freeze plugs?

[olred90]

this afternoon when i parked my truck (88 ranger 2.9) antifreeze was just pouring out around the back of the motor. after letting it cool down and looking at it more, it looks like its leaking from one of the freeze plugs. i had to take my right front tire off and move the plastic wheel well around to see it.
what would be the best way to fix it. im in college and don't really have the money to take it to a shop so i'll be fixing it myself or it won't be getting fixed. can i just clean it off around the plug and put j.b. weld or something like it around and in the plug?

 

[88_Eddie]

they're easy to change. you can remove them and install them with hand tools. i'd just change it if you have all the stuff pulled out.

 

[adsm08]

Is this one in the block, or the one in the back of the head?

I have found these to be much easier to put in, especially in hard to reach areas.

They work well too.

 

[rockin86ranger]

problem with those is the rubber doesnt like the heat cycles to well. somebody put 3 of those in my b2 and all of them where shot. i would use them if i was at college and couldnt afford to pay a shop, but i would plan on changing it later (probably a a couple of years)

the metal ones arent expensive and arent bad to put in you can use a big socket to put them in

 

[adsm08]

problem with those is the rubber doesnt like the heat cycles to well. somebody put 3 of those in my b2 and all of them where shot. i would use them if i was at college and couldnt afford to pay a shop, but i would plan on changing it later (probably a a couple of years)

the metal ones arent expensive and arent bad to put in you can use a big socket to put them in

I drove around with one of those in the front of my left head for 10 years and it never gave me any issues.

I still wouldn't leave it there forever.

 

[FordNut89]

I drove around with one of those in the front of my left head for 10 years and it never gave me any issues.

I still wouldn't leave it there forever.

Question on that though you put one in the front of the block, you run into a problem when you put them in the side. on the side of the cylinders there isn't enough room to actually get the rubber plugs in all the way nor is there enough room to drive one of the new brass ones in.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I would try what adsm08 suggested. If that doesn't work then try an epoxy fix.

Richard

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I used one of the rubber ones in the side of the block on my choptop. Lasted me two years until I replaced the motor because I cracked the heads (live and learn I guess). Never had a problem with the rubber plug. I did dry to put a metal plug in there, but the one I had to replace was too awkward to get to and I couldn't get lined up well enough to drive it in.

 

[kryptonitecb]

An old friend of mine actually bought liquid nitrogen to get his freeze plugs in. Told me it worked great, just had to set them in and wait. Now that's a bit of overkill but if you can pull the motor out you can get a metal plug in.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic