freeze plug rounded off in the block, help!
 

The machine shop that did my block went ahead and put the little freeze plugs in both sides of my block, like where the knock sensor is supposed to go. They are supposed to come out with an allen key, but when I tried to remove it, it stripped out the plug. I thought I could move the knock sensor to the other side, but the plug on that side is about to strip out as well. What the heck am I supposed to do now? How the #@?^@# do I get this thing out? And I refuse to run my car without a knock sensor. The engine is already together, and the machine shop that did the work was through the local parts store. IE, it would have to be shipped out to go back to that shop. What now?

You could always hit it with a hammer and a screwdriver and pull it out with some plyers.

Umm, this is one of the little screw in plugs. It's not coming out with a screwdriver and pliers.

hmmm... allen key? I thought the plugs going into the water jacket only came out by using a 3/8 in. socket wrench or an extension.

Do this:

Go to a reputable tool source and get an easy out thats a little bigger than the size allen key you used. I like the spital fluted ones that dont taper.

drill out the center of the plug the size that the easy out says to use.

take a Mapp or propane torch and heat the plug really well. Then melt candle wax in to the really hot threads.

Insert Ez-out and back that sucker out.

as an alternate you can use a good penetrating oil but the only one that will work better than the wax and torch method is calles areokroil and it is hard to find.

I'm scared to use an easy-out on it because every time I've used one in the past, it has snapped off in the bolt. And I really don't want an easy out stuck in the freezeplug, especially if the hole is drilled through the plug, because they are not very deep, not even 1/2 inch. Right now I'm beating on it with an impact driver, and either I dont know how to use this thing, or it's not working worth a darn.
And yea, until now, I'd always seen them use a square hole in the plugs. But apparently Dorman likes to make theirs so you have to use an allen key. And they used mushy metal at that. :mad:

Umm...wouldnt you want to heat the area around the plug, not the plug itself? Heating the plut would cause it to expand within the hole, getting it more stuck.

Anyways, how hard would it be to drill the damn thing out?? Might be your choice

I have generally had pretty good luck by heating the plug/bolt/nut or whatever with a torch, saturate the hell out if it with WD40 then let it cool. This seem to draw the WD into the threads quicker and better than just spraying it.

Good Luck.

Will WD40 or some sort of penetrant really help? These plugs were put in recently by the machine shop that did my block, it's not as if they've been crusting into place for years or anything. It looks like they used that brown gooey gasket shellac to seal the plugs into the block. Perhaps I should use something that will break that stuff down? Oh and here's a picture of the damage so far. The one in my hand came out of the place where my oil sender is supposed to be. :rolleyes: At least I managed to get one of the plugs out.

Sorry, I didn't read enough. You could drill the center out and use a reverse threaded bit to take it out. I've gotten quite a few broken inverted hex bolts out with a large screwdriver and a chisel, although they were a bit more accessable. Just make sure not to leave any pieces in there.

Yaay!! I got one out! errr, my buddy actually got it out. The plug on the driver side was just starting to round out, so I stopped messing with it. My buddy came by, heated it with a propane torch, then put a little bit of Comet (yes, the kitchen cleaning stuff) in it, then removed it with the same allen wrench I had been using. Apparently the Comet keeps the allen wrench from slipping as easily, so he got it out without rounding out the plug. :) So I guess I'll just rewire the knock sensor and put it in the driver side of the block.

heat will break down the sealer

FYI, those are not freeze plugs, they are he block drain plugs. Freeze plugs are stamped metal pieces that fit in larger holes on the sides of the block.

I'd try heating the hell out of it, then an EZ out. If the EZ out breaks, you just redrill bigger and try again. Till worst case, eventually you bore it out to the size of the hole and retap it.

Comet?? Interesting tip... Thanks for the update!!

yeah, thats an old trick for screws and pretty much anything else either. In a pinch even some dirt or sand will do just as well, anything with grit.

Those are supposed to be hex head or square head plugs, raised not recessed. I personally prefer brass ones.

I can't believe a so-called professional would do such a stupid thing that is so easy to do right yet can cause so much hassle from doing what they did.

we carry that aerokroil stuff at work.

i think we sell it for ~9 bux or so a can.

i'll stick with wd 40.

Trust me on this one, there is no comparison between aerokroil and WD40. if you really need to unstick a really stuck bolt ther is no comparison. I've used it on heavily corroded bolts that wouldn't budge with heat or wd 40, squirt some AK wait 2minutes they spin off like they were just put on. I've also used it on frozen roller bearings that i couldn't budge with a channel locks, wd40 and heat didn't help. i soaked it with kroil for 10 munutes and it spun by hand!!! I am a believer. Yeah its pricy, but put on eon the shelf and wait until you need it!!

Same thing happened to me when I was doing a 2.8/2.8 swap for my buddy. There was a pipe plug on the $100 donor motor, where there should've been an empty hole for the fan switch. We tried grinding a bolt down into a square, and using that... well he didn't do a perfect job of grinding, and we wiped out the square hole. Nothing worked until I went home and got my MIG welder...

Did you try using a flathead screwdriver and some vice grips?