Freeze Plug Woes

[skysoldier173rd]

Got my baby out of storage a couple days ago and found i had a leaking freeze plug. It was the one under the motor mount, drivers side. I swear, it would have almost been easier to pull the engine. Finally struggled through it though and she's running great.

[Swed]

Great looking truck with super nice patina! Sorry to hear about the plug. Do u guys use anti freeze liquid?

[chevyrestoguy]

I've done that job before, not fun. Is your truck a 6cyl or a V-8? The freeze plug I had to do was on a buddy's '91 F-150 with the 302, same spot as yours, behind the motor mount. He has zero mechanical skills and essentially no tools, so I wound up doing the entire thing.

I'm glad you're back up and running!!

[skysoldier173rd]

Truck is a 350 automatic. It was the one under the motor mount. I had to remove the entire mount, header, etc. Since the plug is so close to the crossmember, you can't get a good lick with the hammer to push in the new one. I went under the inner fender with the tire removed and you can look straight at it. There is about an inch of space between that and the frame. Through this opening, I pulled it out with a slide hammer. To put the new one in, i tried everything and nothing worked. Finally i took a long extension from a 3/8 socket set, placed a pivoting socket on the end. I connected the other end to my air chisel. Again, going through the slot described above the vibrating action of the air chisel and the universal socket fitting flat against the plug pushed it right in to place. Strange get-up, but it worked. The old plug rusted through from the inside. Probably should do a flush on the cooling system and clean it out.

[donthekawguy]

20 some years ago, a friend had a 69 Firebird with a chevy 350 in it. We had to change the freeze plugs in the middle of winter. We would get one done and another would blow. After the 3rd one we went ahead and changed them all. That sucked!

[61_FL_Apache]

Down here they just rust out before then blow out.

[jbgroby]

When I had the heads rebuilt on the V-6, I happen to walk in the shop when they were getting ready to put in new freeze plugs, I noticed that they were plain steel, I reminded them that I brought them brass ones to use. Glad I caught that. ought to last me a while.

[T2vigil]

If you don't have brass you can scuff them up and paint thrm with rustolem. They last almost as long as the brass.