hey guys, ive been getting a slow drip of coolant when my car is sitting, and its coming from the water pump area...i searched a lil and saw that sometimes its not really the water pump, but could be the freeze plugs. i figure i might as well replace the water pump neway (114k miles and i dont know if it was replaced earlier) but can i do the freeze plugs while im in there? is there neway to tell if its the freeze plugs and not the water pump? thanx 4 any advice

 

only real way to tell is to stick your head in there and look. problem is that you can't do that until you get everything else taken off.

freeze plugs aren't too bad to change yourself.. there's a tool you can buy to remove them- basically a claw hammer with a sharp hook on the end. punch a hole in it and yank it out. installation is about the same.. stick a piece of metal over the plug and hammer it into place.

 

Hey matt, I think freeze plugs are ment to be frozen into place. I think they usually put the plug over dry ice, so that there is enough of a contraction in the metal and then the plug can be inserted (or helped along .

Unless those new plugs are different and are ment to be hammered into place. If not, then its possible that metal shavings will be present in either the oil or coolant.

 

well bish...that sux...what is the purpose of those freeze plugs neway? any conditions that make them go bad? if it has 2 do w/ weather i live in fl and the car has been here its whole life...

 

Chances are, its your water pump leaking, it usually drips right down at the main pulley. There is a small 'weap hole' at the bottom of the WP. And in its early stages of leaking, it will stop leaking when the engine warms up, the metal expands and makes a temporary seal.

But anyway, your freeze plugs should not fail, so long as you change the antifreeze regularly, and the thermostate. BTW both should also be done when you do the WP.

 

I've seen freeze plugs that you freeze to install and others that you just hammer in. they're usually made of soft enough metal that they'll contract a bit to fit in the hole when you whack on 'em. freezing with dry ice will help though.

And yes, the freeze plugs are known to be a problem on at least VGs.. most of the ones I've seen fail are from up north, so I don't have much reason to believe that a florida car would have the same problem, but you never know. probably is the WP though.

 

Also...
freeze plugs are exactly that.. they drill large holes in the block where the coolant flows (probably also helps when casting the blocks, but who knows). these plugs are put in places that the engine is fairly weak.. so if the antifreeze were to actually freeze inside the block, the block would crack. thus they put freeze plugs in there that are weaker than the block- the plugs will blow out before the block cracks.