Fighting to get the freeze plugs out of the block of my wife's '92 Camaro (3.1L V6). Both sides are leaking.

Not a great angle to hit it straight on but it did push in about 1/8" after a night soaking with PB Blaster. I'd have just pushed it into the block but there's some block casting keeping it from going in much further. Tried pulling it with the screw attachment on my slide hammer but pulled it out.

Any suggestions before I do something like remove a bunch of the face with a die grinder and try to fold it up? Not totally happy doing that with the casting right behind it.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

We typically drive them in with a punch, an extension, anything that pushes rather than pierces, and then remove them with pliers. Clean the opening with emery cloth, and then drive the new one in. I install mine with a skim of RTV for good measure.

AAutoZone rents (loans) a nice installer with an angled swivel head.

 

I ended up using a die grinder (double cut carbide burr) to remove enough material from the plug until I could twist and pull it out. Given the casting material right behind the side plugs, the second one was easier / less touchy since I didn't even bother to try hammering it.

 

If that is the same 3.1 that came in the corsica's, they use to drill hole in them and pull them out. My friend had a tool he made to assist pulling it. You had to drill carefully so you didn't get the cylinder wall.

 

I tried a bunch of things to lever it out when I put a hole in but couldn't get good leverage. Agree it would have been good to fabricate something with the right angles and leverage. The carbide burr on a right angle grinder was easy to get in and control

 

When that engine first came out, they had a mechanic that pushed one in. When it didn't go all the way in he drilled it. Went right through the cylinder wall. That cost the dealer a lot to install a block heater.