70 318 rear freeze plug passenger rear head blew out need install help.

[johneich]

I blew out the freeze plug at the back of the passenger head facing the firewall, maybe 2+ inches of clearance, somebody please tell me a way to insert a new plug without removing the head. 69 Charger 318 in a 1970 Satellite. I had a mechanic put in new, gold looking, plugs from Summit or Jegs to avoid this problem when the engine was out.

 

[pnora]

Almost impossible. Might get it from underneath with the crossmember unbolted and the engine dropped back as far as it will go. Care full with the distributor hitting the fire wall. Or else get an expandable rubber one and sneak it in there.

 

[beanhead]

If you're doing it without pulling the head, best of luck! Sorry I don't have a proven method for you as I've never done that, but maybe you could use a piece of threaded rod or bolt with some nuts and the proper size washer to fit on the plug and jackscrew the plug into place? Just an idea off the top of my head but that's probably the first thing I'd try. You might have to switch up the rod/bolt during the process to get the required amount of travel to get the plug fully seated.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Like mentioned above get the old one out and install one of these….

 

[beanhead]

Like mentioned above get the old one out and install one of these….
View attachment 1450614

Ah the old expandable plug trick...that works too.

 

[dadsbee]

"Blew out". What PSI radiator cap do you have. Thinking he put in the wrong diameter plug if they're new and it blew out.

As for replacement, a long carpenters clamp from one end of the head to the other.. a socket to fit inside the plug and then crank it into place.

That or a 2 x 4 across the firewall and a crow foot pry bar pushing on a socket.. pushing on the new plug.

 

[johneich]

I have thought about the rubber plug but I thought it was only of temporary use? Like to get you home from a road trip one time? thoughts about a rubber plug for spring cruising? been a 2 year project, I would love to finally get a spring cruise out of her?

 

[johneich]

"a 2 x 4 across the firewall and a crow foot pry bar pushing on a socket.. pushing on the new plug"

I was thinking about something just like this!

 

[dadsbee]

I've done it all as a teenager (some 40+ years ago), just to "get there"!

 

[johneich]

"Blew out". What PSI radiator cap do you have. Thinking he put in the wrong diameter plug if they're new and it blew out.

As for replacement, a long carpenters clamp from one end of the head to the other.. a socket to fit inside the plug and then crank it into place.
View attachment 1450621

That or a 2 x 4 across the firewall and a crow foot pry bar pushing on a socket.. pushing on the new plug.

I will have to have the cap checked, it came with the new 4 row aluminum radiator (from Amazon) for a reasonable $230.00 price, bolted right in.

 

[johneich]

I will have to have the cap checked, it came with the new 4 row aluminum radiator (from Amazon) for a reasonable $230.00 price, bolted right in.

I love your ideas, big thanks!

 

[beanhead]

"Blew out". What PSI radiator cap do you have. Thinking he put in the wrong diameter plug if they're new and it blew out.

As for replacement, a long carpenters clamp from one end of the head to the other.. a socket to fit inside the plug and then crank it into place.
View attachment 1450621

That or a 2 x 4 across the firewall and a crow foot pry bar pushing on a socket.. pushing on the new plug.

Great suggestion Dads, similar action to my okie jackscrew solution! I'll remember that. It doesn't (shouldn't?) take much force to press in the new plug.

 

[QuickBpBp]

I have thought about the rubber plug but I thought it was only of temporary use? Like to get you home from a road trip one time? thoughts about a rubber plug for spring cruising? been a 2 year project, I would love to finally get a spring cruise out of her?

I had a friend of mine use one for YEARS on a block that was cracked and welded on the side near the core plug. He was afraid to put a steel plug in there from the weld job going right into the core hole with pins there. NO issues at all and was street car that he raced it for many years with that in it.

 

[johneich]

I will have to have the cap checked, it came with the new 4 row aluminum radiator (from Amazon) for a reasonable $230.00 price, bolted right in.

"Thinking he put in the wrong diameter plug if they're new and it blew out", possible but I bought all the plugs from Summit or Jegs, I think, All were replaced (to avoid this exact problem) before engine install. I suspect mechanic I paid did a bad job but it could have been a bad plug, probably could have been seen bad (by mechanic I paid $17,000.00, to paint, engine swap and such, the engine hoist it was on when all plugs were done.

 

[69Bee]

This is a perfect example of why I refuse to install brass freeze plugs in a motor. If they are not installed properly and perfectly, this is the result. I ONLY install steel freeze plugs, with the proper Heinkel/Loc-Tite product to seal them. Install the rubber plug as it will be the easiest fix, quite honestly, will last quite a long while, until the rubber starts to dry out. I would assume, by that time, you will have pulled the heads or motor by then. I would suggest you keep an eye on the other brass freeze plugs as the same could happen to any of the rest of them.

 

[johneich]

This is a perfect example of why I refuse to install brass freeze plugs in a motor. If they are not installed properly and perfectly, this is the result. I ONLY install steel freeze plugs, with the . Install the rubber plug as it will be the easiest fix, quite honestly, will last quite a long while, until the rubberproper Heinkel/Loc-Tite product to seal them starts to dry out. I would assume, by that time, you will have pulled the heads or motor by then. I would suggest you keep an eye on the other brass freeze plugs as the same could happen to any of the rest of them.

This makes perfect sense to me 69bee, thanks! If I am going to pull the intake and one head, I am going to source 340 heads to reinstall. And I will always remember your comments about steel plugs and

proper Heinkel/Loc-Tite product to seal them

 

[johneich]

Like mentioned above get the old one out and install one of these….
View attachment 1450614

I understand "install dry" so I should drain coolant below this level and blow out with compressed air and dry out with a hair dryer and, for days after sitting? It has pumped out a lot of coolant (2nd time She has bled out in front of me, same mechanic failed to tighten a transmission hose clamp and it blew out (small town no one else wanted to do this job)), my poor Birdie

 

[QuickBpBp]

I understand "install dry" so I should drain coolant below this level and blow out with compressed air and dry out with a hair dryer and, for days after sitting? It has pumped out a lot of coolant (2nd time She has bled out in front of me, same mechanic failed to tighten a transmission hose clamp and it blew out (small town no one else wanted to do this job)), my poor Birdie

I would not be that technical with it.. Lower the level and make sure it's clean and install and refill and drive it...

 

[johneich]

I am going to do the rubber for now and source 340 heads for a winter project. I pulled the heads on my 1972 Olds 98 455 in 1977 so I think I can do it on a LA.

 

[eldubb440]

I also ran a rubber plug for years without issues.....and recently installed one on my Durango