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25 Buick freeze plugs

carmover

By carmover
in Buick - Pre War

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Terry Wiegand 10,000+ Points

Terry Wiegand

Posted
Posted

Ronnie, if I were a betting person, I would tell you that you need Dorman #555-022.  In fact, that IS the plug that you need for your cylinder block.  I would try NAPA, O'REILLY'S, AUTOZONE, CARQUEST, and any others in your part of the world.  Dorman #555-022 is what you want to ask for.  Now, here is a touchy point for some of us.  I went to my local, old time auto parts store here in Hutchinson (Rose Motor Supply) and bought all of these plugs that they had.  I asked the one fellow I know real well if he could get some more of them for me.  I told him that I wanted two boxes of them.  No problem - be there tomorrow.  I went in to pick them up and opened up the first box.  "OH HELL NO" I said.  The guy asked what was wrong.  They were all stamped Made in China.  He looked at me and said that he would call their source and explain the situation.  I got two boxes of American made plugs the next day.  When I went in to pick those up there were several guys in there that I knew and my friend, Mike, had to relate to the guys what had happened the day before.  Everyone agreed that a Buick can not have inferior soft plugs in the block.  That's my story and I am happy that I got American made parts going back into my Buicks.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

  • Like 3
Grimy 25,000+ Points

Grimy

Posted
Posted

Please be careful to check the ACTUAL size of the brass versions.  I preferred and bought brass for my 1922 Paige, but they were a too-loose fit although the same nominal size, so I ended up using steel.  And the brass ones were indeed U.S.-made.

  • Like 1
Brian_Heil 10,000+ Points

Brian_Heil

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, Terry Wiegand said:

Ronnie, if I were a betting person, I would tell you that you need Dorman #555-022.  In fact, that IS the plug that you need for your cylinder block.  I would try NAPA, O'REILLY'S, AUTOZONE, CARQUEST, and any others in your part of the world.  Dorman #555-022 is what you want to ask for.  Now, here is a touchy point for some of us.  I went to my local, old time auto parts store here in Hutchinson (Rose Motor Supply) and bought all of these plugs that they had.  I asked the one fellow I know real well if he could get some more of them for me.  I told him that I wanted two boxes of them.  No problem - be there tomorrow.  I went in to pick them up and opened up the first box.  "OH HELL NO" I said.  The guy asked what was wrong.  They were all stamped Made in China.  He looked at me and said that he would call their source and explain the situation.  I got two boxes of American made plugs the next day.  When I went in to pick those up there were several guys in there that I knew and my friend, Mike, had to relate to the guys what had happened the day before.  Everyone agreed that a Buick can not have inferior soft plugs in the block.  That's my story and I am happy that I got American made parts going back into my Buicks.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

 

And this is when Terry . . . wait for it . . . 'put a plug in for the good ol' USA!'

 

Sorry, blame it on the cold.

  • Like 2
carmover 2,500+ Points

carmover

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I bought a set in brass about 15 years ago and they never gave me any trouble.They were made by Dorman and I got them from the Napa warehouse store in Birmingham.Back the they had big drawers full of all sizes,but now they come prepackaged in sets for modern cars.I use hypertectic sealer on them when I put them in and never had a leak. If I can't find any in brass I will use steel.

Terry Wiegand 10,000+ Points

Terry Wiegand

Posted
Posted

My Dad always used a product called Rust Master in every vehicle he owned including his John Deere tractors which had thermosyphon cooling systems.  This product was a cooling system rust inhibitor, anti-foamant, and water pump lubricant all in one.  I run the original formula Zerex anti-freeze in the 50-50 pre-mix all year around in everything I own.  When I have the engine rebuilt in my '16 I will use the steel soft plugs like in the photo above.  I am absolutely positive that they will outlast me by several lifetimes.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

  • Like 1
dracenroc 1,000+ Points

dracenroc

Posted
Posted

I will replace mine with steel plugs too. Don't know what liquids and/or additives all the previous owners used for cooling. I'm just wondering if they had last longer when they would have been made from brass instead of steel.

