Posted By: mopar dave
brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 06:38 PM
anyone here ever had brass soft/freeze plugs fall out. sb chevy sitting in a heated garage and 3 soft plugs feel out. why?
brass soft plugs falling out
Posted By: mopartoby
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 07:16 PM
I know the feeling I used green loctite on mine. I lost one at 7500rpm in 3rd gear!! No blown head gaskets or cracked block or heads it just fell out. Made for a pretty insane ride when the water got under my tires!
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 07:32 PM
I'm sure that was not a fun ride.
Posted By: qwkmopardan
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 07:35 PM
How were they installed? I have seen them installed with a socket in the bottom of plug, and it stretches the metal and it does not fit tight enough. The proper tool drives them in from the O.D. rim
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 07:43 PM
they look like there flush with the hole surface.
Posted By: ditchdrift
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 07:47 PM
Yes, i have. Where are they made? i have found the need to mic out alot of new freeze plugs, because some are just too loose of a fit. Sometimes you just have to use the steel plugs on some motors and install with loctite.
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 08:34 PM
made in usa. I think i'm going to put the rubber expanding plugs in to replace the ones that fell out. I don't want to pull motor again.
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 08:39 PM
Quote:
made in usa. I think i'm going to put the rubber expanding plugs in to replace the ones that fell out. I don't want to pull motor again.
Use these... Doorman
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 08:41 PM
Another shot... use Permitex on them
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 08:53 PM
nice, where do you get those? how much? got to run off to work now, get back later.
Posted By: lewtot184
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 08:59 PM
i don't care for brass plugs because they will pop out. i have some friends who had a brass plug blow out,... with the front wheels in the air. water got under one tire and the car ended up in the wall. very ugly and costly.
Posted By: rowin4
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 11:07 PM
As stated above , soft plugs that come out or start leaking were improperly installed. Most take the easy way and put a socket in the center and pound them in. By doing that, it pulls the sides in and reduces the wall tension. The proper way is tapping the outer cup ring till flush with the block, some sealer might help but most of it will be pushed into the block by the tight fitting soft plug. I have used brass soft plugs on 3 engines and never had a leak or have one pop out. 
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/23/15 11:31 PM
Quote:
nice, where do you get those? how much? got to run off to work now, get back later.
You can get them at your local parts store... they
might have to order them if they dont stock them..
I dont know what size you need but they can look
that up.. I forget the price but they werent much..
I bought a whole box of them for the mopar blocks
and that was about $22 for the box if I recall...
I had a plug come out on my R block and I replaced
it with these.. never came out again
Posted By: John Brown
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 02:38 AM
1 5/8 for small block Chevy. Bolt ins may take the same plug as the 1 41/64 that Mopar uses.
Posted By: FM3AAR
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 04:33 AM
Quote:
anyone here ever had brass soft/freeze plugs fall out. sb chevy sitting in a heated garage and 3 soft plugs feel out. why?
I wonder if they were Pioneer brand? I recently bought a Pioneer brass kit to replace the Pioneer brass plugs in a 340 block. When I looked at the new Pioneers, they had changed them sometime. The sidewall height is only about a third of the old original ones. I returned them and got some Sealed Power ones which have the long sidewall height. Doorman also make the original height ones also.
Posted By: FM3AAR
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 04:35 AM
Quote:
As stated above , soft plugs that come out or start leaking were improperly installed. Most take the easy way and put a socket in the center and pound them in. By doing that, it pulls the sides in and reduces the wall tension. The proper way is tapping the outer cup ring till flush with the block, some sealer might help but most of it will be pushed into the block by the tight fitting soft plug. I have used brass soft plugs on 3 engines and never had a leak or have one pop out.
Good tip!
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 05:01 AM
ok, must of been installed wrong. engine has about 14,000 miles and freeze plugs fall out while parked in a heated garage is just strange.
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 05:02 AM
ok, thanks mike. how are those installed?
Posted By: MR_P_BODY
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 05:07 AM
Quote:
ok, thanks mike. how are those installed?
Put permitex around the perimeter and use 2 wrenches
and just tighten it up... once the OD touches then
tighten the small nut.. its very simple.. once you
see them you will understand
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 05:09 AM
ok, pretty much same way as the rubber ones.
Posted By: dwayne welder
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 05:13 AM
I install all my welch plug's with "JB" Weld!!!! I wire wheel clean the block hole's first, then clean with lacquer thinner, good to go!!!! But Check size of hole in block and size of welch plug for good press!!!! Never take anything for granted, weather new or old!!!!
Posted By: mopar dave
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 06:19 AM
thanks Dwayne.
Posted By: skrews
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 08:49 AM
Quote:
As stated above , soft plugs that come out or start leaking were improperly installed. Most take the easy way and put a socket in the center and pound them in. By doing that, it pulls the sides in and reduces the wall tension. The proper way is tapping the outer cup ring till flush with the block, some sealer might help but most of it will be pushed into the block by the tight fitting soft plug. I have used brass soft plugs on 3 engines and never had a leak or have one pop out.
this
Posted By: Ian
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 12:34 PM
i drill 3 small holes at the lip of the block and run weld wire never fell out again
Posted By: dogdays
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/24/15 06:29 PM
Two things:
1. The proper way to drive them is is by pushing on the outer rim. I only found that out a couple of months ago and I've never had an issue driving them in with a socket. But it seems the "right" way is by the outer rim.
2. Cup plugs come in two styles, deep and short or something like that. So there are two distinct plugs for every diameter. I think which one you use depends on the depth of the hole.
R.
I used "the right stuff" on my last job.
1. The proper way to drive them is is by pushing on the outer rim. I only found that out a couple of months ago and I've never had an issue driving them in with a socket. But it seems the "right" way is by the outer rim.
2. Cup plugs come in two styles, deep and short or something like that. So there are two distinct plugs for every diameter. I think which one you use depends on the depth of the hole.
R.
I used "the right stuff" on my last job.
Posted By: Mopar-Al
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/25/15 03:29 AM
I use my snapon installer tools. It comes in many sizes. Never had a failure. Brings them up flush. No sealer, just clean parts.
Posted By: a493demon
Re: brass soft plugs falling out - 02/25/15 03:53 AM
I was told that freeze/soft plugs have a slight tapper to them and when you put them in with a socket that is take's the tapper away.
So when I first started working on car's for a living the snap on tool was one of the first I bought.
So when I first started working on car's for a living the snap on tool was one of the first I bought.