much to do, and so little time!:)
    Limestone
     
  25. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Limestone where did you find the 65 amp that bolts right up? I want to add a LED bar LAMP up top so if we’re in the field checking on cows we can actually see. What’s the cost of the better alternator.
     
  26. Jigs-n-fixtures

    Jigs-n-fixtures Well-Known Member

    The 90-Amp, “Mini Denso” race alternator I bought had to be re-clocked, 90-degrees, to align the plug, and alternator. But other than that is was a bolt in, with the identical case.

    You need to take a hard look at your alternator, to make sure your connections, and body are the same. Try to avoid the “one wire” units. They are fine for race cars, but on a street vehicle, you are better off sensing the voltage at the battery. The ‘3 wire” units have the feed to the battery, a separate sensor wire to the battery, which controls the alternator output, and a switched lead from the ignition, which excites the field only when the key is on. The “4-wire“ units, add an idiot light wire.

    The alternators used on all the minitrucks, are also used on industrial equipment so you actually stand a decent chance of matching any of them for far less than the one imported from Japan, specifically for the mini-trucks. And most rebuilder shops can get parts to rebuild and/or upgrade your stock alternator.
     
    Limestone likes this.
  27. Limestone

    Limestone Well-Known Member

    Jigs is spot on, and he helped me a lot when I was going through mine! Take a minute, and go to the post on this forum "Acty Alternator repair Service". A lot of very good info that you'll enjoy! Mine was a WAI 12651n19h3 made in China, that also needed to be re clocked 180 degrees! So besides that, it did bolt right up!!!
    Limestone
     
  28. JTT3

    JTT3 Member

    Thanks Jigs & Limestone I’ll be seeing what I can find. Best John
     

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