Dodge Repair: radiator drain cock, chrysler jeep dodge, drain cock

Question
I have a 1992 Dakota 5.2. The drain cock on the radiator frequently pops out and leaks. How I remove the drain cock and install a new one? (The Chilton manual doesn't cover it.)

Answer
There's two types of drain plugs I can think of most commonly used on chrysler/jeep/dodge products.  The first one is in a metal radiator and really shouldn't just pop out for any reason.  If it does then I would suspect the radiator itself is stripped out.  This type of drain cock looks like a wing nut and has reversed threads.

The other kind is a plastic style that has about a 1 turn range of motion including a slight outward pull half-way through the motion.  These are junk because the plastic doesn't always hold it in place and even on the first usage it could tear the o-ring and leak.  On these you will need to twist and pull outward at the same time and eventually it will pull right on out.  Once you have it out make sure you have all of the old o-ring and plastic from the drain cock.  Get a new one and install by twisting and pushing inwards at the same time.  I really beleive that given the age of your dakota you will have the first style though.
Doug