Freeze Plugs?
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Kalispell, MT
Freeze Plugs?
I recently had my truck in the shop for a tranny rebuild and rear end rebuid.
( the shop I went to I think ripped me off but what are you going to do)
well 3300 dollars later I got my truck back running better than ever.
Anyway, while it was there the mechanic told me that I need to get my freeze plugs changed and that there were six of them and that they were leaking coolant. After I asked him about it he said that one of them dripped coolant. He said that they were used to drain the sand out of the block after it was cast.
I have found in my hanes manual in the tune up section that there are two drains( one per side below the exhaust manifold) that you can pull to drain the coolant from th engine but not six.
Where do I get thes plugs and how many are there?
I have a 1976 F-250 4x4 with a 360
Jeff
( the shop I went to I think ripped me off but what are you going to do)
well 3300 dollars later I got my truck back running better than ever.
Anyway, while it was there the mechanic told me that I need to get my freeze plugs changed and that there were six of them and that they were leaking coolant. After I asked him about it he said that one of them dripped coolant. He said that they were used to drain the sand out of the block after it was cast.
I have found in my hanes manual in the tune up section that there are two drains( one per side below the exhaust manifold) that you can pull to drain the coolant from th engine but not six.
Where do I get thes plugs and how many are there?
I have a 1976 F-250 4x4 with a 360
Jeff
Needsmorecoffee.
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: CT
They are cheap (under $10 for all 6) and the Dorman brand is one of the better ones. Carefull though some have a smaller lip than others but the Dormans are fine. The originals ones were 1 49/64 but somewhere along the line someone decided 1 3/4 is fine. Well it works anyway. Dorman part # 565-036 for brass and 555-036 for steel. They are easy to replace. You take a socket and hammer and tap one side of the plug in till it goes in then a pair of plyers or vice grips to grab the end sticking out it a pull it out. Careful you don't knock the plug in the block though. Keep a bucket under to catch the antifreeze. NAPA or any parts house have them but get the DORMAN brand. G.
Needsmorecoffee.
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: CT
Oh and I forgot to mention to smear some sealer on the side lip and back of the plug before installing. This helps corrosion. Then tap slowly with a hammer and large socket (socket close to plug OD) keeping it even. Note where the old plugs stop and sink the new ones in the same. G.
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Kalispell, MT
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Brentwood,CA
if it is leaking it is a very serious problem you can even lift the engine up a little and remove the motor mount a do it that way but if it breaks and fails while your driving it will ruin the engine a set costs 10.00
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Centreville USA
The parts are cheap, but the labor is very expensive if you are paying someone else to do it (been there, done that, got the t-shirt). But GasHog is right. Lose one on the highway and you will be replacing more than just the freeze plugs. There is no quick and easy fix. Get it done right.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 65
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From: Phoenix, Az
Just a quick note. I don't know where you live or what the Winter conditions are, but one of the things you might consider while you are replacing the freeze plugs. (The guys are absolutely correct, get them replaced, SOON).
In the old days we used to replace one of the plugs with a Freeze plug, heater.
You can get these pretty cheap and if you have cold winter nights, plug your truck into ye ole light socket to keep the coolant warm at night thus reducing wear on the engine and battery when you start it up in the morning.
My new truck has one on it from the factory, but the older trucks did not have them and they are worth their weight in gold.
I live in Arizona and still plug my truck in several nights every winter.
UncleFudd
In the old days we used to replace one of the plugs with a Freeze plug, heater.
You can get these pretty cheap and if you have cold winter nights, plug your truck into ye ole light socket to keep the coolant warm at night thus reducing wear on the engine and battery when you start it up in the morning.
My new truck has one on it from the factory, but the older trucks did not have them and they are worth their weight in gold.
I live in Arizona and still plug my truck in several nights every winter.
UncleFudd
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Kalispell, MT
I have my truck back in the shop as per the advice by you all. I needed to have the 200 mile check on my rebuilt tranny and rear end so they are going to give me an estimate on the freeze plugs tomorrow.
When I had it in the first tome the mechanic told me he could do the freeze plugs for 200. I didn't have him do it though because I thought he was just trying to rip me off (my final bill was 3300).
He is also going to see if he can locate the heater element.
Last winter we had a few days of 40 below zero so I think it might be a good idea.
Thanks,
Jeff
When I had it in the first tome the mechanic told me he could do the freeze plugs for 200. I didn't have him do it though because I thought he was just trying to rip me off (my final bill was 3300).
He is also going to see if he can locate the heater element.
Last winter we had a few days of 40 below zero so I think it might be a good idea.
Thanks,
Jeff
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 938
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From: North Carolina
By the way the dude is either joking or is stupid. Freeze plugs are designed to help prevent the block from cracking in the event it freezes, that load about the sand is pure bull and made me laugh. Whenever something freezes it expands and contracts, it the water in the water jacket freezes, it will expand enough to crack/break the block, so instead of that happening the freeze plugs pop out to relieve the pressure and thus prevent the block from cracking.
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,231
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From: Near Fresno, California
BTW, Ford352, you need to think about what you are saying before you post. It does not help to claim someone is joking, or, even worse, stupid. I don't know about the sand, but it sounds reasonable to me - that was what I was told when I was a boy.
As to the freeze plugs protecting the engine from freezing - I have had two engines freeze and crack without pushing the freeze plugs out. One was a inline 6 Chev on a water well, the other was an old JD tractor. In addition, I once went through a stack of 318 V8 dodges looking for one good enough to run - 3 out of the 6 had cracks from freezing, yet none of them had pushed out the freeze plugs.
There are lots of water passages in an engine that are not anywhere near a freeze plug.
The nice part of living in North Carolina is that you do not need to learn about cold weather and freezing engines, and I do not think you are either joking or stupid.
As to the freeze plugs protecting the engine from freezing - I have had two engines freeze and crack without pushing the freeze plugs out. One was a inline 6 Chev on a water well, the other was an old JD tractor. In addition, I once went through a stack of 318 V8 dodges looking for one good enough to run - 3 out of the 6 had cracks from freezing, yet none of them had pushed out the freeze plugs.
There are lots of water passages in an engine that are not anywhere near a freeze plug.
The nice part of living in North Carolina is that you do not need to learn about cold weather and freezing engines, and I do not think you are either joking or stupid.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
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From: Brentwood,CA
Originally Posted by FORD352V8
By the way the dude is either joking or is stupid. Freeze plugs are designed to help prevent the block from cracking in the event it freezes, that load about the sand is pure bull and made me laugh. Whenever something freezes it expands and contracts, it the water in the water jacket freezes, it will expand enough to crack/break the block, so instead of that happening the freeze plugs pop out to relieve the pressure and thus prevent the block from cracking.
you need to get your facts straight freeze plugs are the open holes left when the sand cast mold is removed from the casting process the blocks are shaken and the sand exits through them they do not help at all with preventing the block crack.
Needsmorecoffee.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,624
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From: CT
And if you have ever seen a block with this black gritty goo come out after pressure washing the block it's old casting sand. YUCK! I thought someone was messing with the engine until I found out some blocks can have traces of old casting sand found in them. Not what I was expecting to see either. G.