What's a Freeze Plug???
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- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2024
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What's a Freeze Plug??? I made this video to answer that question using an "Iron Duke" from my brother's boat to demonstrate.
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"This is where the fire happens" lol.
Love the narration for the not so mechanically educated!
I’m not an auto or any type of engine mechanic but I dare to dabble. I’ve heard the term “freeze plug(s)” but I’ve never seen one nor have I ever installed/replaced one. Thank you for your video I believe you have identified and defined what and why a freeze plug is a freeze plug. I really appreciate you! 👍
Freeze plug holes exist for the removal of sand during the casting process.
You're correct. We'll call it a Welch plug in that context. There is however a reason they friction fit the plug to work as a mechanical fuse of sorts to protect the block from freeze expansion vs a design that would lock in more robustly. Hence the name Freeze Plug. Another name is a core plug.
Instablaster
Sand cores are used to form the internal cavities when the engine block or cylinder head(s) is cast. These cavities are usually the coolant passages. Holes are designed into the casting to support internal sand forms, and to facilitate the removal of the sand after the casting has cooled. Core plugs are usually thin metal cups press fitted into the casting holes
I have always heard those were Welch plugs, installed after machining the holes where the wires can be pulled and break up the sand when the engine is molded, and I have heard that a lot of the time they don't pop out when the block freezes so they are not actually for that purpose at all,.. but maybe I was told wrong?
These holes certainly have a role in the manufacturing process.
Preventing the engine from cracking is a secondary function.
i thought they where casting plugs to get the sand out after the metal was poured.
BigDaBAMF69
I've heard that too. There's also a plug at the back of the block for the camshaft for manufacturing/drilling purposes too. Also in small carburetors you see a smaller version for the same reason, BUT the name is freeze plug, and that was the original purpose.
briansmobile1
no the ORIGINAL purpose was to remove the casting sand. the fact the pop out is pure happenstance.
Why do manufacturers and rebuild shops not weld in a piece of steel or iron to get rid of the risk of leaking?
This was the 1st video that popped up when I Googled 'What's a freeze plug?'..
Not only did I find out what it is. I found out why a boat doesn't have the traditional radiator I would see on my truck.. Thank you. Liked and subbed!
unfortunately he is dead wrong
Well explained . I'm sure ur a very smart mechanic . Blessings to you. Thanks for sharing.
This clarifies the issue
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug
The term freeze plug is slang, the correct name of the press-in plugs is actually core plug. It is mistakenly thought that the purpose of these plugs is to be pushed out and save the block from cracking if the engine has water in it and it happens to freeze. This is nothing more than an urban legend.
The purpose of the plugs is to fill the holes that were made during the casting process, so the foundry could remove the core sand from the coolant passages. Saving the block from cracking in case of a freeze was never the manufacturer's intent for these plugs.
I learn something from every one of your videos, Brian. And I never forget to read the comments, for remarks from many of your thoughtful viewers. By the way, thanks for the link and shout out (grin).
How could I not? You did a great work up on the topic and I enjoyed it!
Couldn't agree more, very informative videos Brian. Keep them coming!
Yes your video was quite enjoyed, spelunkerd. I'm always telling my mom what I'm learning. I can't help it, she always wanted to know my whole life. So even though I have a wife and kids she still end up hearing about you guys.
She made an insightful comment like you and said the comments are like the test. Did you really get the video? I almost always make a comment. A leader in my church once said, if you can't talk about what you just learned, you haven't learned it yet.
So, I call comments a "check on learning", like you see from Elementary school to college books, lol.
Spelunkerd, I was wondering how I was going to reply to your channel's main page and you made it easy for me here.
DE Nichols Thanks, man. Your mom is a bright lady!
