Freeze plug Tool Plans.

[RLDSL]

OK folks, I know that a bunch of you have been waiting patientnly for these , and I wish I could have got them to you a couple of weeks sooner, but my internet has been down aside from maybe a minute access at a time, but my cousin, who is a retired prototype machinist with massive amounts of aerospace experience and the like, has been working on a set of drawings for the freeze plug tool for these critters so any decent machinist types out there could be able to cut one of these things out to PROPER specs so they could install their plugs correctly without worry, well, folks, here it is in low resoloution, PM me with your email address and i can send you a high resoloution scan that is a bunch more detailed and easier to read ( its about 1.7mb instead of 38kb.. just had to size it down for OB attachment size rules )
* I might add that if you get the full resoloution scan, it is best to print it out on photo paper as the drawing is highly detailed and can bleed a tad on regular paper and it will last much longer and be easier to read on photo paper.

Enjoy-------Robert

PS. Mods, if we could get an exemption on the size restriction for the attachment on this, it really would be helpful as archival material to have the full scale scan with this.. Thanks.

 

[cpdenton]

So, Robert, know anyone here in town that could make one of these for us conway folk to use? Seems like something one should have in his ( or hers) toolbox.

 

[riotwarrior]

Thanks Robert

I will take fullsize copy riotwarrior at gee mail dot com

thanks

Al

 

[RLDSL]

So, Robert, know anyone here in town that could make one of these for us conway folk to use? Seems like something one should have in his ( or hers) toolbox.

I ll have to check on that, but if you just happen to be rebuilding an engine, just holler aand I'll come over and give ya a hand popping those suckers in

 

[RLDSL]

Thanks Robert

I will take fullsize copy riotwarrior at gee mail dot com

thanks

Al

Sent

 

[icanfixall]

I want to add this about the freeze plugs... Use only the factory stainless steel that comes in the bag of 7. DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE... I have told this so many times and members still are using the brass or plain steel plugs... They simply wont work. They are poorly made and can't cut into the cast iron block. Also use a good quality sealant like Hylomar. I used permatex avaition cement in the small container. It has a bruch in the cap and its a brown color.... The special tool that RLDSL posted pics of is a must have tool. Installing the plugs without this tool will cause a failure for sure. Many of us have been there and have the scars to prove it. These blocks have three plugs on the drivers side and two are behind the oil cooler so it has to come off. Then there are two behind the flywheel. Then finally there are two on the passenger side and one is behind the motor mount pad. If you want to only do this job once, then do it right. Get the tool 303-D045 and the factory plugs.. Or have someone make the special tool exactly like the pics.

 

[gandalf]

I'd appreciate it if you could send me a copy of the higher resolution plans also. At the very least I'd keep it on file for the time when I actually need the tool. Thanks much.

On Edit: I'll PM my email address.

 

[The Warden]

If you can E-mail a copy to me, I can post it on my web space and provide a link to download the full-size picture for everyone I'll PM you my E-mail address...

 

[riotwarrior]

Thanks to both Robert an Knuckledragger for their support with these tools, both of you have put effort into my request for some tech/info/drawings and it's appreciated.

I'm sure other members concur as well.

I'll be talking to three friends with Lathes and seeing what the scoop is on getting this tool made up!

I need one ASAP as my friend Guy needs to set his plugs that the machine shop DIDN"T DO! As a matter of fact I may suggest, (STRONGLY) that we remove the ones in there, get NEW Stainless from Ford and install those with sealant as Gary says, I"ve got lots of elephant snot, and um...well the other stuff I use...Nameless....it's another form of thread sealant n is a permatex labled product.

Again thanks guys....yet again proving how this site ROCKS!

Al

 

[The Warden]

Thank you again, Robert I just received an E-mail with the full-size picture, and I uploaded it to my webspace so you can download it directly if you so wish.

http://www.dieselwarden.net/temp/freezeplugtool.jpg

I'm posting the URL instead of embedding the image so that this thread doesn't get bogged down.

As Robert pointed out in his E-mail, he recommends printing it to photo paper if you're going to print it out. This way, the resolution's better, and he also mentioned that some of the lines are really fine and could bleed on "conventional" paper.

Thanks again to Robert for putting this all together

 

[RLDSL]

I want to add this about the freeze plugs... Use only the factory stainless steel that comes in the bag of 7. DO NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE... I have told this so many times and members still are using the brass or plain steel plugs... They simply wont work. They are poorly made and can't cut into the cast iron block. Also use a good quality sealant like Hylomar. I used permatex avaition cement in the small container. It has a bruch in the cap and its a brown color.... The special tool that RLDSL posted pics of is a must have tool. Installing the plugs without this tool will cause a failure for sure. Many of us have been there and have the scars to prove it. These blocks have three plugs on the drivers side and two are behind the oil cooler so it has to come off. Then there are two behind the flywheel. Then finally there are two on the passenger side and one is behind the motor mount pad. If you want to only do this job once, then do it right. Get the tool 303-D045 and the factory plugs.. Or have someone make the special tool exactly like the pics.

