Freeze Plugs Popped Out

[Chucks 86]

Hey guys, on my 86 5.0 and just found out that 3 of my freeze plugs popped out of the block, 1 on the driver side and 2 on the passenger. The car has been sitting since September and I found out when I filled the coolant. What would cause this and any suggestions on repair?

 

[madspeed]

Freezing

 

[Chucks 86]

• Are there any other issues I should look for?

 

[OonDeanisS]

if the coolant in the engine freezes it expands, and has nowhere to go but to push the freeze plugs out.

 

[mikestang63]

put some rtv around the new ones when you press them in

 

[OonDeanisS]

EDIT: i talked to an engine builder who has many years of experience, and he said if your block freezes it will likely have cracked the block. He said the freeze plugs are not so much for actual freezing as they are used to clean the sand out from the coolant passages after a media blast. If it froze and popped the plugs out, its probably cracked, he said. id get the block checked out.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

He said the freeze plugs are not so much for actual freezing as they are used to clean the sand out from the coolant passages after a media blast. If it froze and popped the plugs out, its probably cracked, he said. id get the block checked out.

Media blast....no. Casting sand more likely.

I'm gonna ask the obvious question here....did it actually get cold enough to freeze your block since September?

 

[OonDeanisS]

oh, yea. youre probably right about the casting sand. He said "the sand" and i assumed that was from the media blaster, but i didnt even think of the casting sand. thanks for the clarification.

 

[Chucks 86]

It got down to the low teens over the winter here and the car ran like a champ before that. I've run into another problem though. One of the plugs I put in didn't go all the way into the block but enough for it not to hold water, any suggestions for removing it?