what to do with a freeze plug that is weeping

[Jeffry Cassel]

The frost plug is OK. The hole on the block is corroded and it is obviously leaking around the frost plug. You'll need to remove it, clean the hole up really well, and replace it. Coat the lip with Permatex #2. SI sells brass ones that I've used and should last longer. Be sure it seats squarely. There are rubber ones you can buy, too. I've never used one but it would be far easier to install. Take the drain plug out, be sure it is new, chase the threads, and re-install with Never Sieze (which everyone needs one their shelf) But it doesn't look like the plug is leaking--that would be way too easy.

[mw2013]

so i took another look, the block plug in question is brass, i scratched off the paint, what size are there freeze plugs? please

do you think my tapping it with a drift punch helped seat it or is it FUTILE?...................um........yes i am trying to avoid draining the swamp

[StudeRich]

You don't have to Flood your Garage or Driveway you know.
You can open the Radiator drain Cock or remove the Bottom Hose and drain your 50/50% Antifreeze Mix into a Big Oil Drain Pan or whatever.
That will drain the Upper Engine, Heads, Water Manifold and Radiator.

The Block Drain or knocking out the Right Side Core Plug will drain most of the Block, hopefully into a Pan so Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn't come knocking for Polluting the Calif. Environment.

You can use a Cone shaped paint Strainer to pour the Coolant through to filter out any Rust particles if you think the Coolant is pretty fresh and reuse it, after you test it with your Prestone Hydrometer for a 50/50 Mix.

There are very close to 18 Qts. in there if the Climatizer also drains.

However, you COULD let it go a few Days and see if your "Squaring" it helped. They only problem is, you probably disturbed the Permatex on it that would help Seal it, but time will tell, it's not like you had a Huge Leak.

When you finish the Oil Pressure Relief Valve replacement you will be able to warm it up and test for Leaks.

[firestoper 25]

Ref; post # 14

I had a brass square head 'twist off', it was on a brand 'X' engine, thus I had to drill & easy out the beast. Yes it was a very ratty condition engine and of course in a tight engine compartment. From that event on I always use female Allen head STEEL pipe plugs from Mc Master-Carr. As mentioned in post # 8 a coating of # 2 Permatex on the threads seals and makes the next removal better. Coming out of a machine shop environment I lean toward Allen fasteners. A down side of a steel pipe piece in a cast iron block with Permatex is harder paint prep to keep the Permatex ring from bleeding through the primer paint. Your conditions may vary.

[64LarkLover]

Could you take some steel wool and clean up the area around the frost plug? Once the rust is removed you could get a better gauge of how bad the leaking is over time. Just a thought.

[mw2013]

thank you I did wipe it real good,

even after upping the radiator cap from 7 lbs to 13, i lose no coolant to speak of, so for the average joe or jane, it would go unnoticed, not even staining the ground below it, so it is a small leak( weep, seep) however being an automotive enthusiast and a stude at that, and since the bottom of the car is my second home i saw it , while doing many things around it, so now this has come into focus or rather in my cross-hairs; it does keep the oil pan gasket wet, and i think it is made out of cardboard, gasket material, that can not be good long term

is it urgent? , i say no, but it is on the list, meanwhile i am enjoying my newly washed lark, do you know where to get brass freeze plugs and what is the difference between deep dish and not?

[JoeHall]

Biggest concern with the plug I see, is possibility of it blowing out while going down the road. Agree with someone else above, for the screw plug, anti seize is preferable over anything else, but don't tighten it too tight, maybe 10 ft pounds or so.

[NCDave51]

Biggest concern with the plug I see, is possibility of it blowing out while going down the road. Agree with someone else above, for the screw plug, anti seize is preferable over anything else, but don't tighten it too tight, maybe 20 f pounds or so.

Add to this that the system pressure will now be allowed to increase 85% with the new rad cap relieving at 13 psi, this will make all pressurized points in the system more vulnerable for leak.

[firestoper 25]

Ref post # 21

Geeeze, that is a good looking car!!!!

[StudeRich]

There are 6 Pc. Sets on Speedway, and Auto Parts Stores etc. for a 289 Ford that are 1 1/2 Inch Shallow Cup, the Ridge it sits on is very thin and Deep Cups have to go in flush with the Block to be tight enough to Seal, and I don't like reducing Coolant capacity that much for 6 of them.

The Other issue is some Full Flow Blocks with the Cup type Seat cast in, have the remains of the old Flat ridge for a Disc core Plug from the Older Mold and a deep cup will Hit that BEFORE being deep enough to seal!

[mw2013]

There are 6 Pc. Sets on Speedway, and Auto Parts Stores etc. for a 289 Ford that are 1 1/2 Inch Shallow Cup, the Ridge it sits on is very thin and Deep Cups have to go in flush with the Block to be tight enough to Seal, and I don't like reducing Coolant capacity that much for 6 of them.

The Other issue is some Full Flow Blocks with the Cup type Seat cast in, have the remains of the old Flat ridge for a Disc core Plug from the Older Mold and a deep cup will Hit that BEFORE being deep enough to seal!

so you are saying a SBF freeze plug will fit? and it is 1 and 1/2" deep that is a very deep plug, i never did a plug before,

what is a good cheap brass one, is it a standard size ?

[gordr]

Buy both a shallow and deep cup in 1 1/2" diameter. Steel works fine; it will last for 20 years. Use the deep cup (about 3/8" deep) if the hole is smooth all the way in. Use the shallow one if the hole has a ledge in it. Don't mistake a buildup of crud behind the cup for a ledge. That stuff will scrape out with a pocket knife. A cast/machined ledge will be cast iron, and contiguous with the block, and show a square corner. I like to coat the O.D. of the freeze plug with Permatex #3 (the liquid Form-A-Gasket), and then use a half-inch drive socket that just fits inside the cup as a driver to install it. Get the plug square on the opening. Not tilted! Use a hammer to tap around the perimeter of the socket, inching the plug into place. Stop when the rim of the cup is flush with the face of the block, or just the tiniest bit deeper. It takes more time to write about it than it does to do it.

[mw2013]

so after my procrastination and life I attempted it right now, my first ever freeze plug job, flushed powdered tube of stop leak with Irontite Thoro flush ( suppose to me the best in the market not cheap ~20 bucks.)




came out ok with a center punch to 12 o'clock area, it was not leaking because of a bad fit it was rusted out, i though the block was power washed for the rebuild, the other plugs looked solid; only 2 had holes, glad i checked i thought i was dealing with only 1 bad plug,


was surprised it didn't leak more, it was almost nil held pressure, the Stude cooling system is over engineered( wonderful)...... then i noticed the one next to it was rusted thru a little as well, i had another brass plug from SI, so I just had to take it out while i was at it,


is it rusty inside engine or good condition?

the first one went in straight, i was nervos about messing up the whole time, i used my black shellac stuff for insurance, it's like sniffing glue

with the second one, the dip stick got in the way, so i kept pounding it with a HF 3lb hammer( love that hammer)

and it went too far in ( such a newbie) you think it will hold?, it's in too far about 1/8"-3/16" dammit

i refilled new coolant 2 gallons and tap water done, such a hack job

[Buzzard]

There's that word we have all come to hate "China" ! We were sure better off before we sold our souls to them.

[jg61hawk]

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