  • Like 1
Terry Wiegand 10,000+ Points

Terry Wiegand

Posted
Posted

Ronnie, what is the trade name of the sealer you used on your freeze plugs?  I used Permatex Aviation Sealer (the black gooey stuff that cleans up with alcohol).

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

  • Like 2
Spinneyhill 25,000+ Points

Spinneyhill

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, dracenroc said:

Because the one made of steel look like this after years...?

Reflects the lack of corrosion inhibitor in the water! Just think what the block around a brass plug will look like after a similar lack of corrosion inhibitor.

 

The steel plug will corrode much slower than the block beside a brass plug.

 

 

  • Like 1
carmover 2,500+ Points

carmover

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I will answer two questions first Spinneyhill I want brass because I installed new brass plugs in my 25 Buick 16 years ago and whenIknocked them out a couple of months ago the were clean as a pin with no rust or corrosion present .About 10 years ago I put steel ones in my 65 Bonneville Convertible and last summer I developed a leak behind the starter and pulled the starter and found that the steel plug had a rusted hole in it. And Terry The brand name for the sealer I use on them is Permatex red Hypertectic sealer.I hoped I spelled it right.I bought it through the local Napa Store.

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carmover 2,500+ Points

carmover

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

By the way,I use a product called No Rosion from Restoration Supply.It comes in a flush that completley cleans and etches the block and then then you install the no rosion conditioner/inhibiter which coats the intire cooling system and also changes the ph of the water to keep rust from returning.I also use a Ganno Filter in the upper radiator as well to keep any scale from entering the radiator.The filter is real easy to clean and maintain.

Edited by carmover (see edit history)
26-25Buick 500+ Points

26-25Buick

Posted
Posted

Spinneyhill,  I think what’s preventing a major issue here is the anode to cathode ratio. As you say the iron block will be anodic (the anode is where the metal is lost) to the brass plug but because the corrosion is happening over a relatively large area of the block it’s not such an issues.

The worse combination you can have is a large anode and a small cathode as then the corrosion will be rapid. The reason that a brass plug once it starts weeping around the edge, failure is not far behind. 

 

Then there is also the conductivity of the coolant which affects the area that the brass cathode will influence (attenuation) and on it goes as you have the inhibitors in the coolant, the availability of oxygen, etc.

  • Like 1
Spinneyhill 25,000+ Points

Spinneyhill

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, 26-25Buick said:

anode to cathode ratio.

That us why the steel plugs corrode. They are further up the galvanic series than cast iron and you have a small anode and large cathode (the block).

 

Basically, we are saying that anti-corrosion coolant additives are very important!

  • Like 3
Brian_Heil 10,000+ Points

Brian_Heil

Posted
Posted (edited)

On the early Buicks, before pressurized systems, I have seen these plugs get paper thin before they let go and when they do, it's a 'gusher'.  At least a pressurized system is polite and starts to weep to let you know there is a problem brewing before it opens the flood gates.

 

And don't forget about that one plug that is between the jug and the firewall with maybe 12 mm clearance that most don't even know is there.  I've seen two repaired via a hole saw access in the firewall from the passenger compartment instead of pulling the engine.  Then a nice 'plug' made for the firewall using the same piece.  It's way up under the dash and behind the engine.  Only you and the next guy who pulls your engine will ever know it's there.

Edited by Brian_Heil
typo (see edit history)
  • Like 1
Terry Wiegand 10,000+ Points

Terry Wiegand

Posted
Posted

Yeah, and a person needs hands the size of a seven year old and be able to touch your toes with your nose to get up under the dash to even think about doing what Brian just mentioned.  In a lot of cases it's just easier to pull the engine and be done with it.  Been there and am going to do just that.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

  • Like 1
dracenroc 1,000+ Points

dracenroc

Posted
Posted

Me too Terry...luckily I have a lot of other things to do on the engine...at least it's worth to pull it :rolleyes: 

The picture above is from the rear part of the engine, this one is how the front looks :wacko:

P1090224.JPG

  • Like 2

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