[Shop-talk] Frost heater/freeze plug

[Scott Hall]

And I think the real purpose of a freeze plug is to leak and lead to
impromptu coolant changes. I've never seen one pop out and save a block.

Though I did have an engine freeze once and *not* crack the block--it just
messed up everything else.

On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 11:51 AM Phil Ethier <pethier7 at gmail.com> wrote:

> You need to see the part of itself and not just the paperwork.
>
> Has anyone ever actually seen a freeze plug save an engine block?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jan 14, 2021, at 11:21 AM, Scott Hall <scott.hall.personal at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > 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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