Project: '94 CC F350 Service Pickup

[junk]

Man that sucks on the freeze plug. i feel for ya. I like your 3 options though. Hopefully you can get it sealed up without removing the engine again!!

Maybe you covered this, but was this a factory style plug or an aftermarket style?

 

[riotwarrior]

Does anyone know are all the rest of the freeze plug holes the same as the one used for the factory block heater location? Will it accept the same block heater? I'm just glad it happened at home and nothing overheated.

NO NO NO NO they are NOT the same as a regular cupped plug like the factory block heater location, they are just a small dished plate cup if you will, IT requires the use of a special too to install correctly.

In all likelyhood you will be having to remove engine to replace the plug.

Search on here for freeze plug tool etc and you will see many threads about them. Oldbull has the tool for sale IIRC in the Marketplace.

Bottom line if ones done, get em all redone including back of engine.

Is this a remaned engine? Where where these plugs installed?

Here is a side view profile and top bottom of the plug.

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Hope that helps

Here I've got a picture of the plug installed from factory See the dimple with nipple bump in middle? EVERY single factory engine I've seen has these NIPPLE DIMPLED plugs aftermarket plugs that I have had privledge of seeing DO NOT have nipple dimples but are dimpled none the less.

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Here is the plugs on my alledged REMANNED engine, notice subtle dimple but NO nipple...

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This plug is on the rear face of engine in picture above. It does NOT look like it should, thus the reason that engine has been pulled and full set of plugs being installed

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subtle and hard to see but another dimple but not a good one on this plug

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Hope these pictures show factory plugs compared to what is non factory for you.

special tool to make dimple plugs and set them correctly

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Now ya know what you need

Al

 

[War Wagon]

Yes, riot it's a reman engine just overhauled by a local machine shop. I talked to them and they are willing to work with me on the problem. They replaced the plugs with Dorman plugs. I have been thinking all day on whether I should try and just repair the one that came out or pull the engine to do all of them. I really don't want to do that. I didn't plan on taking that much more time on this, but I may have to and it sounds like the machine shop will cover me on it. This is really discouraging though and kind of took the wind out of my sail.

 

[junk]

It's nice the shop will help out, but that still doesn't change the fact the engine's probably coming out.

Real easy for me to sit here and say to pull the engine and redo all the plugs, but that's probably what I would do. I would be afraid that if one's already came out what about the others. The only saving grace to me is it should go much faster this time because you don't have to fab stuff. Just R&R the engine.

Wish you the best in what ever you decide. Have a beer and chill out for a while. Might take a couple weeks to get motivation to go tackle it again. i know it would take me some time.

 

[riotwarrior]

Yes, riot it's a reman engine just overhauled by a local machine shop. I talked to them and they are willing to work with me on the problem. They replaced the plugs with Dorman plugs. I have been thinking all day on whether I should try and just repair the one that came out or pull the engine to do all of them. I really don't want to do that. I didn't plan on taking that much more time on this, but I may have to and it sounds like the machine shop will cover me on it. This is really discouraging though and kind of took the wind out of my sail.

Hey, what are Dorman plugs, the only Only ONLY plugs to use are from FORD or IHI you can get a set of 7 which is the right amount.

IT MUST BE PULLED!!!

If they used any plug other than the FORD or IHI you will have issues, so the two on the rear are doomed and you want to have them all replaced!!!!

Get a hold of Oldbull and IIRC he had one tool left for sale...great price. Set of plugs was bout 20 bucks US for me at a US Ford dealer!

NO other plug will work well unless you do go the screw in method and even then I'm not sure it will! I know Justin did his that way, I've not heard good or bad.

YOU will need a good sealant and the bores for the plugs need be super clean and dry.

If they do not have the TOOL then don't get them installed there. FIND THE TOOL!!!

Many have had problems with the incorrect plugs, or the correct ones and just a hammer pounded on them.

The tool HOLDS the cupped plug in place and steady and then you whack the pin and it sets the cup to the correct tension based on how far it protrudes from the bottom of the tool, thus every single plug set the same way.

The fact the shop will work with you is awesome, buy that tool and the correct plugs. show them this thread if you have too

search here you will see many threads on this subject.

Good luck with your project and honestly don't let it getcha down. I'm still not running because of these friggen plugs...the ones on back of my block on alledged reman...I DON"T TRUST...so I'm redoing them, and a bunch of other things.

Trust those that know and know how, not those who think they know and don't know how!!!!!

