My 4.3 S10 is leaking coolant. I cant seem to find an answer to some questions. How many freeze plugs are there and where are the locations. According to research, on the passenger side theres one behind the motor mount and one by the starter. Im pretty sure its leaking by the starter. Is this plug accessable if i remove the starter? Some also said they removed the exhaust manifold, is this neccessary? If i have to change one i would like to change them all, but i really dont feel like pulling the motor out or anything like that. Right now i just really need to stop the current leak. If anyone has any advice or tips they could share i would really appreciate it.
Any advice or tips on changing freeze plug?
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
Joined
·
322 Posts
mine went on my 95 4.3 and yes if u remove the starter you can just get to it. but i warn you now if one is leaking then more then likely there all going to start to go slowly. i had to pull my engine and change them all cause the one at the back of the engine start seaping.
There are 8 ea. (2 on each side) freeze plugs. You will have to pull the motor to change them all. The trick is to roll them out, this will keep you from losing them inside the water jacket. I've been removing freeze plugs for a few years and it's hard to explain in words. But I'll try.
First you need a small rounded chisel. Tap a few times in the inside edge till you can see the inside surface of the freeze plug hole then start at the outer lip of the freeze plug. Keep tapping at a sharp angle and it should roll out. Be sure not to strike the outside cylinder wall or gouge the feeze plug hole.
If you do knock one inside a pen magnet and a pair of channel locks will work. If you have brass freeze plugs they will not a bent piece of coat hanger or baling wire can be used.
Installation can be done with a freeze plug installer and some sealant.
Hope this helps.
First you need a small rounded chisel. Tap a few times in the inside edge till you can see the inside surface of the freeze plug hole then start at the outer lip of the freeze plug. Keep tapping at a sharp angle and it should roll out. Be sure not to strike the outside cylinder wall or gouge the feeze plug hole.
If you do knock one inside a pen magnet and a pair of channel locks will work. If you have brass freeze plugs they will not a bent piece of coat hanger or baling wire can be used.
Installation can be done with a freeze plug installer and some sealant.
Hope this helps.
Joined
·
2 Posts
One trick I learned from working on metal rigs and gears, is to take the freeze plugs and stick them in the freezer for a night, this shrinks them just enough to make the installation a lot easier. Just getting to the plugs on a 4.3 is painful enough.
Joined
·
5,065 Posts
THe real trick is...Pay some one else to do it!
Joined
·
5,065 Posts
Well I am niether. But some times if you dont know what you are doing it could end up costing you more money and aggrivation.koebbe14 said:
Joined
·
5,065 Posts
I just use my alldata to run a quick estimate.koebbe14 said:
Keep in mind it is for a 97 Astro van. Little more involved.
All 8 plugs with removal of interferance parts (starter,flex plate,mounts,accesory brakets) $1152.00
The 4 on both sides (mounts and starter) $312
I figured this with an $80hr labor rate.
How much is it worth to you if you do not have the expirience and proper tools. Wait till you smash your fingers and they are so bloody you can not hold the plugs in place and you need to get your truck towed to the shop.
Well I fix the problem yesterday. It wasnt the freeze plug behind the starter, it was actually the one behind the motor mount. I removed the starter, removed the bolts that hold the upper motor mount to the lower mount off of both sides. Then i used a piece of a board to cover the head of a hydralic jack and carefully lifted the motor using the oil pan. With the motor lifted, it gave me enough room to get to the three bolts that hold the mount to the engine block. With the upper mount off i decided to go ahead and take the mount off the frame to give me more room to work with. To get the leaky freeze plug out, i ended up punching a hole in it, and then knocking it into the block. Then i used a screwdriver and the hole in the plug to pop it back out. No auto parts store around me had brass freeze plugs, so i had to buy another steel plug. I took some fine sand paper and cleaned the edge of the hole where the freeze plug goes. It was a real pain in the ass to try and install the new plug, considering theres only about four inchs to work with and the plug goes in at an angle. The way i finally got it in was to smear a little grease on the hole and the plug. I found a socket that fits into the cup part of the plug and used a big ass crow bar inside the socket to beat the holy hell out of it. It takes a lot of time to get the freeze plug back in, so be patient and keep beating the sh!t out of it.
