I needs help locating the freeze plugs

 

they are three on each side of the block down lown around the motor mounts, front and back of heads, and one on the back of the camshaft inside the bellhousing. Have fun changing them in the truck though.

 

how many all together are there. do you take anything off the get to them?

 

There are 11 all together, the ones on the front of the heads just pull the accessory drives off and they are right there. The ones on the bottum of the block are tricky. Undo the motor mounts and lift the engine with a hoist and then unbolt the motor mount to get at the front two on each side, the back one on the passenger side is usually where the block heater is and is easily accessable if you pull the starter motor. The rear one on the driverside you will need to pull the oil dipstick tube to replace. The one on the camshaft is hardly ever a problem and that either involves pulling the motor or the tranny. The back ones on the heads require either pulling the motor or tranny again, or removing the heads which might be easier labour wise, but with an older motor, resealing the top end will put more pressure on the bottum end causing oil leaks and potential bottum end failure.

 

that was a very good answer.

 

Thanks, I like to be thorough so people dont get confused. I also built every truck I own and helped some with others. If its a Ford truck, I will generally have an answer.

 

Except there is no such thing as a "freeze plug".
The round cup things are called Welch plugs and are for plugging the holes that are used for getting the casting sand out of the castings.
They have nothing to do with freezing and if the block freezes it will crack although the ice may also push out a Welch plug. I think this is where some people got the idea they somehow they stopped the engine from cracking although they will not.

 

Does it really matter what they are called, or their intended purpose if the guy wants to know how many there are? Welch plugs, frost plugs, freeze plugs, are still all the same thing, and depending on the person behind the counter at the parts store, will not know them by all of the names, so asking for a welch plug might get you funny looks and added hassle with other people who think they know what they are talking about. and why answer a question with unrelated useless information if he didnt ask for it?

 

It was not useless information. I found this out back in 1962 when I went to a parts counter at a Buick dealership in Long Beach California and asked for a Freeze Plug. They did not know what I was talking about and after some time looking through the parts books we found what I wanted. It was called a Welch Plug and nobody at the dealership knew it by the name of Freeze Plug. They told me what they were for and I take it you did not know what they were for.
This information was for him to get the right part and not go to a parts counter and call it by the wrong name.

In short your post is completely out of line, this forum is for giving information not taking it away.

 

and for a couple of more opinions:

FREEZE PLUG


Definition: An expansion plug located in the side of an engine block that is supposed to protect the block against freeze damage. Water expands when it turns to ice, and if the coolant doesn't have enough antifreeze protection it can freeze and crack the engine block. The freeze plugs (there are several) are supposed to pop out under such conditions to relieve the pressure on the block. Freeze plugs can often be a source of troublesome leaks as a result of internal cooling system corrosion. Ease of replacement depends on accessibility.

and another:

Freeze Plugs (expansion Plugs)
* Freeze plugs (also called "blind" or "expansion core" plugs) are small steel plugs used to seal the holes in the engine block and head made in casting. They expand and flatten as they are driven into place, and make a tight seal. These are designed to hold the pressure of the cooling system, but to pop out if the coolant in the block ever freezes.
If you have a leak in your cooling system, freeze plugs are one of the areas to have checked.


so it seems like they can be called a few different things.

 

I knew exactly what their MULTIPLE intended purposes were for, as for the technical term from 44 years ago being a welch plug in Long Beach California, I did not know that. Just for fun, I happened to call a local parts store and the polite gentleman told me that he had no idea what a welch plug was, and asked if that was another term for a spark plug. So you can see why information can be termed useless if it just creates more confusion. And I also would like to appoligize for the rude tone of my post, but I stand by what I said.

 

in the ford manual they are referred to as "core plugs".


and for those wishing just a bit more knowledge on welch plugs:


Brief History of the Welch Plug


by Nevin Hubbard of www.hubbardspring.com

A brief bit of totally obscure history that I am one of the few living persons who knows.

My family business, established in Pontiac, Michigan in 1905, is the original manufacturer of the "Welch" plug. The Welch brothers had a motor car company at the turn of the century that was later bought by General Motors - the Welch Motor Car company. They would run the cars around Pontiac to "break them in."

At that time core holes in the engine blocks were fitted with pipe plugs. During one of these run-ins a pipe plug backed out. In order to get back on the road one of the brothers drove a quarter or half dollar into the hole. From this they developed the Welch plug, some with the help of my Great Grandfather Martin Hubbard. They then patented the plug and the M.D. Hubbard Spring Company become the sole manufacturer of the Welch plug for the life of the patent. To this day we have the largest range of sizes available anywhere.

So the Welch plug in origin is an American innovation and name.

Best Regards,

Nevin Hubbard
M.D. Hubbard Spring Company
www.hubbardspring.com

 

I sure matters to me. I just learned what they are called and what they are for AND I just found out the welch plug on the rear of the block is blocking off oil and not water. I have a small water leak (not oil) in the rear of the engine so this is very good information.. now I can repair a rear welch plug on the back of the cylinder head instead of having to remove the transmission.. I can go through the tanny tunnel much easier once i confirm this with my inspection camera.Thanks for the information. These forums are fantastic. THANK YOU!!

 

My whole life I thought they were meant to pop out If the water froze to save your block.
On my 92 302 There are 2 front, 2 back and 3 on each side (- your blockheater setup)





I just replaced all my factory plugs with brass, they came in a 10 pack, enough to do the whole engine. Replaced the block heater at this time too. Once the old plugs are removed and the holes are clean, I applied rtv around the edges and gently tapped them in with the corresponding size of socket.

Of course some can be changed with the engine in the truck but i don’t know how well you could get on there with a wire brush and emery to really clean the holes, but since the engine is out of the truck it was a breeze.