1984 Cadillac Eldorado (my topless baby)

[topless84]

Hi everyone and thanks for all the great information! I've been reading posts since buying my first Cadillac, a 1984 eldorado convertable. I wanted to ask: in my haynes (shop manual for sale anyone?) it mentions two coolant drain plugs on either side of the engine block. After jacking up the front and poking around for an hour i couldn't locate them. any hints? I also have a problem with electrical power. At night when I turn my lights on the climate controll and instant fuel monitor go blank. The digital dash where the speedo is goes very dim too. But the lights go on. When I turn the lights off the displays go back to normal. This is preventing me from driving to work as i get off after dark. I have been riding my bike but after getting hit by a car last summer I want to get back in my ride as soon as humanly posssible! Other than that the car has been a dream I love the challenge it presents (for now).
thank you for your time.
garett

[topless84]

ummm thanks for all the help!! i understand, your just jealous that my drop top cadillac s#^%#$ on about 98% of your ugly hunks a junk. hate to say it but the people in the honda forum would probably be more helpfull. To the people who read this w no reply: i hope all your cars rust to the ground! maybe i will put an odyssy powerplant in my beauty then i could ask my technical questions to people who reply.

[87allante4.9swap]

Originally Posted by topless84

ummm thanks for all the help!! i understand, your just jealous that my drop top cadillac s#^%#$ on about 98% of your ugly hunks a junk. hate to say it but the people in the honda forum would probably be more helpfull. To the people who read this w no reply: i hope all your cars rust to the ground! maybe i will put an odyssy powerplant in my beauty then i could ask my technical questions to people who reply.

You wish.........

[cadillac_al]

Dude. that is a bummer that no one answered your question. I would have, but since I had never heard of such a thing as drain plugs on the block from the factory, I thought I would let an Eldo owner jump in. Then it slipped away. If you would have given it a friendly bump the next day or so then I'm sure opinions would have been given. For the record, I have never heard of coolant drains on each side of the block being installed from the factory on any GM vehicle. Since you didn't find any I'm more sure of it now. Hang around and you will get plenty of responses to your posts but this one sounded like a trick question.

[steelybill]

Ahhhh.........hold it AL , The Chevy small block has a plug on each side of the block, just above the pan rail. And so does my Caddy 500, and my 4.1 POS in my '85 FWD Fleetwood. In fact all the Olds, Pontiacs etc I've overhauled have them. There is no other way to drain the block.
It's mentioned in my factory manuals for a coolant change. I don't believe most people ever remove those plugs, and they usually have a hex or square head.

[87allante4.9swap]

My 425 had them ...... very small.... Very easy to miss. They were not symetrical either(not in the same place on both sides). When I rebuilt it I didn't have an engine stand at first and that's how I drained the coolant channels when I cleaned them out. They are around the freeze plugs on the 425??????? They stuck out like a half inch.

[creeker]

Originally Posted by topless84

ummm thanks for all the help!! i understand, your just jealous that my drop top cadillac s#^%#$ on about 98% of your ugly hunks a junk. hate to say it but the people in the honda forum would probably be more helpfull. To the people who read this w no reply: i hope all your cars rust to the ground! maybe i will put an odyssy powerplant in my beauty then i could ask my technical questions to people who reply.

If karma holds true,you will be repaid for your impatience by owning the
worst engine that G.M has ever put out,enjoy your piece of crap 4.1.

[cadillac_al]

Yeah I looked at a few engines and I guess they all have them. Just more bolts on a block that I don't pay much attention to. I was picturing actual drain petcocks installed from the factory but I guess they could be put in if there was a need. I agree that Topless84 is going to need a lot of good karma with that car. Unfortunately he'll probably be calling that "topless baby" every name in the book one of these days.

[Sevillian273]

Originally Posted by topless84

the people in the honda forum would probably be more helpfull. To the people who read this w no reply: i hope all your cars rust to the ground!

Might as well join a honda forum cuz you're going to be driving one real soon considering your car has one of the TOP TEN WORST engines of all time! Only a douche with a capital BAG complains when he doesnt get FREE advice.....

Did I mention it's free?

[87allante4.9swap]

Sweet 84.... LOL........ No seriously tho my Cadillacs have ALUMINUM tops, trunks, and hoods, and that my fine sir does not rust.

[steelybill]

I would have to agree about the 4.1 (the "High Tech" ) engine being to worst engine I ever tangled with. I can only hope that the designers who did it die with some sex-transmitted disease! As I said here once before, what the hell were those people thinking ! I love to drive my old Caddy, and I'm gonna try fixing it ONE MORE TIME!

[topless84]

I need to apologize for my rudeness! ! I re-read my comment and realized i deserve to get my butt kicked for that one. I got the haynes manual which is okay at the very best and was getting frustrated doing my first coolant swap (which i heard is important on the four point one) because they said to drain the block also. That doesn't make up for the fact that I was an IDIOT. I appreciate you all for the imput and time! I kept loosening bolts by the oilpanrail and non were followed by a stream of coolant so I finally just did it at the draincock. I deserve any negative feelings i created! Anywayz I calmed down and now I am looking for a factory service manual for this car because I will need to do the repairs myself as they come along. I searched this forum with little luck. Oh and most important of all i must correct myself: ALL CADILLACS ARE CREATED EQUALLY! Thanks

[topless84]

my mom would have slapped me silly for being such a complainer! I saw the views with no replys after a week and already had the coolant halfway drained, was forced into riding my bicycle to work everynight so I lost my cool big time in frustration. this car is my daily driver. still there are no excuses for my actions and I can only hope to make ammends to the kind folks here.

[83CADMAN]

Welcome to the club

[steelybill]

No offense here Glad to hear you are making your way through the work. Ebay is a good source for factory manuals. You may have to keep looking 'til one comes up.