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Engine & DrivetrainDiscussions about the engine and drivetrain of your vehicle.
This is a discussion thread titled "Anyone know how to 'unfreeze' an engine coolant plug?", within the Engine & Drivetrain forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
Anyone know how to 'unfreeze' an engine coolant plug?
Recently tried to perform an engine coolant change by unscrewing the
10mm coolant plug on the right side of the engine block. Unfortunately, it took
next to no effort to completely break it off. Thankfully, there seems to be no
coolant leakage (frozen part of plug never unscrewed). Drilling out the plug
would most likely be an expensive fix.
Talked with some dealers regarding the coolant change; all stated they never
play with the engine block coolant plugs. Typically, they just drain the radiator
and refill or use some type of pressurized system to flush it out.
Anyone experience a similar problem with frozen coolant plugs and know how to get them loose?
I'm hoping that if I just drain and refill the radiator a couple of times with 50/50 mix, this should be good enough to dilute the old fluid with the new.
I'm afraid the only way to get the broken plug out is with an easy out. Easy outs aren't easy outs imo. Why don't you just forget it ever happened for now. If you ever break off an easy out (which I've done twice) you'll only do it as a last resort.
I only drain and refill the coolant once a year on all my vehicles, I've never tried to drain through the engine plug. If it doesn't leak don't mess with it. On previous vehicles I had installed a T in the heater hose, that you can hook up to a garden hose to flush. I think the T kit was made by prestone. I didn't bother putting in a T drain kit with current vehicles, they always seemed to drip after a while.
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Recently tried to perform an engine coolant change by unscrewing the
10mm coolant plug on the right side of the engine block. Unfortunately, it took
next to no effort to completely break it off. Thankfully, there seems to be no
coolant leakage (frozen part of plug never unscrewed). Drilling out the plug
would most likely be an expensive fix.
Talked with some dealers regarding the coolant change; all stated they never
play with the engine block coolant plugs. Typically, they just drain the radiator
and refill or use some type of pressurized system to flush it out.
Anyone experience a similar problem with frozen coolant plugs and know how to get them loose?
I'm hoping that if I just drain and refill the radiator a couple of times with 50/50 mix, this should be good enough to dilute the old fluid with the new.
Don't you have a plastic stopcock on the front of the radiator? Small, white plastic--turns by hand?
That's how I did mine...I wouldn't mess with those frieze plugs unless I was doing an enginer overhaul...actually, I wouldn't mess with those frieze plugs
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Damn I must have been lucky. I debated whether to try open them as I'd always had bad luck rounding the pipe plugs that the domestics used. When I could get them out I always put the winged type drain cocks back and they never worked. On my truck they opened easily on both sides so I was able to drain the block. Not sure it was worth it though because I still couldn't get the rated amount back in when I refilled with the Toyota coolant, water mix. I did run straight fresh water in it to flush it and drained it again so it worked out overall.
Larry
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Anyone know how to 'unfreeze' an engine coolant plug?
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