How do you replace freeze plugs?

Hello everybody...

I have an '81 Continental Mark VI 4-dr with the 5.0/302 TBI fuel system (think: mid-80s Crown Vic/Grand Marquis). Love the car, hate what I did to her....

I was running Prestone's Super Cooling System Cleaner through the cooling system with pure water... and had been driving it this way on and off for a couple days (so it could add up to the full 6 hours they recommend). The temp outside had steadily been between 45-65 F. But all of a sudden on the night before I was to drain and refill, we had a surprise winter advisory and temps fell to 6 degrees F. Needless-to-say, the radiator and engine froze.

I was smart enough to realize I probably shouldn't try to start it like this, and as the day progressed and the temps began to rise, I noticed a steady drip drip of coolant from under the engine. Later as temps began to warm up appreciably, I popped the radiator cap and FWOOSH! Probably a pint of fluid splashed out from under the car all over my feet. I immediately jacked the car up and climbed under... and to my horror, there was a half-dollar sized hole in the engine and a piece of metal similarly shaped directly on the ground under it.

Once temps were high enough to ensure that only liquid was in the system (45 F two days later), I started it for JUST a couple seconds. It started right up, very loud now, and coolant/cleaner began slowly pouring out of the hole... and from the back near the transmission. PLEASE tell me there isn't one back there too! Looks like I'd have to remove the AOD transmission to get to something back there....

SO... my question. How the heck do you replace one of these things? I don't see any screw grooves on the one pushed out... and God knows I don't want to just arbitrarily push something into the engine and end up doing even further damage. Oh, and if there really IS one leaking in the back at the transmission bellhousing area, then is there some easy trick to fixing it without having to remove the whole tranny?

Thanks alot... I needed the place to vent... Tré

Reply to
ContinentalMarkVI
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You just tap them in. no threads, no nothin, they go in just like they come out. There is a tool for it but its not always necisary to use it.

(think: mid-80s Crown Vic/Grand Marquis). Love the car, hate what I did to her....

system with pure water... and had been driving it this way on and off for a couple days (so it could add up to the full 6 hours they recommend). The temp outside had steadily been between 45-65 F. But all of a sudden on the night before I was to drain and refill, we had a surprise winter advisory and temps fell to 6 degrees F. Needless-to-say, the radiator and engine froze.

this, and as the day progressed and the temps began to rise, I noticed a steady drip drip of coolant from under the engine. Later as temps began to warm up appreciably, I popped the radiator cap and FWOOSH! Probably a pint of fluid splashed out from under the car all over my feet. I immediately jacked the car up and climbed under... and to my horror, there was a half-dollar sized hole in the engine and a piece of metal similarly shaped directly on the ground under it.

(45 F two days later), I started it for JUST a couple seconds. It started right up, very loud now, and coolant/cleaner began slowly pouring out of the hole... and from the back near the transmission. PLEASE tell me there isn't one back there too! Looks like I'd have to remove the AOD transmission to get to something back there....

don't see any screw grooves on the one pushed out... and God knows I don't want to just arbitrarily push something into the engine and end up doing even further damage. Oh, and if there really IS one leaking in the back at the transmission bellhousing area, then is there some easy trick to fixing it without having to remove the whole tranny?

Reply to
Scott M

Freeze plugs are friction fit. You just tap them into place. As far as the location issue, sorry, I have no idea.

Reply to
Reece Talley

Most car parts stores also sell expanding rubber plugs for just this type of adventure. You need to know the diameter of the hole (metal disk would work) and then buy a plug for that size range. it has a metal plate on back with a stud that goes thru the rubber toward the front. The stud also goes thru a metal plate on the front, and then into a nut. As you tighten the nut, the rubber comresses and squeezes out the side, sealing the hole. these are about an inch thick, so the rubber will expand on the inside and outside of the engine, preventing it from pulling out.

Reply to
Jimz466

Don't know on this particular engine, but on the older 390's, 352's, and

351's, there was a freeze plug(s) on the back of the engine. Some had them on the backs of the heads, but IIRC, they all had one on the block. Sorry. Tom F.

(think: mid-80s Crown Vic/Grand Marquis). Love the car, hate what I did to her....

system with pure water... and had been driving it this way on and off for a couple days (so it could add up to the full 6 hours they recommend). The temp outside had steadily been between 45-65 F. But all of a sudden on the night before I was to drain and refill, we had a surprise winter advisory and temps fell to 6 degrees F. Needless-to-say, the radiator and engine froze.

this, and as the day progressed and the temps began to rise, I noticed a steady drip drip of coolant from under the engine. Later as temps began to warm up appreciably, I popped the radiator cap and FWOOSH! Probably a pint of fluid splashed out from under the car all over my feet. I immediately jacked the car up and climbed under... and to my horror, there was a half-dollar sized hole in the engine and a piece of metal similarly shaped directly on the ground under it.

(45 F two days later), I started it for JUST a couple seconds. It started right up, very loud now, and coolant/cleaner began slowly pouring out of the hole... and from the back near the transmission. PLEASE tell me there isn't one back there too! Looks like I'd have to remove the AOD transmission to get to something back there....

don't see any screw grooves on the one pushed out... and God knows I don't want to just arbitrarily push something into the engine and end up doing even further damage. Oh, and if there really IS one leaking in the back at the transmission bellhousing area, then is there some easy trick to fixing it without having to remove the whole tranny?

Reply to
Tom F.

There should actually be about 6 to 10 freeze plugs. There should be one or two on the back of the engine (one for each bank) and about 3 on each side of the engine. There may be one or two up front (the hole for one of them might be used for connection the water pump).

Just out of curiousity, who do you know that your cylinder block is not cracked?

Perhaps you have more surprises in store.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

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