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Dread Rear Freeze Plug


padgett

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OK with the cooler weather I am finally getting to the leaking rear freeze plug.

 

I can see it and having small hands I can even touch it so seems there should be a way to replace it even if I need to make a tool. Hard part looks to be removal. Once out and the surface is cleaned using a rubber expansion should give me a year or two before going through everything & removing the engine. For now (and I know about the other plugs, everything else looks good) a temporary fix to enjoy the nice weather we have now is fine.

 

So is there a way ? A special tool I could make or buy for this? Please help. YWTK.

dreadrearfreezeplug.jpg

Edited by padgett (see edit history)
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Oh you forgot replacing the three cradle mounts that the bolt broke.

 

Was just trying to do a quick fix good for a year or two, otherwise I'd pull all of the connections and radiator and just swing the engine forward a few inches. OTOH if I can get the old plug out, I can use a rubber expansion plug, have enough room for a wrench.

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I had to remove a blower motor in a 2000 El Dorado that the cam cover would not let out. Caddy forums said order Thexton 419X GM engine moving tool, remove the two upper doglegs and attach it. Loosen the front two motor mount bolts about two inches and tighten the Thexton tool until you have the clearance you need. Worked for me, but i realize the engine is rocking forward from the top and may not help, but I throw it out. I found the best deal on the tool on that big auction site under JBtoolsales02 for a shipped price of 39.94. Some people complain about replacing the rear spark plugs ( I have no problem) but this tool would certainly help.

Edited by johnemac
correction (see edit history)
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I'll give it a try. Have you used this method ? That crow looks very uncomfortable.

 

Thexton would make sense for clearance on the firewall, is how I replace the rear plugs on the GTP, but in this case it is the trans that is the problem & would just rock with engine.

 

No rust. Actually cradle bolt fear is not breaking the bolt but spinning the nut.

Edited by padgett (see edit history)
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I understood, just need a 1/16" 12" long drill bit to make a starter hole for the screw. Just hope there is enough meat left in the freeze plug to pry. Alternative is to make the hole big enough to slip a flat bladed screwdriver in and pry.

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OK pulled the pan and have more clearance now, can get my whole hand on it now but is still at about a 60-70 degree angle. Black surface at top is the tranny.

 

Still a bit nervous about trying to start a drywall screw without a pilot hole. Are you sure about this ? At such a high angle ?

 

Pan gasket was one I've never seen before, almost a translucent white silicon of some sort.

 

BTW the two nuts next to the flex plate and under the plastic cover take a 12mm socket, rest of pan screw take a 10mm.

freezeplug.jpg

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No, too close to flammable things and I do not weld. Wondering if pounding the screw in breaks the FP loose so easier to remove. Know there is a pounding technique to rotate plug and pull out but not sure about the angle.

 

Procrastinating, Oil pan gaskets get here tomorrow.

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Nice idea but I tend to go for a "nice drive" of 100 miles or more. When hot is more of a trickle than a drip and now that I have the pan off am just waiting for the pan gaskets to show up then will try to eyelid. First & screw method second. Just need to be careful not to drive it inside.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well have everything needed (mart at the wall was out of distilled water for a while) so spent a couple of hours onnit. Got screw in (driving did not work so drilled a pilot hole. Screw and washer in place. Can hook slide hammer but only get about a 3" travel, May need to build an extension.

 

In any event after a few hundred kabangs my arms hurt and I see no movement. Sprayed with PB blaster and may try again when my thumb heals.

 

 

 

dread3.jpg

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I have a space about 8" long that is only 2" wide to get to the plug and then it is at about a 60 degree angle. Had to remove the oil pan to get another 1/4". Wish I had more options. Thinking about seeing if I can drill a hole on the middle, I really do not want to score the block

dread4.jpg

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I'm surprised a slide hammer wouldn't break it loose and pull it out. As I said earlier, a small lady's foot pry bar might be the best tool for removing the freeze plug. They are made for hooking in a hole and levering the plug out with a rocking motion. Although the bars are short, the small hook on the end of the bar can apply a tremendous amount of pulling power. You will need to drill a bigger hole so the hook will fit in. Harbor Freight probably stocks them but they may not be made very well. Be sure to get a set with a pointed hook on the head like the ones shown below if you decide to buy a set. 

 

Rolling-Head Pry Bar Set - 4 Pc.

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Can you get a Dremel tool in there to grind the sides and weaken them?

Maybe that surplus store you told me about off the north interstate has 1/8 in shank carbide burrs....that would move some metal

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Have thought the same thing about the other end of the screw. Have a hook tip for my slide hammer but need about a foot extension. Think I'll hie to HD and see if I can cobble up something. Fortunately I can just leave on lift while I ruminate a bit.

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I know you have thought about many solutions to this issue and perhaps the nasty access angle prevents driving one side of the plug into the hole causing it to spin in place and then grip and pull out, which is usually how they are removed? Even if the worst happened; it falls inside, and can't be retrieved, I doubt it will do an real harm. It is in a relatively dead area, as far from the water pump as possible and in a sort of dead area at the bottom of the cylinders. Perhaps could hook a bent wire in the existing screw hole as fishin' line? JMO 

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and listened to everyone also thank you. Key seems to be to get it moving. Plan to get to Lowes or HD and see if I can cobble up an extension for my slide hammer. Or just slide a drift into a deep socket on a long extension and kabang it.

 

This will get done, just waiting for the stars to align properly.

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Too bad you can't controllably freeze the local area so it pops out on its own, like using liquid nitrogen.     I wonder what the factory pop-out spec is on a freeze plug,   Another wild and crazy thought is to drill a second hole, and put thick screws in each of the two holes.   Unplug your Lincoln welder and hook each pos and neg to one and the other screw.   Then pump 50 amps through the freeze plug in the region between the two screws, which will likely fry a hole big enough to get a long screwdriver through.

 

Third wild and crazy idea, make the block the cathode in an anodizing circuit, and hook the positive pole of the battery to the freeze plug itself.  Up the amps and the freeze plug will dissolve around its perimeter - depending on the alloy of which the freeze plug is composed.   If possible, obtain another "stock" freeze plug and check its reduction potential on the bench vs. the block alloy.   My guess is that the freeze plug is higher up in the electromotive series than cast iron.  There definitely would be anodic dissolution around its perimeter where it contacts the block.  Hmm, let me do a search on "anodic freeze plug dissolution"

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