JM2CW

 

[War Wagon]

DORMAN is just an aftermarket parts company. That's what the machine shop told me they used. Usually good products from them in my experience, but on something liked this I would have used the OEM Ford parts if it was me. So, it's down to pull and replace with OEM plugs or pull and tap and plug the holes. I feel more secure with the tap and plug, but I need to research some more.

 

[jhenegh]

How did you get your pillar gauge holder red? I've been trying to figure that out for myself for awhile.

 

[junk]

I would be leaning towards the Pipe plugs myself. If the ford freeze plugs are that finicky they would make me nervous. I'd only be comfortable with them being installed by someone who's done them before. I've followed a thread where he used the pipe plugs and those looked good to me.

I'm guessing that wasn't the first 6.9/7.3 that shops done. So they must have had decent luck with those plugs in the past or they would have changed. Sucks they had issues on your engine.

 

[War Wagon]

How did you get your pillar gauge holder red? I've been trying to figure that out for myself for awhile.

The short answer is with spray paint.

1: scuff up with red scotch brite pad.
2: prep with Bull Dog adhesion promoter (aerosol can)
3: color match with custom matched rattle can paint from my local auto parts store

 

[Ugly Moosling]

DORMAN is just an aftermarket parts company. That's what the machine shop told me they used. Usually good products from them in my experience, but on something liked this I would have used the OEM Ford parts if it was me. So, it's down to pull and replace with OEM plugs or pull and tap and plug the holes. I feel more secure with the tap and plug, but I need to research some more.

If you do tap and pipe plug you lose the 'freeze' part of freeze plug. If you ever ended up with the wrong coolant mix in too cold of weather, you could end up with a cracked block rather than a popped freeze plug... I like to think I stay on top of my coolant ratios, but I still don't think I'd take that risk personally.

 

[War Wagon]

If you do tap and pipe plug you lose the 'freeze' part of freeze plug. If you ever ended up with the wrong coolant mix in too cold of weather, you could end up with a cracked block rather than a popped freeze plug... I like to think I stay on top of my coolant ratios, but I still don't think I'd take that risk personally.

Im ok with that part. I keep on top of my cooling system maintenance. I just want to make sure I can remedy the problem so it never gives me trouble again.

 

[riotwarrior]

Factory plugs go hundreds of thousands of miles with no issues, so replacing them with same will likely do same.

and in all actuallity, they are NOT FREEZE plugs they ARE...CORE PLUGS for clearing out sand from casting.

The side benefit is freeze plug action...but you can still crack a block with freeze plugs in don't ask how I know....

 

[War Wagon]

Yes, I call them freeze plugs, but I realize that is not there actually engineered purpose. I got the engine pulled out and tried the 1" tap. Too small or my hole in the block too big? I double checked the tap size that others had used to do the pipe plugs. I then cut the tap off to get more of the taper into the hole as there is only 5/8" to the cylinder wall. I tried that a little ways in and checked the fit of a plug. It fit sloppy loose and I could turn it all the way in by hand. Something was off, but I was previously moving too fast to think about why it wasn't quite working the way I expected. Now I didn't even get more than scratches of threads made and it was obvious that this wasn't going to work. I then thought that perhaps the IDIT block has a different size hole casted, which is what I now believe. The smaller part of the stepped hole that I was trying to tap measures anywhere from 1.250 - 1.280". I was given an idea to cut the step out with a hole saw to 1-1/2 and then tap for 1-1/4 NPT plugs, but I think that should be my final resort. I am now looking into metric tapered thread sizes to see if there is and in-between metric size to fit the existing hole. I also realized that the only examples I had seen or heard of were 6.9L's, and I have therefore concluded that the this particular part of the 6.9L and 7.3L T blocks are cast different. I don't have a 6.9L block to measure but this appears to me to be the case. I'm also not sure about a regular IDI 7.3L block. So, I have a few options again: 1)find a metric tapered pipe size to fit, 2)bore out to 1-1/2 for an 1-1/4 plug, or 3)get the driver tool and replace the plugs with the Ford/IH OEM versions.

 

[junk]

You have any more news on this? I'm with you. I've only heard the tapping done on the 6.9 blocks. I've always assumed the plugs where the same between blocks but maybe not.

You suppose a local ford / ih dealer would have the correct tool to install the plugs?

 

[riotwarrior]

I've got NA and IDIT blocks here I'll measure the two and check for comparative purposes.

I cannot imagine that they would cast the IDIT differently than the IDI in any way shape or form.

I'll take pics too if you like!