Radiator bleed screw sheared off - drill out or new rad?

[Hoopy_Frood]

Our van overheated recently. From what I gather, the radiator fan is not coming on and that overheated the engine in slow moving traffic. I've tried testing the fan today. I get 12 volts when testing the lead (middle and left female) but nothing when I short the terminals (middle female and left male). I think it's only a one speed fan, I get no voltage across the middle and right female terminals on the lead.

Anyway, wifey was driving when it heated up and she lost a lot of water. She topped it up as best as she could and limped home.

I put more coolant in it today and tested to see if the rad got hot. Nothing. When I went to look for the bleed screw, it's been sheared off!

I've not touched it before today, so it's a bit of mystery. A local mechanic was the last person to go near the cooling system last year and the van had been going reasonably well until now.

Can I drill the old screw out? Or is a new radiator a better ideas? It's had one bottle of k-seal in it already if that has any bearing.

[faggie]

I would fit a new rad

[kevtherev]

X 2

[AdrianC]

What've you got to lose?

I sheared the bleed screw off the Shogun's thermostat housing a little while back. With the head off, there's no tension against the threads, so it just unwound with a small pick.

LH drill bit, with a bit of precision, should get it moving easily. Try not to muller the threads in the rad or break through the end. As soon as you get enough to grab with needle-nosed pliers, do so.