Pitted freeze plug bore. How have you got them to seal?

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Cudafever

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I posted this pic in my other thread.......but figured it's time for a new thread.
0714162013.jpg
 
Yup. Most any kind of water proof sealer will work fine there.
 
You have had pits that big and it sealed?

I've worked on quite a few raw/salt water cooled engines, and pitting like that can be the norm.. I've been amazed by how well Permatex and/or JB Weld can work when parts are not readily avail. (at sea 200 miles from anywhere).

Wipe a liberal amount of Permatex into/over the pits, coat the plug with it too, it will fill the walls of the cylinder/bore. Any excess will be pushed thru and help seal any coolant before it gets to the pits.

cheers
 
I've worked on quite a few raw/salt water cooled engines, and pitting like that can be the norm.. I've been amazed by how well Permatex and/or JB Weld can work when parts are not readily avail. (at sea 200 miles from anywhere).

Wipe a liberal amount of Permatex into/over the pits, coat the plug with it too, it will fill the walls of the cylinder/bore. Any excess will be pushed thru and help seal any coolant before it gets to the pits.

cheers

Wow i was thinking of using some epoxy to fill in the voids and then using a wheel cyl hone to smooth it out.
If it will seal that mess....Well Cool!

Does anyone know of a place that sells oversize freeze plugs? like 10 or 20 thou over size. My caliper says that the 1 5/8 hole is 1.630 aka .005 larger than the 1-5/8 freeze plug! my other freeze plug hole is 1.615 which will give a .010 crush. that one should seal easy with some permatex.
 
paint backside and rims of them with RTV, itll seal them and prevent them from rusting out if you are using steel. are 1.500 freeze plugs really 1.500 OD? I would think not. There is always the rubber expansion plugs if they are really bad.
 
I blew the pic up x300, and ddn't see anything otherwise, unless you're seeing something I can't.

Use a standard plug or risk other probs.

(hint) the steel/brass plug expands at a diff rate than cast iron.
 
Wow i was thinking of using some epoxy to fill in the voids and then using a wheel cyl hone to smooth it out.
If it will seal that mess....Well Cool!

Does anyone know of a place that sells oversize freeze plugs? like 10 or 20 thou over size. My caliper says that the 1 5/8 hole is 1.630 aka .005 larger than the 1-5/8 freeze plug! my other freeze plug hole is 1.615 which will give a .010 crush. that one should seal easy with some permatex.

No on the freeze plugs because blocks don't make it long enough to be an issue normally. :D
I also totally agree on the Permatex, and have used the tube stuff as well as the bottle with the brush, but for what you need the tube stuff works perfect. (It's a bit thicker than the bottled)
Just wipe it around the inside of the plug bore and the outside of the plug both and pop it in there, just like mentioned above.
I have seen it seal WAY worse than that.
 
paint backside and rims of them with RTV, itll seal them and prevent them from rusting out if you are using steel. are 1.500 freeze plugs really 1.500 OD? I would think not. There is always the rubber expansion plugs if they are really bad.
not 1-1/2, 1-5/8 aka 1.625 the hole is larger at 1.630
 
No on the freeze plugs because blocks don't make it long enough to be an issue normally. :D
I also totally agree on the Permatex, and have used the tube stuff as well as the bottle with the brush, but for what you need the tube stuff works perfect. (It's a bit thicker than the bottled)
Just wipe it around the inside of the plug bore and the outside of the plug both and pop it in there, just like mentioned above.
I have seen it seal WAY worse than that.

I am also a fan of RTV but in this case the Permatex hardens from heat and will be nice and solid after a bit and RTV wouldn't even though it would seal it.
Prefer the deep brass freeze plugs myself, especially with pitted bores.
 
Freeze plugs are larger than they are stamped for a press fit. It will press in fine. You can either try it, or stand there starin at it wonderin if it'll work and postin on the internet about it. One way will fix it. One way won't. I wouldda had it fixed already. Three times.
 
I've seen them that bad and worse. I have always used Indian Head shellac on every freeze plug I install and have never had to deal with a leaker!
 
Freeze plugs are larger than they are stamped for a press fit. It will press in fine. You can either try it, or stand there starin at it wonderin if it'll work and postin on the internet about it. One way will fix it. One way won't. I wouldda had it fixed already. Three times.

rusty i can take a new 1 5/8 freeze plug and put it in sideways. push it all the way thru with finger pressure! My other hole, as i said above will have a pressed fit. This one WILL NOT.

Just found this sight that has a 1-41/64 which is .010 larger than my oversized hole.
Will be calling them tomorrow!!!!

woops forgot the link
Freeze Plug Size Chart – freezeplugfactory.com
 
rusty i can take a new 1 5/8 freeze plug and put it in sideways. push it all the way thru with finger pressure! My other hole, as i said above will have a pressed fit. This one WILL NOT.

Just found this sight that has a 1-41/64 which is .010 larger than my oversized hole.
Will be calling them tomorrow!!!!

....and you kept it to yourself until post 14. Classy.
 
I've seen them that bad and worse. I have always used Indian Head shellac on every freeze plug I install and have never had to deal with a leaker!

I almost mentioned that because they are almost exactly the same, but the Permatex is thicker.
I have used both before and both work really well for stuff like that.
 
rusty i can take a new 1 5/8 freeze plug and put it in sideways. push it all the way thru with finger pressure! My other hole, as i said above will have a pressed fit. This one WILL NOT.

Just found this sight that has a 1-41/64 which is .010 larger than my oversized hole.
Will be calling them tomorrow!!!!

woops forgot the link
Freeze Plug Size Chart – freezeplugfactory.com

You wouldn't have to go through all that with the brass plugs. :D
 
I've had good luck with the Grey RTV. I've always used it, and I've never had a leak.
 
I've seen them that bad and worse. I have always used Indian Head shellac on every freeze plug I install and have never had to deal with a leaker!


that Indian head shellac is good stuff I use it all the time .
 
I've saiid it once, I've said it a million times -
"THE RIGHT STUFF" ! I **** you not, I bet I can take my oilpan bolts out for the rest of the drag race season and never see a drop of oil. Or in this case- take the bolts out of my thermostat housing and never have a water leak.
 
I've saiid it once, I've said it a million times -
"THE RIGHT STUFF" ! I **** you not, I bet I can take my oilpan bolts out for the rest of the drag race season and never see a drop of oil. Or in this case- take the bolts out of my thermostat housing and never have a water leak.

I did that once with the red hi temp RTV with my valve covers on a bet.
Put it all together and after a day of running it I pulled all the bolts out and drove it 15 miles over to a friends house to get my winnings. :D

I pretty much see myself as the king of sealants, as far as knowing what works best where.
Things like freeze plugs, sure RTV and the right stuff would both work for sealing it, but Permatex will solidify making the seal between the two surfaces tough as hell instead of basically putting a silicone lubricant between them.
I'd bet with Permatex you could knock that plug out in a year (or 10) and pop another one in there without even resealing the second one because the old Permatex would be hardened on the iron of the block.

Then the reason I recommend the deep brass plugs is because they also use the outer surface of the plug bore that isn't damaged nearly as bad.
They can sit all the way out flush with the outside of the block and still use the entire sealing surface of the plug bore.
 
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