Ha! You call that training? Those whippersnappers had it easy. Why, back in my day, new employees learned the ropes by actually manufacturing the parts themselves.
Earned 13 cents a day and was glad to have it.

 

Did you walk uphill both ways walking to/from school?

 

How much room between the cylinder head and firewall? Can you get a right angle drill in there? If so, run a lag bolt into the plug. A lag bolt has a hex head and would be easier to grip from the side for turning, versus a big sheet metal screw.

That would give you something to grab with pliers or a nail puller type of crowbar, the kind with a fork on the end. You might have better luck near the edge of the plug instead of the center. Try several spots and see if you can get the plug to break free.

If you can't get it to budge by prying, here's another idea. Remove the lag bolt and get an extra long one of the same diameter, with threads running the whole length. Grind the tip partially blunt. Now thread this into the existing hole in the plug until it hits the opposite wall. Hopefully there is a relatively flat surface opposite the plug, and not too far away. Turn the lag bolt in a few turns and with any luck it will force the plug out.

To install a new plug, you could cobble together a custom clamping device. Cut two pieces of threaded rod a few inches longer than the cylinder head. Cut two pieces of angle iron a little bit longer than the width of the cylinder head. Drill a hole near each end to accept the threaded rods. Space the holes so the threaded rods just clear each side of the cylinder head. Thread a nut on each end of the rods, and voilà, a big clamp! Use a socket on the freeze plug for clearance. It might be a bit unwieldy to get started, so a helper might be needed. But once you get everything situated, you should be able to tighten up each rod a little at a time and press the new plug into place.

 

Sounds like pulling the motor, and doing ALL the plugs and possible rotted emissions pipe work back there...

 

I was thinking the same thing on pulling motor and doing ALL plugs.


I have a car that rotted a plug, replaced (with rubber type) and down the road another metal plug rusted out. Rubber plug down the road another rotted plug. Had think 4 go bad and the last is a bear to get to so the car sits till I can pull the motor as the trany font seal also leaks.


Pull motor and do all plugs now and be done with it.
Dave ----

 

I've had to many issues with rubber plugs, they always seen to fail in the most inappropriate time/place!

They work great temporarily, but don't expect them to last.

Also cleaning the bore & rubber plug 100% clean helps them stay in place, one good heat cycle and they bond and stick even better, any coolant on either and they like to pop out.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Mine was temporary just so I could run the motor to move the car a round the block when needed. Trany leaked ATF when up to temp so could not go far.
It is hard to pull motor as there is little room to get to bolts, think 302 in a Mustang II type car.
Dave ----

 

The Pinto.

 

Oh, Don't get me started on the transplants I've done, I've done many!

289/302's in a Pinto, Been there done that ... O-boy the fun!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Well not a transplant, factory v8 and not a Pinto but was a compact car that was head to head with Pintos & Vegas, AMC Gremlin with 304 v8 TF998 auto

Dave ----

 

Kid down the street from me when I was growing up (13-14-15 yo) put a Chevy smallblock 350 in a 1972 Mercury Capri... something called a B & M Hydromatic transmission, M-50-15 wheels & tires.

The thing flew.

 

Try going into the dealer and asking for a new set of "casting" plugs. They are casting holes, but the proper term for the plug is an "expansion" plug.
But they are more commonly referred to as freeze plugs because if the block is filled with water and it freezes, all of these plugs will be ejected from the engine.

Now you know
Jim

 

If you are lucky they push out when it freezes.
I got for free a 69 Bronco with a 302 / 3 on the tree because the block had water in it, it had a leak some where and he got drunk 1 night and forgot to drain it.
Well the block cracked and he did not want to deal with it.
I took the chassis added a few inches to fit under a 68 Cougar, add another 302 I had and I had a 4x4 68 Cougar.
Dave ----

 

That's Sweet! 😎👍

 

Got a question I was curious about. When you

drive in the freeze out plug will it bottom out? Can you drive it in too far? Will be replacing all mine while while the motor is pulled.......