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Freeze plug removal

SnowDrift

SnowDrift

Ultra Conservative. ULTRA!
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I have decided to install a block heater in an attempt to get my project 6.5 going. Someone removed the block heater an replaced it with a standard freeze plug.

I've got a hole poked in the freeze plug, so it's drained off. It moves inward toward the water jacket and I can pull it out, slightly. However, I cannot pull it out far enough to get a set of pliers on it. It seems too loose to "eyelid" and just wants to drive inward, instead. I can put a pry bar into the hole and can twist it slightly back and forth, but not enough to do much.

We've got a hook tool that has the hooked end with a turnout on the end for hammering, but there just isn't room to use it and it's too tight to simply pull with brute force. I've been able to do most of the work through the wheel well with the oil filter off.

I really don't want to shove it into the water jacket. Ideas welcome.
 
Keep trying.
If you can get it to turn enough to get a heavy screw driver in the space on the side coming to you you can usually pry it enough over to get a water pump pliers on the cup edge and using the block as the fulcrum twist it out
No harm done if it happens to slip into the water jacket,..it ain't going nowhere.
 
I used a 1/4" (bolt diameter) toggle bolt once. Cut down the toggle arms to less than the diameter of the freeze plug. Add a nut and fender washer on the bolt between the head of the bolt and the toggle. Then Slip in the toggle through the hole, put a spacer on each side of the freeze plug hole then tighten the nut against the washer which presses on the 2 spacers. I used a couple of small screwdriver handles for spacers. It will work like a miniature axle seal puller.
I tend to overdo things sometimes, but I was on the clock and my foreman loved having something to keep me entertained on Fridays.. Otherwise like Bison mentioned, It won't hurt if you just smack it in there.
 
Straight up. IMO don't use Kat heaters. I just went through 3 of them, 2 didn't work right out of box and 3rd leaked through the element. I paid more for a Zerostart by tempro, but it works and is made from cast brass instead of stamped brass. Best of all its made in Canada.
 
I bought a made in USA heater a while back after returning the one I bought from the dealership that was made in china. (incidentally, I don't mind a made in Canada label in any way, either)

I wanted to be sure what the consensus was on orientation, in case it differs from the instructions. I trust most of the experience on this site more than a set of instructions, on several things.
 
Might as well install one in each side, while you at it. That way if one burns out, but doesn't leak, you can just use the other one. It probably doesn't get that cold in OH like it does here in MN, so you shouldn't have plug them both in. :)
 
Negative. With all due respect, one is enough. My primary '95 6.5 will start when it is zero out, after sitting for 2 months without being started and without being plugged in. Life is good.
 
Ok, we made an attempt to eyelid the plug again and it ended up just driving it right inside the block, so that sucked. I know this was probably just fine, but I wasn't really thrilled about it. I fished around for it for a while and got it back up into the hole, sideways, and made some attempts at a few things trying to pull it that way, but didn't have much luck. On one of the many times it fell back into the block and I had to fish it back out, I got it turned backward, so it was turned 180 degrees from it's normal position. After this, I was able to clamp on a pair of vise grips on to the shards of metal hanging out the face where we had pushed tools through it to poke holes and begin to weaken it. We were eventually able to put in a pry bar to crush the side down to where we could yank it out. I can't remember who had the victory move, whether if was dad or myself, but either way, it's not sitting in the block anymore and that makes me feel better.

In summary, she's sitting there with a block heater in her now.
 
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