what the heck is this?!
- Thread starter Homerboy
- Start date
PottedMeat
Lifer
- Apr 17, 2002
- 12,363
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^That.
It's the right color, coming from part of the cooling jacket.
It could be that a little leaks out, heat from the exhaust evaporates the water, and the chemicals that are left are forming stalactite deposits on your engine.
Never seen anything like it before though. Very interesting.
FuzzyDunlop
Diamond Member
- Jan 30, 2008
- 3,260
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Where the coolant is leaking from there is a small (approx 2" wide) metal plug that is squeezed into a hole on the cast engine block. These can be replaced with sensors and what not. When they arent in use they have that metal Freeze Plug - yours is leaking slightly.
Example: if you have a block heater, then one of these holes in the block will have it. You can follow the cord you plug into the wall and it will lead to one of these plug holes.
Example: if you have a block heater, then one of these holes in the block will have it. You can follow the cord you plug into the wall and it will lead to one of these plug holes.
That is plug where something went into the casting creating the passage ways for the cololant, its also called a core plug.
The old school thought was that if it got to cold outside for the antifreeze that the plug could pop out protecting the block, thus it was called a freeze plug
Its basically a brass plug thats pounded into the hole. They are not difficult to replace, AS LONG as you can get a mallet in there to beat the new plugs in. Based on where the manifold is at in the picture, it looks like the suck on that engine.
The old school thought was that if it got to cold outside for the antifreeze that the plug could pop out protecting the block, thus it was called a freeze plug
Its basically a brass plug thats pounded into the hole. They are not difficult to replace, AS LONG as you can get a mallet in there to beat the new plugs in. Based on where the manifold is at in the picture, it looks like the suck on that engine.
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- Mar 1, 2000
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- Mar 1, 2000
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Looks like AT is right again!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug
F*ck. I don't want to deal with this hunk of crap.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug
F*ck. I don't want to deal with this hunk of crap.
If your car is not loosing coolant i would leave it.
If thats on the straight 6 its probably not too bad once you get the manifold out of the way.
If its on the V-8, i would drop a bomb on the truck and buy a new one
If thats on the straight 6 its probably not too bad once you get the manifold out of the way.
If its on the V-8, i would drop a bomb on the truck and buy a new one
- Mar 1, 2000
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it's a decent enough drip though. I only have a month or so left before I store it for the winter. It maybe a springtime problem. One I may possibly pay to have fixed.
I did see rubber expanding plugs in a "how to replace" article. May not be so bad with those...
- Mar 1, 2000
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LOL
Maybe I will just weld the bitch shut.
D:
No! That's a bad Homerboy! No! *hits with rolled newspaper*
You could probably tap it in carefully with a mallet and a long metal bar (copper/brass work great for this). If you've got something strong to push against I would also consider a bottle jack or something similar. Your call though, I don't know if it's reasonable to do that.
I will tell you that when i replaced the rear plugs on my Grand Prix when ended up half lifting the motor out of the car to do it. It was a nightmare.
Honestly it all comes down to space. If you have the room to get in there and work its really not bad, but if the suspension is in the way of you swinging a hammer, there is just no way to do it.
Honestly it all comes down to space. If you have the room to get in there and work its really not bad, but if the suspension is in the way of you swinging a hammer, there is just no way to do it.
- Mar 1, 2000
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LOL well I was kidding about that.
Getting it out isn't the hard part I think. It'd be getting a new one back in.
Agreed. This might be one of those times where it's worth paying someone else to do it.
Or, it looks like a tool such as this one has adapter bushings and a swivel joint so you can hammer in the freeze plug more easily. It'd probably help keep you from bending the plug too! Having never done it before myself I can't say definitively it's great or not though. It wouldn't be a bad idea to buy a kit like that or see if a local place can rent or loan a kit though.
Getting them out is easy, getting the new ones back in is the hard part.
That tool seems like a good idea. Should help rolling the edges of the plug too. You could always try and silver solder it, but all the oil tends to make that pretty exciting.
I would pay somebody to do it for sure, its a PITA...
That tool seems like a good idea. Should help rolling the edges of the plug too. You could always try and silver solder it, but all the oil tends to make that pretty exciting.
I would pay somebody to do it for sure, its a PITA...
Removing bolts on a 50 year old cast iron manifold? Maybe if i could soak them in a bath of PB plaster for a couple of weeks and had access to air tools.
thats also assume they dont snap when you try to take them off.
Cheapo repair: Drain coolant, clean leak area well and let it dry. Squeeze some JB Weld in there as well as you can. Allow to cure for 24 hours, refill coolant, drive.
Pulsar
Diamond Member
- Mar 3, 2003
- 5,224
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Whhhhhaaaaaaaat?
That's a cup plug. They aren't seated against anything at all. They're a press fit, and are usually stainless steel. They hole is usually coated liberally with locktight (360 degree requirement) before installation.
To remove it, put a screw driver in one side (NOT agaist the block, inside the plug) and tap/hit/bash/pound until it turns sideways (this is the in-factory repair procedure...). Then use a pair of vise grips and a lever to remove.
Buy a new plug, and get a piece of steel pipe that fits inside the rim of the plug. Coat the plug in locktite (the nasty never-gonna-come-off red stuff) and drive in just past flush with the outer surface using the steel pipe and a very large brass hammer. They use screw-drive drives or pneumatic drivers to to it at the manufacturer. If you have to do it at an angle, bevel the end of the steel pipe with a band saw, file off the jagged edges, and use that.
At least, that's what we do when they're new.
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Stainless steel?
Why? Antifreeze has a pile of anti-corrosion stuff in it.
Brass would last longer in the area those have to live in anyway, you do know that salt is bad for stainless right?
Every one i have seen out of an engine is brass.
Why? Antifreeze has a pile of anti-corrosion stuff in it.
Brass would last longer in the area those have to live in anyway, you do know that salt is bad for stainless right?
Every one i have seen out of an engine is brass.
- Mar 1, 2000
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no doubt. I won't touch those. Since the day I bought this truck it's had a small crack in the manifold right off the block. I've lived with it for that very reason.
Hmm, welp I was gonna say if a core plug pops out when hot the block can crack. It happenef to me after a shoddy so-called remanufacture.
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