She sure is. :)
The people who have been commenting on these plugs from both sides are equally correct. Even though these holes are a result of the casting process, the engineers have designed the plugs in a manner so as in case of a freeze they should pop out. Even though they don't always prevent damage in a freeze situation, they have been designed to increase the chances of minimal engine damage. Think about it, if the only desire of the engineers was to permanently seal the holes after casting, they could have used threaded plugs or some type of permanent sealing. Instead, they engineered frost plugs to sort of "kill two birds with one stone" so to speak. As a professional technician in Canada, I have seen many instances where engines have frozen and these plugs saved the engine from much more costly damage. These plugs serve two purposes…and are an example of smart engineering really.
If you really believe it is for both. Will the manufacture warranty it. I suggest you do your homework.
They have nothing to do with protecting the engine if the coolant freezes. They are there to allow removal of the sand after casting the block. The reason screw plugs aren't used is that they aren't necessary.
Yes, core plugs would be the correct terminology. And I'm pretty sure they've only ever been referred to as freeze plugs, cause the plug the antifreeze, and if you wanted to flush the block you would remove those, so you can see how over time they could come to be known as freeze plugs. But you know sometimes terms and they're oringinal/true meaning, can become distorted over time.
that is correct the true name is a welsh plug and yes part of the casting process to remove the casting sand and not to protect against freezing.
You are a great person. I love that all this knowledge is on youtube. Thanks Brain
I don't think freeze plugs main purpose is to protect your engine from cracking if it freezes. Put a mug, or drinking glass half-full of water in a house freezer, and the mug cracks even though the entire top of the mug or glass is open. I have seen engine manufactures say they use holes in the engine to manufacture the engine, then use the plugs to seal up the engine.
RomanAutomotive You are right. The plugs are not intended to pop out and save your engine. They won't. They are plugs used to fill holes left over from casting and that is all. Anyone who tells you they are for any other purpose is wrong. The only reason to ever replace a plug is if the cooling fluid is leaking, which is a very rare thing.
As Matthew Hume said, these are not Freeze Plugs. "Freeze Plug" is a misnomer. These are actually Casting Core plugs, better known as Welsh Plugs.
Whether the engine uses Ethylene Glycol for coolant, or "seawater" for coolant, the areas within are Coolant Jackets.
For the Raw Water cooled Marine engine, not all casting core plugs will pop out in the event of a freeze.
Even if they were to pop out, this does not protect the surrounding cast iron areas, as shown at 1:26 into the video.
The GM pump at the front of this engine is a "coolant circutating" pump..... aka Circ Pump.
Common misconception. If your coolant freezes your block will crack and the "freeze plug" want help. It's a core plug meant to dump sand after casting
Excellent video. Didn't know about freeze plugs. Probably a good idea to use them when storing an engine so mice don't get in as well.
I knew what freeze plugs were, just didnt know what they were for...lol Always learn something from your videos.
I feel like hes a good teacher. I like to see his speratic train of thought.
Also known as core plugs, and as others have posted, welch plugs.
I've rarely heard them called freeze plugs, but that's probably because freezing coolant is not too likely here.
Those Iron Dukes are delightfully delicious little workhorses! Love 'em! I'd still be tempted to braze that crack, though.
As already said, the term freeze plug is a misnomer.
If you think about it,even if the plugs pop when the coolant freezes, there would still be a high chance of damage to the finer water channels eg around the cylinders, still potentially causing a crack.
Like others have mentioned, they just seal holes from the casting that are used as a passage way to remove sand. No manufacturer as far as I know has ever referred to these as freeze plugs or described them as freeze protection.
The reason they don't advertise them as "frost plugs" or whatever other term you like, is because that would open them up to liability every time some moron puts the wrong coolant mixture in during the winter or runs straight water all summer and forgets to winterize their engine. The plugs in fact are engineered to pop out. Yes, the holes are a result of casting, but the plugs have been engineered to serve a purpose instead of just being perma sealed...
Jeffrey Wilson I understand your point.
Core plugs do a great job of sealing. Such a good job that they more often than not do not dislodge as coolant freezes in a block. If properly I stalled they're in there pretty well.
