Moparts

Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs?

Posted By: Anonymous

Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 02:18 AM

My 72 Satellite Starting leaking from what appears to be below the back of the Driver's side head. Possibly a freeze plug. 127,000 original miles. If it is the freeze plug, what are my possible solutions? How easy to get them out?

Help.
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 11:28 AM

I am pretty sure there is a freeze plug in the back of the head , look at your passenger side head behind the altenator, that's what the back of the other head looks like.

The rear bolt on the exh manifold goes into the water passage also and can be a possible leak point if it's been messed with .

Or its the head gasket if the leak is truly at the deck surface .
Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 11:48 AM

Quote:

How easy to get them out?

Help.




Not easy at all to get to. If it is the freeze plug then you should figire on taking the whole motor out and replace all of them, becAUSE THEY WILL BE ALL READY TO FAIL AT THIS POINT IN TIME. Easy to replace once the motor is out. Sorry for the caps. There are freeze plugs on the back of the motor too. Those are ones that leaked on my motor and all of mine were paper thin when I replaced them.
Posted By: JohnRR

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 11:50 AM

Quote:

Quote:

How easy to get them out?

Help.




Not easy at all to get to. If it is the freeze plug then you should figire on taking the whole motor out and replace all of them, becAUSE THEY WILL BE ALL READY TO FAIL AT THIS POINT IN TIME. Easy to relace once the motors out. Sorry for the caps.



especially the 2 between the engine and trans .
Posted By: Fastfrankie

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 12:50 PM

Ive seen many small block Mopars and the freeze plugs weep/leak in the back of the motor where the tranny bellhousing area is and I've replaced them - that is common. I've only replaced one head gasket freeze plug in my life!

If you're sure its a head freeze plug for sure (use a mirror), you can always pull the one head to save some work. It may be years before the others start to leak...

Personally, pulling the motor is alot of work. No one can tell you when the others will leak. They all don't rust out at the same rate - I've seen motors where one freeze plug was leaking and all the others were good upon removal of them all.

Good luck
Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 01:52 PM

More often if one is leaking the rest are not far behind. I would pull the engine and replace them all. If they have never been replaced there will be a lot of mud and crap lodged behind them. Do yourself a favor and do it right.
Posted By: buildanother

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 02:06 PM

If it's really all original, I'd find the means to pull it out, replace all the plugs, valve stem seals, and for sure the plastic timing gear and chain set too.
Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 03:05 PM

Quote:

If it's really all original, I'd find the means to pull it out, replace all the plugs, valve stem seals, and for sure the plastic timing gear and chain set too.






127K miles... the plastic timing gear does need a replacement too.
I took mine out on a Sat morning and put it back in on Sun and was driving it Sun nite. Knowsnothing is right, I found all kinds of gunk in the water jackets that I pressure washed out. Cleaned out my oil pan while I was at it. It's easier to remove tranny and motor at the same time. I also put a new front seal in my tranny while I was at it.
I built this motor in 1986 and installed steel freeze plugs at that time. So it took about twenty years for them to rust out. This time I replaced them with brass, so hopefully it and me will be around for another twenty years.

Posted By: new bee

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 03:32 PM

I've posted this before,so I'll keep it short. You can pm me for more information.

We removed and replaced all the head freeze plugs from my Super Bee, and we only pulled the exhaust manifolds.
It can be done, and it's not that tough. We used a pipe clamp with a modified end. The pipe clamp is the length of the head. One end has the standard crank to tighten and loosen the thing. The modified end is a flat disk with a bolt attached to it.

1) install clamp to head with bolt pushing against the old freeze plug

2) tighten clamp until bolt pushes freeze plu 90 degrees

3) remove old freeze plug

4)center new freeze plug in hole.

5)replace the bolt on the clamp with a small socket. Install clamp so socket is centered inside the cup of the new freeze plug

6) tighten clamp, making sure plug goes in straight.

Viola! We had them in and out within 15 minutes.
Posted By: dogdays

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 04:10 PM

It's spelled, "v-o-i-l-a". Origin is something like the French words for "see" and "that". A viola is a stringed instrument and possibly a type of flower.

Nonetheless the use of the pipe clamp (took me a while to figure out that you mean a clamp made with a length of pipe, commonly used for cabinet work) is a really clever idea and I congratulate you. It's an idea that I will keep handy for future use.

R.
Posted By: new bee

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 04:21 PM

oops...spelling!
Me flunk english? Thats unpossible!
Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 04:52 PM

Quote:

I've posted this before,so I'll keep it short. You can pm me for more information.

