What is the hole/plug in the back of the valley in the engine block?

[Ghost001]

Hey guys,

What is the hole/plug in the back of the valley in the engine block? Should I remove the flimsy plastic plug? The plug only seems to trap water in the valley, causing a buildup of gunk in the valley. I'm tempted to remove the plug. Does it serve any purpose?

Here are a couple of photos, the first with the plastic plug on it:

http://www.mustangmods.com/data/6634/hole_with_plug_1.jpg

and then without the plug:

http://www.mustangmods.com/data/6634/hole1.jpg

 

[Red2000GT]

Well I can't tell you exactly what it's for,proably something that was needed in the very first production blocks(like 94's) and just never bothered to get "cast out" on the new ones. DEFINATELY leave the plug in there,unless you like the idea of a bunch of crud going directly into the motor and circulating with the oil.

 

[Ghost001]

Do you think the hole really leads into the engine?

If so, then it seems strange that it would be plugged with a cheap plastic plug, which is more like a flap than a plug, because it seems to have plenty of gaps between the plastic and the metal, so it looks like some water would get through anyway.

 

[Uoroxxor]

I don't have mine, it just leads to the clutch and flywheel area not the engine, leave it in. When my intake blew it poured antifreeze all over my clutch and flywheel... So it's there for a reason.

 

[Ghost001]

Cool. Thanks Uoroxxor!

I will definitely leave it in!

 

[Ghost001]

By the way, is it a big deal if you get antifreeze or water on your clutch or flywheel?

I imagine getting water on the clutch would be bad. However, I have an automatic, so I don't have a clutch, so I wonder if it matters if I get water on my flywheel.

That pool of slime and gravel in the valley was really nasty.

EDIT: Perhaps its the gravel that the plug is supposed to keep away from the flywheel.

Also, would water exit from the bottom of the flywheel area, or is that area enclosed, so that the water and gravel would accumulate there? I guess that would be bad.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

DEFINATELY leave the plug in there,unless you like the idea of a bunch of crud going directly into the motor and circulating with the oil.

This hole doesn't circulate anywhere inside the engine, so those worries can be laid to rest. If memory serves, it's just an access hole of some sort (but for the life of me, I can't remember what for at the moment). From what I do remember though, the aluminum blocks don't have them.