Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

[redjmp]

Well I have been working feverishly over the past few months doing a complete restoration on my 19' cabin cruiser...New floor, transom, stringers, mounts, complete motor rebuild, new head, wired and plumbed and fabbed up a galley, built new Alaskan bulkhead, made a dinette, installed heater(s), new bellows and bearings in the gimbal, new shift cable and the list goes on and on. In the meanwhile, I have been sneaking off the the briny to get some hours in breaking in the new motor and finally got 10 hours yesterday on it so I can now change the oil and winterize. This is my first inboard ('78 -898 305- 5.0L) so there was a steep learning curve.

Well just in time as there is a blizzard warning tonite so I set about removing the drain plugs and hoses.

All went well with the manifolds and risers as I had them apart and all the plugs removed already this year, but when I got to the 2 plugs on either side of the block, they were seized!

Stupid me never pulled them before rebuilding so they are in there tight... I used a 1/4" allen key socket and got the torches out to get some heat and PB Blaster on them but still ended up just stripping the hex hole.
There is water on the other side so the torches are basically useless.

There isn't enough clearance to get a drill in straight without pulling the motor.

Not enough meat showing to get visegrips on there.

What are my options?
With a blizzard already started, there is no time to think about pulling the motor until spring but I don't want to if I can avoid it...at least until I decide I should replace my noisy shutter(s) as well.

Will dumping antifreeze down the tstat housing save my motor or is there another way?

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

Will dumping antifreeze down the tstat housing save my motor or is there another way?

Howdy,


Well you sure can dump some antifreeze in there and probably be safe.

You're going to have to drill out the plugs either sooner or later.

(you don't think you can get in there by removing the engine mount and maybe using a right-angle drill adapter?)

After you drill them get yourself the next size NPT tap and correct drill and make them the next size plug. Cast iron is very easy to drill and tap.

USE BRASS plugs and a good pipe dope on the threads.

Once they're out, be sure to use a piece of wire to poke around and get any rust flakes and other debris out of the holes to ensure that it drains completely.


The problem with just dumping in anti-freeze is it doesn't mix all that readily with the clear water that's already in there.

You could remove the t-stat, fill the block and heads with antifreeze (with all the plugs back in), remove the belt from the circulating pump and turn it with a buffer wheel or other rotating device.

Spinning the circulating pump would mix the concentrated anti-freeze with the water that is still in the block. If you previously drained most of the water out, you'll probably get a more than 50:50 concentration throughout the block.

Do ensure that your manifolds, power steering and oil coolers (if installed) are drained though....

 

[1ruralmailman]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

might consider pulling tstat,and sticking shop vac in there,could gat enough water out to get some anti freeze in there,then as said try spinning it over to mix it.good luck and god bless ya hope she dont crack.

 

[Druff1]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

Had the same problem.. Check out my thread and scroll down to look at my pics to see what i used..

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=361980

 

[Lou C]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

I think if you pull off the big hose at the bottom of the circulating pump, and then crank down the trailer so the boat is bow down, a lot of the water in the block will drain, but not all. I'd try using only -100 winterizing AF because it stays liquid to like -54 F, and then as noted spin the pulley on the circulating pump to try to get it to mix with what's in there....

Don't think sucking it out of the thermo housing will work, that might suck it out of the intake manifold but that's all...

 

[Alpheus]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

Put some block heaters on there or keep the bilge warm until you get it fixed.

I used 2 of these last year and had zero problems. They kept the entire engine very warm to the touch...

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/magnetic-block-heater.html

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

Put some block heaters on there or keep the bilge warm until you get it fixed.

I used 2 of these last year and had zero problems. They kept the entire engine very warm to the touch...

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/magnetic-block-heater.html

Those might work......


I would be worried about someone either unplugging them or the power going out an very UN-opportune time..............

If the boat is outside and the temps were WELL below freezing, the engine could be fully cold soaked before morning..........Murphy is usually never very far away..... Do you feel lucky?

 

[redjmp]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

Had the same problem.. Check out my thread and scroll down to look at my pics to see what i used..

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=361980

Thats what I need to do. Where did you get the 90 adapter? I bet it cost more than the drill lol. Well I did manage to get some windsheild washer antifreeze ( blue minus 40 stuff - it was all I could find at 10pm) down the tstat housing and then spun the pump with a buffing wheel but after a few seconds the fluid would start to foam up and flow out the tstat hole. I did it a few times but I'm wondering if it did mix enough. I ended up with a 100 watt floodlight on a porcelain base in the bilge pointing at the pan so I think I'm OK but yes Murphy paid a visit already as the power went out during the nite...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

Thats what I need to do. Where did you get the 90 adapter? I bet it cost more than the drill lol. Well I did manage to get some windsheild washer antifreeze ( blue minus 40 stuff - it was all I could find at 10pm) down the tstat housing and then spun the pump with a buffing wheel but after a few seconds the fluid would start to foam up and flow out the tstat hole. I did it a few times but I'm wondering if it did mix enough. I ended up with a 100 watt floodlight on a porcelain base in the bilge pointing at the pan so I think I'm OK but yes Murphy paid a visit already as the power went out during the nite...

Yeah, I wouldn't trust it.....


Check out Harbor Freight.

I think I'm going to get one of these!

About $35!!



Cheers,


Rick

 

[Druff1]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

I got it at Menards... I think it was like $20... I also had to shorten the drill bit.

 

[redjmp]

Re: Oh No!!!Cant get drain plugs out!

Well I just recently dewinterized and all was good. No cracks. There was enough room to use a small drill with a chopped off bit to drill the plugs out. New brass plugs and teflon tape went back in. I was astounded to see this sort of thick blue gunk come out of the holes as I drilled them. Must have been the dye of the antifreeze but it was very light blue going in.
Thanks to all who offered their help!