At temps sufficient to completely freeze coolant in an engine block, even if the core plug gave way, like I say, the rest of the coolant would continue to expand. The tiny difference having a core plug pop and a few cm of Ice expand out of it wouldn't be enough to mitigate the force of the ice acting on the rest of the internal water channels. The core plug would be replaced with a plug of Ice whose expansion would not be enough to prevent any damage if the temperature was low enough for long enough.
Any actual effect of a core plug popping would be tiny. I can see how people experiencing a partial freeze (not long enough to cause damage) that coincidentally had a core plug dislodge would think that this had saved their engine. In fact the increase in ambient temp in the nick of time would be the real saviour in those cases.
David Steggles David, I hear what you are saying and what you are saying does sound legit and rational, and honestly I am not trying to be argumentative or confrontational in any way but it just does not match what I have seen in the field. I have seen engines freeze solid on more than one occasion that suffered no additional damage other than the core plugs blowing out. Once the engines were thawed and re-sealed, they were good to go. I am not claiming to have seen this hundreds of times or anything, but I have seen engines freeze and suffer no permanent damage more than I have seen engines freeze and suffer permanent damage. I still believe, based on conversations I have had with actual automotive engineers and what I have actually seen and documented in the field, that an engine with core plugs is at least more likely to survive a freeze event than an engine that was sealed in a more permanent manner. I have never seen an engine sealed in a different manner mind you, and I have also never seen an engine freeze where less than 90% of core plugs popped out.
When you claim that any effect of a core plug popping out would be tiny, what are you basing that on? Theory or actual experience?
Again, I am not trying to be rude or anything. I just want to learn…lol. I have had engineers tell me that symptoms I have seen in the field are IMPOSSIBLE…yet I still see them :)
I understand. Didn't take anything you've said in a bad way, you're expressing your opinion and I respect that. I'm sure a core plug popping in some cases could help especially when it's not cold enough to freeze above the plug but is cold enough to freeze at and below for example. Also where there is an incomplete freeze it's possible for coolant to flow out. Another plus is a car could be left unattended/unused, pop a couple plugs by freezing, thaw and the coolant would drain. This would prevent damage by the car refreeze.
Regardless of reason, or glad that some of your customers escaped the expense of a new engine block. I had a freeze event on a Peugeot 106 (UK N/A diesel) which cracked the block in several places resulting in 4 days off work whilst trying to find a new car.
Just out of interest, only one plug out of I believe four was dislodged in my case, kind of buckling and lifting out at part of the edge. The others looked like some do pre-instalation, domed in the middle.
I guess my opinion therefore is part (bad) experience and part theory, assuming that the water (ice?) will expand and travel from say the cylinder area down and out through the core plug hole but bearing I mind the expansion will be in all directions. It will travel down the coolant passages, but will also push against metal.
One has to hope that the expansion force mitigated by expanding out of a hole will bring the force exerted on the passages below the level that they would be damaged.
I've also worked on a Barrel Wash over several winters. It's a large plant that uses a cement mixer (cement delivery truck) type turning cylinder to separate coal from stone and mud. The pumps we use had similar plugs as they too were cast. We ended up loosing several of them one winter due to ice damage. Different to an engine I know, I just thought it interesting. The solution was to fit a scalable spout we could pour anti freeze into.
I'm learning too mate, that's why I'm watching as many good videos as I can. No need to apologise. You're OK by me. ☺
David Steggles Right on David :) I appreciate you taking the time to respond :) I am sure there are people reading this conversation and thinking to themselves "Who gives a shit?" lol…But I enjoy these conversations on obscure topics like this. Whether or not an engine is ever in a climate that can freeze or not, these plugs are there and can be a major pain in the ass when it comes to leaks, so its good to toss these ideas around to help others better understand their engines :)
You earned my thumbs up Brian
Thanks Brian - another informative video!
Thanks Grant!
I didn't realize until I looked into description but what about the replace a freeze plug on a 85 S10 has got the Iron Duke in it difference between my block and that block doesn't have the spot for the power steering pump do if I ever have to replace things in my truck I'll have to keep my eye out for that
I want to go snorkling now! :D Love the cowbell! I need more cowbell!
