Freeze plug

[jgreg53]

I have a leaking plug behind the starter. I was thinking I would one of those rubber expansion plugs. Opinions? Pro, con?

[Doug&Deb]

That’s a band aid. I wouldn’t count on it as a long term solution. Are you talking about one of the plugs in the bell housing?

[jgreg53]

Nope it's behind the starter. It's where the dipstick goes in near the connection for the oil gauge.

[andyd]

If one is leaking the others will be thinking about joining their friend soon..........I know its a PITA but I'd bite the bullet, and get a set of BRASS plugs......think they are 1 &5/8th diameter and start replacing them.............drill a small, 1/8th hole in the centre and screw a selftapping screw into the holethen lever the plug with the screw out or drill a hole and tap a screw driver into the hole and use it as a lever.......insertion is by cleaning around the edge of the hole in the block, wipe a non hardening gasket goo around the hole, place the new plug in the hole edge and using a 1/2" diameter drift hit the centre of the plug flatening it and wedging it against the hole edge...........lol.........have fun..............andyd  

[Happy 46R]

I had the exact same plug go. As the pictures show a new plug is the way to go. Bit of a process as that particular plug is hard to get a hammer swing onto. I think a full set of plugs has two sizes in it and I got mine from Bernbaum. The good thing about popping the plugs is you can run a hose into them and flush lots of sediment out. Bit of a two for! Good look at what the block sediment looks like and new plugs. Have fun as Andyd says. 

[jgreg53]

It is in a difficult location.  Whoever says the old cars are easy to work on never had to work on one 

[desoto1939]

Use the flat concave welsh plug not the ones that have a lip on them or flange.

 

Rich Hartung.

[Plymouthy Adams]

many repairs are simple and easy as explained from the armchair or computer desk.....many remember doing these years ago...many are in denial they are aging and less flexible and the big S on the T-shirts faded also so long ago......lol

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by Plymouthy Adams

[Los_Control]

When you look at them installed, they are concave in the center.

The trick is to install them with the concave pointing out, when you smack it with a hammer to install it, the concave reverses & applies pressure to the sides to hold it in place.

Also is good to clean the block up well & use some sort of sealer on the edges.

 

With that said, this has been discussed before in the past.

Many people have used the rubber soft plugs & claimed they lasted years or never failed on them ???

 

Mine were not leaking, I pulled them all out anyways along with the water pump, T-stat and I flushed the block out and removed a ton of leftover casting sand.

Then installed brass plugs to replace them. ..... Very common to find sand left over from the birth of the block.

 

You can use it as a opportunity for improvement ...  or slap a rubber plug in there and get by ..... either way would work.

 

IIRC, I removed my distributor, oil dipstick tube, I was lucky did not need to pull the starter. Also had complete sheet metal off the front end.

[motoMark]

5 hours ago, jgreg53 said:

It is in a difficult location.  Whoever says the old cars are easy to work on never had to work on one 

Let us know how you make out. I have to replace the same one too. 

[soth122003]

I replaced that one this past summer.. Pulled the oil filter and distributor. Getting it out was a piece of cake. Flushing it was the same. Putting the new on in... used a sealant around the edges and used an air hammer at a bad angle and with a few taps it seated and worked great.

 

13 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

many are in denial they are aging and less flexible and the big S on the T-shirts faded also so long ago......lol

I used to be 10 feet tall and bulletproof, now I'm 6'7 (walking hunched over) and water resistant.

 

Joe Lee 

[Dan Hiebert]

I had to replace that one, too, about 10 years ago.  Indeed a good opportunity to do some flushing of the coolant passages, mine had quite a bit of stuff built up behind it, including what looked like some sand from the casting process.  A rubber expansion plug will work, and work well.  Personally, I don't care for how they look, and I know/knew how to do the metal ones, so I did that.  Got the replacement from an AutoZone.  It is a tad tricky to get to, but significantly easier than anything on a modern car.  Our car does not have the dip stick tube feature, so I didn't have to work around that.  I believe those are not permanently affixed and can be wiggled out, then tapped back in, anyway.     

[Plymouthy Adams]

OF A NOTE   the rubber freeze plug you find are designed for the CUP style cast holes...for sure the rubber will work but only after you split it because the rubber is so thick there is no room for the rubber, backer washer and bolt to allow adequate and flush application of the outer washer against the block as the inner segment will be against the inner wall.    Good to carry one that you have modified as a GET-ME-HOME emergency repair and fit a new disc as you get the chance. 

[greg g]

I have had one of those temporary ones in my block for going on 16 years and 50k miles.  There is no way a hammer can be swung there without pulling the engine.  The ones that scare me most are the two or three on the rear of the engine under the bell housing.  

[jgreg53]

I finally decided to go with the rubber expansion plug. Seems to be holding. No leaks. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

There is a 1-5/8" expandable copper core plug too.