Thanks to anyone who gave advice
Thanks to anyone who gave advice
Joined
·
5,065 Posts
You shoulda called man. When I got all the plugs and the cases from an auto parts store that was discontinuing stocking them. Brass, steel ,pipe plugs, many sizes.koebbe14 said:
I didnt use a big a$$ glob of grease, just enough to put a film around the hole and the plug itself. When i bought the plug i asked the guy who sold it to me if i needed a sealer or anything, and he said no. Actually he told me to smear a little oil around it to help knock it in. Its been two days and no signs of a leak. I really dont think a little grease would hurt as tight as those plugs fit. The only thing would be for the steel plug to rust outbg's said:
Welcome to the forum. Yea you have to pull the stater for the one above it.
I really had a hell of time with mine, but I've been told if you hit the old plug
at one of the edges that are easiest to get to with a pointed chisel and hammer,
the other end of the plug with "swivel" out and then you can pull it out.
This didn't happen for me. I had to take mine out in pc's. Lots of fun. The
only way I was able to get a new one back in was to use some sealer on
the edge, then use a num of socket extensions with a socket on one end
that fit the plug pretty close and snake these over the frame to a place
where I could knock the extensions with a hammer. It took a long time to
get it in straight, but finally I guess it decided I'd stressed out enough,
and just kind of popped into place.
I don't know about the other ones, but the one at the starter was good
enough for a couple hrs of headache.
I really had a hell of time with mine, but I've been told if you hit the old plug
at one of the edges that are easiest to get to with a pointed chisel and hammer,
the other end of the plug with "swivel" out and then you can pull it out.
This didn't happen for me. I had to take mine out in pc's. Lots of fun. The
only way I was able to get a new one back in was to use some sealer on
the edge, then use a num of socket extensions with a socket on one end
that fit the plug pretty close and snake these over the frame to a place
where I could knock the extensions with a hammer. It took a long time to
get it in straight, but finally I guess it decided I'd stressed out enough,
and just kind of popped into place.
I don't know about the other ones, but the one at the starter was good
enough for a couple hrs of headache.
Joined
·
59 Posts
I'd use one of theose rubber expandable repair plugs they sell for these situations. They work pretty good and the only sane way to install a frost plug with the engine still in
I'd do that til you have time to pull the block and replace them all.
Grease is not going to do anything to your install. The pressure fit is way more than enough... if you got it in there correctly and it comes out on you, you have much bigger problems to worry about... Like the firemen getting those jaws of life out before you burn in the fiery head on collision that cause your block to spit out that properly installed freeze plug
Better plan on doing them all sometime soon. Its true, if one rusted through, the others are right behind it. I once replaced one that was rusty. I tested some others while I was at it and I could push a screw driver right through 3 others with no force at all.
You could also get a block heater to put in there... Might as well... They are cheap ($15) and install much easier than the plugs. Come in rreal handy in the winters...
I'd do that til you have time to pull the block and replace them all.
Grease is not going to do anything to your install. The pressure fit is way more than enough... if you got it in there correctly and it comes out on you, you have much bigger problems to worry about... Like the firemen getting those jaws of life out before you burn in the fiery head on collision that cause your block to spit out that properly installed freeze plug
Better plan on doing them all sometime soon. Its true, if one rusted through, the others are right behind it. I once replaced one that was rusty. I tested some others while I was at it and I could push a screw driver right through 3 others with no force at all.
You could also get a block heater to put in there... Might as well... They are cheap ($15) and install much easier than the plugs. Come in rreal handy in the winters...
Joined
·
6,950 Posts
Joined
·
59 Posts
Here is a link that has a pic. I don't know which block this particular heater fits. There are different sizes.
I selected this one cause it was the only one with a pic on partsamerica.com
Zip Code Entry at PartsAmerica.com
I selected this one cause it was the only one with a pic on partsamerica.com
Zip Code Entry at PartsAmerica.com
1 - 20 of 24 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!