Hello, i live in the southeastern u.s. where it rarely gets below 32 degrees for any more than a couple nights in a row. Sometimes we can go whole winters with the temp not getting below freezing at all..except for every 7~10'years wjere we get a sustained cold front. This past winter was a cold one, relatively. It got me to thinking about my radiator fluid and whether or not I could chance putting distilled water in my radiator after the the last frost has passed. And keeping a jug of the colored stuff cycling only for a few months every winter. The idea being that this could help clean out coolant system every 9 months or so. I get that 'antifreeze' works better than water in the cold, but does the colored, chemicalized stuff also stay 'cooler' and more stable temp than water?
hey brain
talking about frezzes plugs I had to change a couple on a 2001 dodge caravan 3.3 on the back side and they where leaking due to rust and the middle one took me a few hrs to knock out and then pry it out the one in the front one the back side firewell side took me real easy more room to knock it out and I put unveal frezze plugs and tightn them up and haven't heard anything so far so good lol
11 people still don't know what freeze plugs are.....good video..thanks..
The plugs in the side of the block are called core plugs, they are not freeze plugs! To call them freeze plugs is a misnomer! They rarely if ever stop the block from cracking during a freeze!
The Core plug gets it’s name from the sand core used in the casting process. After the block is cast, the sand core has to be removed from the casting, so long rods and other implements are poked through these holes to knock out and remove the residual sand core. These plugs are later installed, to seal the water jacket for the cooling system.
"The term freeze plug is slang, the correct name of the press-in plugs is actually core plug. It is mistakenly thought that the purpose of these plugs is to be pushed out and save the block from cracking if the engine has water in it and it happens to freeze. This is nothing more than an urban legend." Wikipedia
A freeze plug is for releasing pressure to prevent cracked block if the coolant freezes? I am having trouble wrapping my mind around that.
Just have the cracked block welded with some iron rod ($100). If it is important to use JB Weld to plug the crack, a weld is even more important because it is permanent.
Great video!
Replaced mines on a 350 5.7 litter Chevy back by transmission and still leaking was it because I used silicone to help them slide in I was told they go in dry for perfect sealing?
Thanks for making and Sharing your videos !...Alot of this stuff i already know, but its always good to check them out. I learn alot from your videos. Peace Be With You.
well some boats have a radiator. all depends if it has a closed cooling system. they are mostley used in salt water to prevent more then the normal amount of corision.
Nice video. Good info
Great video. I'm considering purchasing a boat and he said he did have a freeze plug that popped out. I wasn't sure what that meant. Your video explained it perfectly. I noted your block only had light stress cracking. Where are you at. The boat I am considering purchasing is in San Antonio, Texas It doesn't freeze much over there so, I'm not sure what I should do. Any suggestions on what to ask? He said I was welcome to bring a mechanic to check the boat out but, obviously I wouldn't know how they would check that. Thanks again!
Welcome! I'm in Utah. Ask how it popped out. Did it freeze or overheat from a bad lift impeller?
@@briansmobile1 Thanks Brian! I will ask. I spoke to another boat machine, he said run but, I’m still a bit interested so I will ask and then make a decision. I appreciate your response. Have a great weekend!
Hi Brian over the pond we call (freeze plug) a core plug.
Thanks for explanation...!!
Glad it helped
People who fix trucks or car in Thailand do not know what is the freeze plugs are for. Mine broke and took the car to the shop and they didn't give me answer that makes sense of what the freeze plus are for even if I write question in Thai, there is no anwer to that.
Great video!!!!
Great video
Always have great videos :)
Thanks for the video. I did see on one website where the manufacturer recommended coating the plug with coolant (antifreeze) before installing them. Any thoughts on that?
Dwayne Duncan Wouldn't hurt
Please show me how to replace a freeze plug on a chevy impala 3.6 v6 motor between the motor and the transmission
My pleasure! → ruclips.net/video/z0UmXFUtOfc/видео.html
Hi Brian--if I'm replacing my core plugs and they're rounded out rather than bowl shaped, what's the best way to install those? Thanks
You also get no pressure when using waterless coolant. It also never boils.
hey does anyone know how well the rubber ajustable freeze plugs work?
rayford52 IS CORRECT... they are not there to prevent freezing, but were used to position the mold cores during the foundry process.
