Freeze Plugs for 27 Buick Standard

[Guest JakeF]

Hi All

 

I have a 1927 Buick Standard that I am struggling to find the correct freeze plug (core plug) size.  I've purchased a number of sizes of brass plugs but nothing seems to fit:

 

1-3/16 - this is too small 

1-7/32 - seems to be the closes fit but I cant bang it in.

1-1/4 - too large

30mm - Too small

 

I have tried freezing the 1 7/32 and banging it in with a hammer and large socket, but I cant get it in.  I've tried sanding the inside of the plug space with fine grit sand paper to remove any corrosion or gunk but no joy.  I feel like I am going to chip or crack the block if I hammer it any harder. My Vernier calipers do not seem to give me an accurate enough reading unfortunately. The old plugs are long gone.

 

Oh also, there is a lot of fine rusty dust like powder in the water jacket.  I have spent hours trying to clean the gunk but don't get too far.  Water seems to run through freely from the top to the bottom.  I've given the inside of the water jacket a molasses soak and a soak in radiator cleaner, but the dust does not seem to let water permeate.  Do I need to use a harsher acid or will this not be a problem?  There is maybe 1cm of dust and sludge that wont flush out.

 

I am after any collective wisdom, should I look for a different sized plug, or just use a little more force when trying to smash it in?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jake

[nickelroadster]

Rather than sand the inside of the hole, I would sand the outside of a brass freeze plug.  Don't sand any more than necessary.  I would make a thin nozzle by soldering a 3/8" piece of copper tubing into a brass hose end plug.  Make the tubing about twelve inches long where it will reach way into the block.  The copper tubing can also be bent to fit as you are using it.  This should certainly clean out anything that is loose.

[Guest JakeF]

Nckelroadster

 

Thanks for your detailed reply.  I'll try the above, hopefully have some luck.

 

[Taylormade]

Use a pressure washer to clean out the block.  It worked like a charm on my 48 Plymouth.  With the casting plugs out, you have easy access to the inside of the block.

[Gary W]

I agree with Taylormade.  I also had all kinds of rusted crud inside my block.  Remove the plugs and power washed it from all angles and directions.  You had to see the river of rust that flowed out from the block!

 

This is what I found in the block!  Completely crudded up!

 

Power washed from top to bottom, then front to back, back to front...every angle I could. Look at that river of rust coming out!

 

Here I went into the side drain hole to blow more crud from another direction.

 

All clean.  Here you can see through to the water outlet.