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After replacing the coil on my 1987 V8 Formula, I took the car for a short test Drive around my neighborhood. After I parked the car I noticed that coolant was gushing from under the car right behind passenger side tire. Since I couldn't see any hoses leaking above, I figured it had to be a freeze plug. Unfortunately, in order to get a clear view of the culprit I had to remove the starter solenoid. After removing the two bolts attracting the starter to the block, I saw that I couldn't move it any further because it was blocked by the exhaust pipe. I can see the freeze plug now but I don't know if I should continue trying to remove the exhaust pipe. I don't know how much roo I need to replace one, or even how to replace one for that matter. Also, are freeze plugs all a universal size? Anyone with any experience or tips, please help me out!
Here's a photo of the freeze plug. I could only get this picture by sticking my phone up into the engine, as there is very little room to work with.
There really is no easy way to do freeze plugs. Remove what you have to to gain access. My father used to get core plugs out and back in the most impossible places. His MO was to punch a hole in them (easy to do if they're as corroded as yours) and then pry them out.
I don't like punching them into the block and then trying to fish them out.
Keep in mind that if one is bad, they're all that bad.
They are all made of THE EXACT SAME material, have been subjected to THE EXACT SAME conditions and chemicals for THE EXACT SAME length of time, therefore are more likely than not to be in THE EXACT SAME state.
Best plan would be to pull the motor out far enough to access ALL of them (2 in back, 2 in front, 2 on each side) and replace them with brass. Otherwise, you'll put yourself through how ever many contortions and doing more extra work trying to get out of doing work than the work you're trying to get out of doing, only to find in about a month that you'll have to do it all over again. And then the month after that. Except that the next one(s) will be EVEN HARDER to get to... that being the way the world always seems to work.
Just bite the bullet and put the whole job in your rearview mirror.
Pulling the motor is BY FAR the easiest and most likely successful way of doing them.
06-12-2016, 02:09 PM