They aren't intended to prevent freezing, but after casting there's a big hole there. Rather than weld/cast/thread it shut, it's closed with a slip fit welsh/freeze/core plug intended to minimize damage in the event of freezing. Antifreeze prevents freezing.
thank you so much for this video... a little upset. but still. my dad's f150 blew a freeze plug and another one came out today I got 4 new ones but need 3 more... so what your saying is since one popped out I need to replace them all? crap haha that's going to be expansive. thank you
Is this the same as a welch plug?
This happened to my mustang three years ago. I was on my way to my class reunion and the engine blew a head gasket. I missed the party and everything 😭.
In Australia, we call them a "Welsh plug".
I will never put JB weld on it. V-cut and braze it is better.
These are not freeze plugs they are casting plugs they are only there to hold the casting cores . If properly installed they do not come out during a freeze it will crack the block instead
I'm subscribing not because your videos are always great (which they are), I'm subscribing because of your big awesome Ron Paul poster! Also, youtube: Libertopia movie!! BE WELL!
Hi Brian first I want to say that I love your videos, thank you for taking the time to make them. However freeze plugs are more properly called core plugs and in some countries are only know by that name(Britain). Core plugs are required for sand cast components,it is coincidental that they are pushed out of a block if it is allowed to freeze.core plugs can be used as seals for machined holes,but are not required on components that are not sand cast,eg Die castings.
Best regards and no disrespect intended.
Tony.
why is water pouring out of my truck motor when in lose up the radiator cap
In Australia we call them Welsh Plugs!!
Makes sense.
Welch*
I know them as core/welch plugs
in Brazil we just call those things "seals"
If you expect a "freeze" plug to pop out and save your block you are very wrong. The holes filled with the plugs are simply casting holes. They have no purpose after the engine is complete. They WILL NOT SAVE YOUR ENGINE!!
They core plugs they don’t protect block they hold the sand core in water jack
Question: is it just cost prohibitive to have that crack on the block welded? Welding cast is a MFer, but wouldn't you push the customer to do the real weld instead of JB weld? A crack blocked in a car is time for a remaned block . help me understand your way, im not being a prick just want to learn why you are doing it that way??
why does my intake manifold have coolant circulating through it?
Wow ! Your all wrong freeze plug are there to plug the hole so the fluid doesn't drain out, why are the hole there to begin with ???? Ever look at the bottom of anything that is ceramic it has a hole in the bottom that hole is where so they can poured the ceramic mud into the mold the same as cast iron they need the hole to pour the iron in the mold of the car engine ! The fuse affect to save the block from cracking in case of freezing is just a by-product, not its intended engineering, if you notice an engine that's been milled out of a Billet block of aluminum has no freeze plugs !
trip to saint martin?
Yes. Maarten or Marteen depending which side of the island you're on. ; )
Okay, I don't want to be the spelling police, but I've never seen you Brian be called Brain so much as I have in the following comments. Probably an accidental use of the typewriter, or is it? Is it like a Freudian slip and they're complimenting the brain? :)
Regardless, I hope it's worth a laugh.
Good grief! Not a clue! Wow!
I still don’t get what a freeze plug is?
soft plugs?
Please shot me an e mail I would love to ask about my Subaru.
Thanks
"Spelunkerd"...
Are you a caver?
This didn’t explain what they’re for
Wtf. I got nothing
Where did you go to school? You are telling people the ignorance of what you call a FREEZE PLUG. The proper term is CORE PLUG and is only used when the factory pours the sand from casting out. Then a core plug is installed. You need to do some homework and ask any engineer why a block cracks when your so called freeze plugs fail and the big one. How long is this so called freeze plug guaranteed for on a new motor.. Ref: Wikipedia and personal experience.
hey does anyone know how well the rubber ajustable freeze plugs work?