Whats the Best fix for this?? Small Freeze Plugs??

Big Swole

Big Swole

MegaInterceptor
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
Messages
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Well, Last Friday I went to the track to see what was up....Still have a power loss issue but that's beside the point right now..

After my 3rd pass, I noticed the water temp. climbing up pretty good...I knew something was up cause my truck never does that....Parked it and looked under the truck and had MAJOR blow by.....Took the oil cap off and samething...Ugh!!

Had it towed to Jeff's and spent the night there...Next morning I pulled the VC and injectors out....Bore Scoped it and THOUGHT it looked like I had 2 melted pistons....#1 & #3 looked wierd...

Just pulled the Head off Wed. and come to find out, ALL the pistons were fine and the HG was Perfect!!! (Still stock bolts BTW).....BUT, I blew out one of those little Freeze Plugs inside the head and that dumped a Chit load of Antifreeze into my motor!!! Thank God I had it towed!!!

What the best fix for this to not happen again??? It was on Cyl. #5 I think...Just above the Exhaust port!! Jeff thinks that since the metal is So thin there at the exhaust port that those are getting WAY hot and thats why it came loose..not from the pressure really ...My truck doesn't turn much above 3600-3700 rpms...

Jeff had and Idea about Tapping those openings and putting a threaded plug in there!! What do you think???
I heard that Tim Barber may have done this before but it wasn't cost affective....

I'd love to fix it soon ( least amount of money Poss)....So I can maybe make the Race in Sept. with NADM here in Reynolds GA...

Suggestions??
 
glad to hear the motor wasn't destroyed. First indications didn't look good.

I read a lot about freeze plugs blowing but, it mostly happens in on the rear " block " plugs. You must be building a good amount of psi too for it to blow.

Beside threading, which doesn't sound like a bad idea, you could make a plug like the one's for the block holes and tap either side to screw it to the head.

This is the one for the block....FREEZE PLUG
 
Alot of guys have had those "soft" plugs threaded before so they don't have that problem... I think there are 11 of them. Member OT-OF-HERE had that same problem... he didn't catch it in time though. Personally I would thread them and never worry about them again... OR put a coolant bypass, if you don't have one already
 
It's very cost effective to thread them and use pipe plugs. And you'll never need to worry again.
 
Threading seems like the right thing then!!

It's just that I've heard complaints about the bypass kits cause very slow warm up issues....And have heard about one that Still blew out a block freeze plug.....

Mainly, I'm just trying to save money right now....
 
I blew one of those several years ago. Made a big mess in a hurry. I lost a a freeze plug last weekend at Ponci's event(back of block) Terry(soulzoo) lost the same plug and he had a bypass system installed.

RonA
 
my question to threading would be, where's the psi going to come out if not coming out of a plug meant to blow ? The block plugs, head gasket, water pump ? There obviously needs to be some relief some where.... is this where a by pass would eliminate a need for any plugging ?
 
Good to hear it's not too tragic Swole! Thread em plug em and let it eat!
 
RonA said:
I blew one of those several years ago. Made a big mess in a hurry. I lost a a freeze plug last weekend at Ponci's event(back of block) Terry(soulzoo) lost the same plug and he had a bypass system installed.

RonA
Click to expand...


YUP!!

Thats the guy I heard about the lost a FP even with using the Opie ByPass...

I think I'll start with the threaded FP's and then see.....Who knows.....:bang
 
man i feel ya ... just blew the sh@@ out of my block ,,, got the bypass and billet plugs ect ... blew part of the block away on the back side and bent the billet plug ... so the trucks is down again ... i can't go a full year without it breaking.....

i would say clip the edges of the the fins or go with and electric water pump if you're building that much pressure.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
impmouse said:
man i feel ya ... just blew the sh@@ out of my block ,,, got the bypass and billet plugs ect ... blew part of the block away on the back side and bent the billet plug ... so the trucks is down again ... i can't go a full year without it breaking.....
Click to expand...

Dude!! That Sux!!!

Sorry man!!
 
if you setup a bypass that is set a certain psi then there should be no issue with warming up of the system cause the bypass would not be running under normal operation. if there is to much restriction in the by pass it can still build up enough pressure to blow the plugs.
 
impmouse said:
man i feel ya ... just blew the sh@@ out of my block ,,, got the bypass and billet plugs ect ... blew part of the block away on the back side and bent the billet plug ... so the trucks is down again ... i can't go a full year without it breaking.....

i would say clip the edges of the the fins or go with and electric water pump if you're building that much pressure.
Click to expand...


pics of the damage? who's bypass where you running or what type of components were used if you did it yourself? sucks to here about trouble like that...
 
just reg billet bypass for 59.00 and the 1/2 hole ,,, plumbed -08 line with an inline cut off ,,, cut off is closed when driving around town(get the temp up) and then i would open it when i get ready to really run it ... plumbed from the back of the block to the upper radiator hose .. also blew two frezze plugs out of the side and cracked the block from the second frezze plug all the way round to the back one ..on the head there are the two studs very last ones at the back of the fire wall,that section below the head is where it broke out


GOT-Torque said:
pics of the damage? who's bypass where you running or what type of components were used if you did it yourself? sucks to here about trouble like that...
Click to expand...
 
Big Swole said:
Well, Last Friday I went to the track to see what was up....Still have a power loss issue but that's beside the point right now..

After my 3rd pass, I noticed the water temp. climbing up pretty good...I knew something was up cause my truck never does that....Parked it and looked under the truck and had MAJOR blow by.....Took the oil cap off and samething...Ugh!!

Had it towed to Jeff's and spent the night there...Next morning I pulled the VC and injectors out....Bore Scoped it and THOUGHT it looked like I had 2 melted pistons....#1 & #3 looked wierd...

Just pulled the Head off Wed. and come to find out, ALL the pistons were fine and the HG was Perfect!!! (Still stock bolts BTW).....BUT, I blew out one of those little Freeze Plugs inside the head and that dumped a Chit load of Antifreeze into my motor!!! Thank God I had it towed!!!

What the best fix for this to not happen again??? It was on Cyl. #5 I think...Just above the Exhaust port!! Jeff thinks that since the metal is So thin there at the exhaust port that those are getting WAY hot and thats why it came loose..not from the pressure really ...My truck doesn't turn much above 3600-3700 rpms...

Jeff had and Idea about Tapping those openings and putting a threaded plug in there!! What do you think???
I heard that Tim Barber may have done this before but it wasn't cost affective....

I'd love to fix it soon ( least amount of money Poss)....So I can maybe make the Race in Sept. with NADM here in Reynolds GA...

Suggestions??
Click to expand...

Dr. Performance has a freeze plug kit that has all new threaded plugs.
 
3 years & folks are still learning this the hard way... :bang

The 2-stage BOE kit we use adjusts coolant bypass PSI low enough to reduce water pump drive HP by over 35% and flows enough volume when cycled to prevent the pressure spikes which blow "loose" freeze plugs.

Threading the soft plug holes is a good idea, but the coolant pressure will still find the next easiest point of exit - there's over 200 lbs. of force behind every one of the block plugs at rated RPM. :Cheer:
 
XLR8R said:
3 years & folks are still learning this the hard way... :bang

The 2-stage BOE kit we use adjusts coolant bypass PSI low enough to reduce water pump drive HP by over 35% and flows enough volume when cycled to prevent the pressure spikes which blow "loose" freeze plugs.

Threading the soft plug holes is a good idea, but the coolant pressure will still find the next easiest point of exit - there's over 200 lbs. of force behind every one of the block plugs at rated RPM. :Cheer:
Click to expand...


Link ??

Price??

Pics??


Thanks
 
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