Leaky Freeze Plug

Hi there!

It looks like my freeze plugs sprung a leak. Has anyone replaced them on the passenger side before? It looks like a major PITA. My thinking is I can unbolt the piece above it (can someone help me identify it? I've circled it in green) in order to work on it. The tan colored piece that gets crazy hot after the car's been on. I thought it was part of the exhaust system, but when I look at that in the FSM I can't find it in any of the exhaust diagrams.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Mac

 

if you can take that picture you can get to it. Dont drive it in. If you can get a self tapping screw on it and tie a line to it just in case you can drive one side and it should spin then pull it out, of course much easier when the motor mount is out of the way. Putting it back in is just a s easy, socket and extension and a hammer. I would pick up 2 just in case there is a "learning curve".

 

There just doesn't seem to be enough room. I can feel the freeze plug if I stick my hand in there, but there isn't enough room to really do anything.

Is that circled part the exhaust manifold? If I pull that off is there a gasket that will need to be replaced?

 

Yes indeed exhaust Manifold it does have a gasket .

 

Couldn't get the exhaust manifold off. There just isn't enough space to work on this stupid thing. I see why people recommend pulling the engine out. Gonna try plugging the hole and hoping for the best. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Pray tell why could you not get the exhaust manifold off??

 

The short socket I have wasn't seating properly around the bolts connecting the manifold to the exhaust system. I have a deeper socket, but that was too big and I can't fit the socket wrench in where it needs to be in order to loosen the bolts ... though as I type this I suppose I could have used an angled piece.

Anyway, even with the manifold off, I don't think there's enough room to remove the freeze plug and replace it with a new one. The engine mount is blocking it. Seems like the only way to replace the plug would be to pull the engine out of the car.

 

Unfortunately, freeze plugs usually are much easier to just pull the engine out to work on it.

Also, you may as well replace them all.....it's just a matter of time now.

 

Thought I would provide an update.

I couldn't figure out how to get to the freeze plug to replace it, so I took it to a shop. Ended up being ~$270 to get it replaced. But now another plug started leaking, this time on the passenger side closest to the cabin. It looks like the starter is in front of it. I'm hoping I can remove the starter and have better access to this plug to replace it. Fingers crossed!

 

Sorry to hear it went down like that. I guess those things start being the 'sacrificial anodes' when things get funky in the cooling system. Which it evidently did at some point in the past.

 

wow, what bad luck.
That cooling system must have been neglected on a level I cannot even imagine-

/\ /\ /\ - what he said! he's probably not psychic but I'm pretty sure he's predicting your future.

I totally agree w/cruxofthebisquit: you're gonna be wasting both time and money just to 'patch it up' piecemeal. One leaking back in April, a second one more recently....just a matter of time 'til you feel like that Dutch guy w/his finger in the dike.

Did you know there's a 'freeze plug' on the front of the block behind the timing (chain?-your profile says 2wd so I'll assume that's a 4cyl) cover, where you can not see it ? Early symptoms of eminent failure in that location are going to be damn difficult to detect. (Merely inspecting it will require removal of all the belt-driven accessories, pulleys etc. on the front of the engine, all of the timing system components, the crankshaft pulley....) Well, maybe you could use a bore-scope type set-up of some sort threaded through valve cover oil filler cap..... In addition to the half-dozen or so freeze plugs that are (somewhat) visible on both sides of the block, IIRC there is also one hiding on the back side (about 1 1/2" from firewall.)

well, ....good luck. I'll be watching for further updates.

 

If the engine comes out always a good idea to replace the freeze plugs .

Unless your the type that just pulls the engine to clean those hard to reach spots

 

Yikes. I've never pulled an engine out before, but I'm not opposed . . . so long as there are plenty of write-ups and youtube videos! I reached out to a few different shops around the valley (Phoenix) and none of them will give me a quote without inspecting the truck first. Anyone know what it would cost to just replace all of them? Is there any other work that's worth getting done when the engine is out? I'm about due for the timing belt and water pump.

Didn't really have a chance to look at it yesterday, but I hope to look at it today. Luckily I live off the light rail, so it's not too inconvenient to let it sit for a little while.

 

Not to be harsh, but if you could not identify the part you circled in green above, you should NOT try to pull a motor on your own. At a minimum, enlist the help of a friend with some more experience than you and tag team it. Going it alone will only cause you more grief than you want/need.

 

Hah, you are not wrong! I'd rather not pull the engine if I didn't need to. It looks like a major PITA.

 

Oh, it is. But obviously less of a PITA for guys with the necessary experience and equipment. But you do seem ambitious and curious and that's a good thing. Everyone who knows how to pull an engine was at one point in their lives someone who didn't know how to pull an engine. Then they pulled an engine!

 

It's a truck. Not bad to pull. I think the wiring harness disconnects at the firewall so you won't be stuck with a 100 different connectors trying to figure out where they all go and route.

1 thing to be replaced while out that would be hard to get back to is the rear main seal. There's a couple of plugs on the back (and actually, those are normally the first to go bad)

 

Luckily I didn't need to pull the engine. The freeze plug in question is right behind the starter. I pulled the front right wheel off, pulled the starter out, hammered out the old plug, and pounded in the new plug!

I followed this video to see what was involved with removing the starter, then got to work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkktcdZDGvY

I guess we'll see how long it goes before another plug fails. There don't seem to be many write-ups on replacing the plugs. If I pull the engine, I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

 

I'm just gonna say this. If one plug is leaking, the rest are soon to follow. I would bust them all out and install new ones. Save yourself the headache later of having to go back in time and time again.

 

I'm sure they are. Is there a map of where all of them are? I flipped through the FSM but couldn't find anything on them.