I had to move my knock sensor to the driver side water jacket (see here for a detailed explanation). Anyway, the knock sensor is really close to the header now. If the sensor were mounted in the passenger side where it should have been, there would be a good 10 inches between the sensor and the nearest part of the header. I know a lot of people have a problem with the headers giving a false knock on a normal setup, so I can only assume that I'm going to have a major problem with false knock. Although I dont know yet because the car isnt running yet. Opinions? What should I do?

 

why don't you put it in the right side?

 

Agreed. You ARE going to regret leaving that drain plug in the block one day. While the engine was out of the car there was no excuse to not remove it. Worst case you drill it out and helicoil or just retap to the next larger size, and then it's a simple matter to put a bushing in and run the KS. Hell some folks do that on purpose jst to desensitizr it a little bit.

So my recommendation, go ahead and drill out the proper hole now. And don't cuss at the pita it is now, you already gave up the easy chance. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way to not skip steps.

 

I used every means I had to try to remove the plug from the passenger side, without compromising the plug's ability to seal, should I not be able to remove it. Time is money, and it would have cost me an obscene amount of money to send the block back to the machine shop.

My only remaining option was to attempt to use an easy out on the plug. Consider that the plug is about 1/4 inch thick, and more than likely, the screw extractor would come out the other side of the plug. I haven't had much luck with easy outs in the past, they tend to snap off, from my experience. And that would leave me with an easy out stuck in my block, and a leaking water jacket plug.

Drill it out and helicoil it? Hmm, I considered that too. Unfortunately the plug and sensor are both pipe thread. If there is a way to helicoil pipe thread, I am unaware of it.

I have carefully considered my options, and the consequences. In that, I guess I kind of resent it being implied that I'm a dumbass.

 

I'd think there are helicoils for pipe thread. If not, i'm sure drilling and tapping the next size will work.

IMO, you will regret not having a block drain, and it is also probably going to give you knock sensor problems. Why wouldn't you drill it out?

 

Even if I drill it and tap it to the next size, ie, put a helicoil in it, how will the sensor thread into the helicoil?
I can live without a block drain plug. But I'm not going to be happy if my knock sensor goes berzerk.