luckypballer

I was replacing my waterpump today , and dropped a wrench. I bent down to pick it up and noticed water dropping from underneath my car. So i go under to investagate and i trace it to a freeze plug on my drivers side by the oil pan. Is this bad that it is leaking? How much to fix? Can i replace it myslef?

90GTRagtop

Yes it can be very bad. I had one give way on a 4.0L explorer and it cost me an engine. Ran hot and spun the bearings before it gave my wife any warning about being hot. If it's leaking, it could suddenly fail. You can replace it, but it's tricky. Main problem may be getting the old one out. They can be replaced with a rubber compression/expansion plug that's easier to put in, but you must tighten them just right. Too little leaks, and too much could stress crack the block. If you can get too it, the biggest problem putting a new pressed one in is tapping it in straight and flush, and not tapping it all the way into the block where it will fall down into the water jacket.

luckypballer

any special instructions on how to remove them?

88PatrolCar

Too remove it you just knock on the bottom of it with a screw driver and a hammer till it turns sideways then grab hold of it with a pair of pliers and pull it out.

Derf00

Unless you knock it into the block like that..then you are really done. Although that is really the only way to get them out. Just be sure you don't hit it too hard to many times in a row without checking to see if it's actually tipping one end into the block and the other end out towards you. How big of a freeze plug is it?

New ones are a bit easier to put in. You get a socket that fits snuggly inside the edges, place it where you want it to go and gently tap it into place. Again not too hard too fast or you risk knocking it into the block.