DarrenW
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 09:28 AM |
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Core Plug Trouble
At SVA yesterday i had a problem whereby water was being ejected from cooling system. Quick inspection of radiator and hoses etc revealed all was bone
dry. The water was running out of the bell housing. Questions;
1. I have been told most likely cause is rear core plug. Anyone with alternative experiences?
2. Is there a quick fix without pulling the whole engine and box out?
3. Are the rear core plugs prone to rusting through or is cause most likely to be cold temp inside garage and lack of antifreeze?
Thanks All,
Darren.
PS - special mention goes to RAC who left me completely stranded as they wont come out to a car without tax!!!!
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Lightning
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 09:34 AM |
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1) Doubt its anything else
2) No
3) No more that the other core plugs.
Steve
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mookaloid
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 09:43 AM |
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A bit late now I know, but I generally replace all my core plugs when I rebuild an old engine - apart from the obvious reliability issues, its the
only way you can really flush all the old cr*p out of the block.
Congrats on the pass though - great innit?
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zzrpowerd-locost
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 09:52 AM |
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All core plugs i have ever seen rust though have been behind the flywheel(any engine)???
The ones i have had "blow out" have been on the front of the head(pug 1.9)
Agree with changing them on a rebuild!
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Mike R-F
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 10:46 AM |
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If you've not had any antifreeze in & its been below zero in your garage, it could well be the coolant freezing thats poped them out,
that's what they're supposed to do. I had exactly the same problem on an engine I rebuilt, fitted new core plugs, dropped it back into the
car, filled with water only as I'm a tight Scotsman & I only wanted to check everything was running OK before I drained it again, finished
everything off & refilled with correct antifreeze/water ratio. It sat in my garage for two days between Christmas & New Year. Next time I
backed it out the garage, I found 6 core plugs & a block of ice sitting on the garage floor. Talk about P***ed off! Bonnet off, engine out again
for half an hours work. I'll ALWAYS top up with antifreeze now.
Apparently, an engine sitting drained speeds up the process of rusting in core plugs as oxygen is circulating in the air roud the galleries so any
core plug that was marginal before will be a liability when the motor is refiled.
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02GF74
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 11:34 AM |
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congrats on getting through SVA!!
quick solution would be to use radweld stuff. I haver never used it and would not recommend it as I reckon it may clog up radiator tubes.
not sure what engine you got but you can get copper core plugs (or is it brass?) that don't rust for rover v8s at least - maybe worth
enquiriing? I can't imagine there are that many different sizes; at a push it should not be too difficult to make one. I think you are
supposed to use a special sealant when fitting them.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 03:35 PM |
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Thanks for the input everyone.
Next question is - is it necessary to completely remove engine and box or can i get away with a partial split?? I guess someone is going to drop the
"it is behind the flywheel" bombshell.
Engine has been sat for some time empty so that stacks up with the idea that they could have been rusting over time. Now for the best bit - when i got
the engine it came with a full set of core plugs!!!!!!! What is it they say about hindsight????
Ive never changed core plugs before. What is the correct removal and replacement procedure, and what is the DIY method? Is sealant required?
i didnt want to take the engine out this soon. I was hoping to be replacing with 2.1 short motor at some time but not this quick (unfortunately no
cash available so only core plug replacement this time - and all of them as well!!).
Cheers,
Darren.
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 03:54 PM |
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Should be easy to remove engine and leave gearbox in place , it is with a crossflow. Core plug replacement was covered recently ISTR
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 04:05 PM |
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Not difficult to change them - the Haynes manual explains the process quite well. Bang them with a hammer and a punch on one side, and they'll
(hopefully) spin, at which point you can grab them and pull them out. Tap the replacements in using an old socket as a drift - not too exact a fit, as
the edges fold in a bit! You will need a sealant (can't remember what type)
I recommend that you change them all, as they're all likely to be iffy if one has rusted away. You don't want to have to do it again in
a few weeks time, do you!
Have fun
David
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02GF74
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 05:21 PM |
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that's what I would do too. also examine the hole to ensure there is no crud dueto hard water, rust etc:, if there is, scrape it out to ensure
you seal metal to metal + selant.
whilst you have the engine out, check you donlt need to replace any clutch bits!
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bigrich
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| posted on 13/12/05 at 10:40 PM |
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the rear core plug is partially covered by the flywheel so ideally it needs to come off to get a square hit to knock in the new coreplug. I usually
put blue hylomar sealant on the plug when fitting. I would always recommend a antifreeze/water mix of at least 25%(50%is probably better)for its anti
freeze and anti corrosion propertys. Sods law says it will be the one that needs the engine out to repair it, good luck mate should'nt take to
long to do
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