We removed and replaced all the head freeze plugs from my Super Bee, and we only pulled the exhaust manifolds.
It can be done, and it's not that tough. We used a pipe clamp with a modified end. The pipe clamp is the length of the head. One end has the standard crank to tighten and loosen the thing. The modified end is a flat disk with a bolt attached to it.

1) install clamp to head with bolt pushing against the old freeze plug

2) tighten clamp until bolt pushes freeze plu 90 degrees

3) remove old freeze plug

4)center new freeze plug in hole.

5)replace the bolt on the clamp with a small socket. Install clamp so socket is centered inside the cup of the new freeze plug

6) tighten clamp, making sure plug goes in straight.

Viola! We had them in and out within 15 minutes.



Great Idea!
Posted By: UCUDANT

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 05:29 PM

Great info. Can someone post a picture of this pipe clamp tool possibly from ebay or an internet supplier?? Thanks
Posted By: new bee

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 07:27 PM

Harbor freight has the stuff you will need to make one. I will try to get a photo of it online soon.
Posted By: mopars4ever

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 08:07 PM

What happens if you push the freeze plug into the head? How do you remove it? Mike
Posted By: new bee

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 08:43 PM

My experience is that you can get your fingers in there enough to rotate the thing, and work it out. I had two on the sides of the heads drop in, and I was able to carefully slide them up, turn them, and pull them out.
Needle nose pliers are useful as well.
Posted By: dogdays

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 08:46 PM

picture attached

Attached picture 4621517-pipeclamp.jpg
Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 09:52 PM

Quote:

What happens if you push the freeze plug into the head? How do you remove it? Mike


Nothing, It won't go anyplace.
If it were mine I would pull the engine and do it right and not worry anymore about it. I would also install a timing chain and gears, pull the pan and check the bearings at that milage. Not that big a job to pull the engine out of there. Couple of hours max. including a beer break.
Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/15/08 11:33 PM

Quote:

Quote:

What happens if you push the freeze plug into the head? How do you remove it? Mike


Nothing, It won't go anyplace.
If it were mine I would pull the engine and do it right and not worry anymore about it. I would also install a timing chain and gears, pull the pan and check the bearings at that milage. Not that big a job to pull the engine out of there. Couple of hours max. including a beer break.



Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/16/08 12:18 AM

Quote:

I am pretty sure there is a freeze plug in the back of the head , look at your passenger side head behind the altenator, that's what the back of the other head looks like.

The rear bolt on the exh manifold goes into the water passage also and can be a possible leak point if it's been messed with .

Or its the head gasket if the leak is truly at the deck surface .


Just look at the heads. The other end is the same, They don't know front from back or left from right.
Posted By: NITROUSN

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/16/08 12:23 AM

Quote:

I've posted this before,so I'll keep it short. You can pm me for more information.

We removed and replaced all the head freeze plugs from my Super Bee, and we only pulled the exhaust manifolds.
It can be done, and it's not that tough. We used a pipe clamp with a modified end. The pipe clamp is the length of the head. One end has the standard crank to tighten and loosen the thing. The modified end is a flat disk with a bolt attached to it.

1) install clamp to head with bolt pushing against the old freeze plug

2) tighten clamp until bolt pushes freeze plu 90 degrees

3) remove old freeze plug

4)center new freeze plug in hole.

5)replace the bolt on the clamp with a small socket. Install clamp so socket is centered inside the cup of the new freeze plug

6) tighten clamp, making sure plug goes in straight.

Viola! We had them in and out within 15 minutes.



Thats a great idea however you go through all that work and next week the plugs between the motor and tranny start to leak. Its a no brainer to me. Pull the motor and do them all.
Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: Coolant Leak from the back of 318 -- Freeze Plugs? - 08/16/08 12:30 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I've posted this before,so I'll keep it short. You can pm me for more information.

We removed and replaced all the head freeze plugs from my Super Bee, and we only pulled the exhaust manifolds.
It can be done, and it's not that tough. We used a pipe clamp with a modified end. The pipe clamp is the length of the head. One end has the standard crank to tighten and loosen the thing. The modified end is a flat disk with a bolt attached to it.

1) install clamp to head with bolt pushing against the old freeze plug

2) tighten clamp until bolt pushes freeze plu 90 degrees

3) remove old freeze plug

4)center new freeze plug in hole.

5)replace the bolt on the clamp with a small socket. Install clamp so socket is centered inside the cup of the new freeze plug

6) tighten clamp, making sure plug goes in straight.

Viola! We had them in and out within 15 minutes.



Thats a great idea however you go through all that work and next week the plugs between the motor and tranny start to leak. Its a no brainer to me. Pull the motor and do them all.

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