What Gary mentions about using ONLY freeze plugs from Ford ( OK you can get them from IH too ) is CRITICAL, not a maybe as I mentioned in this artical I compared the ford plugs against ones from Napa ( and they get the same plugs that everyone else does for the most part ) and the plugs were not the same shape, they have a different height dome and the edges on the ford plugs are smooth and uniform while the napa plugs were rough . After measuring teh differences, I would not even begin to expect that a napa or other universal plug would hold ( DUH, which is why so many of us have lost plugs after machine shops have replaced them with gumby brand plugs using questionable methods )
The tool REQUIRES the plug to conform to the factory shape to seat properly, there is zero room for error.

The person who wrote up those drawings is someone who is VERY comfortable machining and working in the .0001 ( did I write that correctly, its been a while, ten thousands tolerance range and generally goes slightly nuts if anything isnt completely perfect and he spent over a month measuring and re measuring etc that tool to come up with a perfect set of drawings.... he was about to re do it to get rid of the scratch over before I told him to not worry about it so if someone follows the drawings and doesnt make assumptions, they will come up with a perfect reproduction

 

[riotwarrior]

What Gary mentions about using ONLY freeze plugs from Ford ( OK you can get them from IH too ) is CRITICAL, not a maybe as I mentioned in this artical I compared the ford plugs against ones from Napa ( and they get the same plugs that everyone else does for the most part ) and the plugs were not the same shape, they have a different height dome and the edges on the ford plugs are smooth and uniform while the napa plugs were rough . After measuring teh differences, I would not even begin to expect that a napa or other universal plug would hold ( DUH, which is why so many of us have lost plugs after machine shops have replaced them with gumby brand plugs using questionable methods )
The tool REQUIRES the plug to conform to the factory shape to seat properly, there is zero room for error.

The person who wrote up those drawings is someone who is VERY comfortable machining and working in the .0001 ( did I write that correctly, its been a while, ten thousands tolerance range and generally goes slightly nuts if anything isnt completely perfect and he spent over a month measuring and re measuring etc that tool to come up with a perfect set of drawings.... he was about to re do it to get rid of the scratch over before I told him to not worry about it so if someone follows the drawings and doesnt make assumptions, they will come up with a perfect reproduction

Good info on plugs....got me thinking order a set from Ford, compare them to the other brands that are out there!

I can attest to the wait.... I have bee waiting for quite some time and IT WAS WELL WORTH IT IMLTHO!

I know I can speak for GUY and thank you again as this will be so helpfull to have a tool like this here. I'm getting to be a goto guy locally and this just adds that much more....ugh

 

[GOOSE]

I have started another thread on the fact that I'm down due to a freeze plug coming loose from a Promar reman engine. I have less than a year run time on the unit and will be ordering Ford plugs on Wednesday.

I also need one of these tools and was going to source the Snap On guy. Is there anyone or does anyone know of a machinist willing to make one of these for me?

Also, I lost the center plug on the driver's side, removed the oil cooler to expose it and verify that it wasn't an oil cooler issue. It looks like there is room to do this with the engine in the truck, has anyone done a freeze plug replacment in this location to verify that it is possible without removing the block from the truck? Thanks in advance and thanks for the work that went into the prints as well.

 

[RLDSL]

I have started another thread on the fact that I'm down due to a freeze plug coming loose from a Promar reman engine. I have less than a year run time on the unit and will be ordering Ford plugs on Wednesday.

I also need one of these tools and was going to source the Snap On guy. Is there anyone or does anyone know of a machinist willing to make one of these for me?

Also, I lost the center plug on the driver's side, removed the oil cooler to expose it and verify that it wasn't an oil cooler issue. It looks like there is room to do this with the engine in the truck, has anyone done a freeze plug replacment in this location to verify that it is possible without removing the block from the truck? Thanks in advance and thanks for the work that went into the prints as well.

The plans are there for those with the ability or connections to get one done. It may not save you any money to have to pay to have one made, but then again, OTC has this nasty habit of not wanting to sell the things to folks who aren't a shop, so it may be the only way to get one for some people.
As far as replacing one in the frame, I wouldnt. It's kind of like cocroaches. if you see one, theres a hundread in the walls, same with bad freeze plugs. If they botched one, you can pretty well bet the rest are on their way out.. On mine , I lost the rear one, but what I found on the rest was pitiful

 

[icanfixall]

I feel the engineers that designed these blocks did the wrong thing with these concave freez plugs. Why they didn't just bore the plug locations thu and install a cupped type plug is beyond me. A quality machine shop could do this work but it will be very costly. And if they are boreing out the locations why not cut 1 1/4 inch tapered pipe threads.. Then we can screw in the Boss 429 screw in plugs and be done with it forever. I think they are a cast iron plug...