My son popped two freeze plugs in his boat. They are pretty much hidden by the motor mounts. Even if I remove the mounts I won't have much room to try to drive in new plugs. Anybody know a trick? I thought I once saw a freeze plug that expanded by turning a screw in the center but I can't find any such thing on-line.
What engine are you working on ? The ones that you mention with the bolt in the center is called the expnadable freeze plug and is available in many sizes and also available at most automotive shops. Also if using standard freeze plugs it might help if you put the freeze plug in the freezer several hours before installation and try to get a little heat into the area of where the new freeze plug is going to be installed.
I'd be checking the block for cracks , if freezing water is what popped the plugs there's probably more damage . dave
2OLD2FAST raised an important question, did the temps in Michigan pop out those plugs ? If so, your Son may have bigger problems than just the plugs needing replacement. Even though they are called "freeze plugs" and most people assume they are there to protect the block if coolant freezes, that is not always the case. Don
I found some of the expandable ones at O Reilly auto parts. They're only $3.50 so It's a cheap experiment. I am a little worried about a cracked block. I didn't see anything externally. I guess I'll have him keep an eye on the oil to see if water gets in there.
The plugs are actually for getting the sand out from the casting process. Many times the block or heads will crack if the water freezes and pushes out the freeze (expansion) plugs
freeze plug installation tool for shops with lift. It can be used to drive a freeze plug in behind a motor mount.
The first question would be "who winterized it?" If you did,I guess you are on your own,if a marina did it,they would be my first call. I do have a bit of experience with this as I was in the marina bussiness for about 15 yrs owning my own,and 30 yrs before that working for others.I was a certified Mercruiser repair station and dealer for 15 yrs. Over half the time when a 350 blows a side plug,the block is cracked along the skirt. This happens because sand and sediment collects in the "V" below the plug lower edge.If you drain the block and poke the holes out,there will be an inch or so of wet sludge left. Merc recommends warming the motor,draining and replaceing all plugs,and filling with a propolene glycol antifreeze mix that is appropriate for your area. We were in Toledo O and I always ran the winterizeing tank at -20 deg as a minimum.Another place that will crack if you have a freeze up is inside the ex manifolds on the floor of the port.The motor willmiss and overheat and have water on the plugs if this happens.You usually cannot see these cracks,you have to run it, get it hot and see what happens because they dont open up enough to leak untill the motor gets hot. After running the motor thru a couple heat/cool cycles the cracks will show as a thin white or grey line.I have welded these with mixed results. I have also welded block skirts with a good success rate as long as the crack is totally on the outside of the block. Getting back to the original subject,if you paid someone to winterize it,dont touch it,call them and hope they have good insurance.Take pics before anyone touches it. In a lot of cases,the owners insurance co would cover repair/replace of a freeze up if the owner did his own winterizeing. Hope this helps. john ,formerly Glass City Marine Inc and Pier 75 dry Rack Marina
Put the expandable ones it, and run it. If its cracked, you will find out. What have you to lose at this point?
Just for the record, they are core plugs and are there so the sand cores can be positioned inside the block pattern. Since the core cannot float in mid air, part of it has to extend through the block, leaving holes after the sand is shaken out. Freeze plug is a misnomer and though blocks have survived freezing because of them, cold weather protection is not their purpose. Just an FYI
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