Community Forums:

As McDuck said, use the block drain. I have had several where

there was either no block drain or I couldn't get it open.

(Mostly late B20 and B30 engines) (I've corrected that problem.)

In any case the water pump and thus the lower hose has no connection

with the rest of the engine below the top of the block, so it does

stay full of coolant when you drain the radiator. The trick I learned

is to drain as much as you can, then remove the upper hose fitting

and the thermostat. Get some fairly stiff 1/4" OD plastic tubing

and make a mark about 7" back from one end. Fill the tube with water

and plug the other end (you can do this with your thumb) and probe

around in the head with the marked end. You can push it through one

of the holes in the headgasket and down into the block, so that the

mark is near or at the head top surface. Then you put the end you

were holding down into your drain vessel to catch what siphons out.

If you do this right, you can get most of it. The engines in those

cars are a little uphill so there will be a smidge left in the back,

but a lot better than a full block.