Subject: [Shop-talk] Frost heater/freeze plug

From: Scott Hall <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2021 11:20:26 -0600

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This is mostly theory.

One of my staff wants to stick a frost heater in his car--it's a Kia with a
3.3L engine (though I don't think that matters for the question).

Since he thinks I'm a car guy--which in his head means I know everything
about all cars--he's asking for help.

He brought in the instructions and the heater itself. The instructions are
pretty simple: drain coolant, "remove plug" (quotes mine--it just says
"plug", so I'm assuming that's a freeze/expansion plug), screw in heater,
refill coolant, etc.

The heater to install is threaded. It says to torque it to 30 lb. ft.

The plug he's removing probably isn't...I'd think.

Obviously without rolling under the car, who knows? But I'm tempted to tell
him to not start--the only way I know to remove a freeze plug is to drill a
hole in it, then pull it out with something. If there are no threads behind
it--and I can't imagine that a press-in freeze plug presses in to a
threaded hole--then he's just going to need a new freeze plug to reinstall.

So I guess my questions to the list are:

1) anyone ever see a threaded freeze plug? That would seem to defeat the
whole purpose of allowing it to pop out.

2) anyone ever see threads behind a freeze plug? Perhaps the plug presses
into a smooth port, and there are threads behind it?

We called the manufacturer who confirmed that the part number is correct.
It's used on several models so they couldn't say for sure other than,
"it'll work". I'd hate to see this kid pull out a freeze plug then be
screwed.

YouTube similarly has nothing relevant.

Anybody have any experience with this before I just have him drive over and
roll under the car to see what I'm looking at?

Thanks.

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<div dir=3D"ltr">This is mostly theory.<div><br></div><div>One of my staff =
wants to stick a frost heater in his car--it&#39;s a Kia with a 3.3L engine=
 (though I don&#39;t think that matters for the question).</div><div><br></=
div><div>Since he thinks I&#39;m a car guy--which in his head means I know =
everything about all cars--he&#39;s asking for help.</div><div><br></div><d=
iv>He brought in the instructions=C2=A0and the heater itself. The instructi=
ons are pretty simple: drain coolant, &quot;remove plug&quot; (quotes mine-=
-it just says &quot;plug&quot;, so I&#39;m assuming that&#39;s a freeze/exp=
ansion plug), screw in heater, refill coolant, etc.</div><div><br></div><di=
v>The heater to install is threaded. It says to torque it to 30 lb. ft.</di=
v><div><br></div><div>The plug he&#39;s removing probably isn&#39;t...I&#39=
;d think.</div><div><br></div><div>Obviously without rolling under the car,=
 who knows? But I&#39;m tempted to tell him to not start--the only way I kn=
ow to remove a freeze plug is to drill a hole in it, then pull it out with =
something. If there are no threads behind it--and I can&#39;t imagine that =
a press-in freeze plug presses in to a threaded hole--then he&#39;s just go=
ing to need a new freeze plug to reinstall.</div><div><br></div><div>So I g=
uess my questions to the list are:</div><div><br></div><div>1) anyone ever =
see a threaded freeze plug? That would seem to defeat the whole purpose of =
allowing it to pop out.</div><div><br></div><div>2) anyone ever see threads=
 behind a freeze plug? Perhaps the plug presses into a smooth port, and the=
re are threads behind it?</div><div><br></div><div>We called the manufactur=
er who confirmed that the part number is correct. It&#39;s used on several =
models so they couldn&#39;t say for sure other than, &quot;it&#39;ll work&q=
uot;. I&#39;d hate to see this kid pull out a freeze plug then be screwed.<=
/div><div><br></div><div>YouTube similarly has nothing relevant.</div><div>=
<br></div><div>Anybody have any experience with this before I just have him=
 drive over and roll under the car to see what I&#39;m looking at?</div><di=
v><br></div><div>Thanks.</div></div>

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From: Mark Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2021 10:21:42 -0800

I looked up kia block heater and found that they also sell press in (not 
screw in) block heaters such as: 
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/KAT11401?cid=paidsearch_shopping_dcoe_google& 
or https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/find/kia-engine-heaters.c5806

So I'd recommend either a different place for that heater or a different 
heater into the freeze plug.  And: if you get involved with this and it 
fails in any way (pops out if the press in one, leaks for a thread in) 
then it instantly becomes your problem. I'd recommend directing him 
towards his Kia dealer/service shop if he can't take care of it himself .

Regards,

Mark Miller   707-490-5834
[email-masked]

> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2021 11:20:26 -0600
> From: Scott Hall <[email-masked]>
> To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
> Subject: [Shop-talk] Frost heater/freeze plug
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAK73_u4XbnpqsFZCLDMDh8VzirZq3NMxLB=[email-masked]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> This is mostly theory.
>

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