I was changing my plugs and wires this morning and noticed my freeze plug above the oil filter is leaking. Just curious how much of a pain in the a$$ is this gonna be to change with the engine in the car? The engine has been getting hot recently, hope that's all I gotta worry about.

 

Any one??

 

Sure wish you had gotten a reply, as I noticed the same thing yesterday on my engine when I pulled the clutch. Sure hate to pull the engine to replace it. Need to look at it more. Probably need to be contortionist to replace while in car.

 

Well IMO, the worst and hardest to change is the one on the rear of the engine. Replacing freeze plugs can be a real headache. It's easy once you get enough room to swing a mallet. Don't even think of using stop-leak products to try to patch a leaking freeze plug. I have successfully used another technique, though. If you have identified a leaky freeze plug, you can: (1) drain the system, (2) clean the depression in the freeze plug with Scotch-brite and a cleaner like Simple Green to remove both grease and water-soluble deposits, (3) after it dries, apply a liberal amount of putty type steel filled epoxy to the inside of the freeze plug. If you aren't familiar, they are shaped like shallow flat-bottomed cups with an inside diameter about the size of a quarter. What you want to do is to cover the hole with the epoxy from the bottom of the cup up all the sides to the rim, where there is no corrosion. This isn't foolproof, because sometimes the leak is actually not through the plug but around it. Still, it is cheap, fairly permanent, and about the easiest thing to try. Don't worry about making the plug hard to remove if/when the time comes - they are removed by placing a punch in one edge and whacking it with a mallet to knock the plug sideways. The epoxy won't get in the way of that at all. don't remove a plug unless there is room to use the mallet to seat a new one! If you do, count on removing the engine to get to it. Once it is removed, clean the area throughly with a wire brush, (Warning, do not use a grinder or sand paper). After the area is clean, you install the new plug by placing it inside the hole and hitting it dead center with a mallet and flat punch. This causes the plug to expand and seat itself. But you must have room to be able to do this. This is where the job becomes difficult most of the time. No room! So overall its gonna take some labor,and a few hours. Good luck!

-DylanN

 

i dont know if this will work in this application, but they do sell rubber expandable ones. made by motor mite.

 

I just had to replace one in my 93 Cherokee and the spot it was in was awful. I tried KB weld but pressure Just pushed It out. The rubber one worked great. Pia to get out but 5 mins to get in