How to change frereze plugs?... where, how many?

[erikandelman]

Hi all,

A late freeze last spring left my (temporarily water-only cooled, no antifreeze) Festiva pouring water out of holes in the engine.
Can anyone give me a quick primer on replacing them:
1) how many are there?
2) where are they?
3) are there any that are hard to get to, and if so are there any tips for making it easier?

Car is a 1988 Festiva, manual trans, 2-door.

Thank so much,
Erik

[skeeters_keeper]

8 in total, four on the front, four on the back, i don't think there are any on the ends of the block.






on the front shouldn't be too hard. The ones on the back will be a little more difficult, not sure if the carby intake will get in the way at all. Easiest way would be to pull the engine up out of the bay, but thats probably more work than you want to do. You should be able to get to all of them w/o removing the engine or either intakes. Best thing to do would be to not run straight water if its going to be getting near freezing!!

[erikandelman]

Thanks so much!
Erik

[skeeters_keeper]

glad to help!

[stefan]

i think there is 1 on the trans side of the block. lemmie go check my b6

edit. yea there is one on the trans side, and it looks like there is one in the head on the belts side

[skeeters_keeper]

^ i thought there may have been too, but i couldn't see it in any of my pix and i'm @ school so i figured i just was remembering wrong.

[geezerstiva]

on a forum at school... shame. :lol:
(so am i, btw. i'm even in class right now. :lol

[skeeters_keeper]

I'm between classes.... 10 mins of study, and i refresh the FFcom "new post" list, and 10 more mins of study works quite well!!

[geezerstiva]

ahh... great idea.

[jglutz]

They probalbly failed not by frezzing but because there was no rust inhibitors in the mix...one of the vital ingredients in antifreeze. A word to all...they are not really freez out plugs...that term is a mis-applied...the holes in the blocks remain from a sand core placed in the mold to create the internal cavities for water circulatition. When the cast block are machined...the holes are bored (drilled) clean and the plugs are inserted. It is very possible for water to freeze in other locations and the block crack without a plug failing. Typically the plucgs fail first because they are thin and convect heat faster.

The majority of plugs i've seen fail, faill in the summer heat as a result of rust and high pressure. ALWAYS USE ANTIFREEZE. There so many more ingredients (properties) other than lower freezing point. Sorry to say...the water pump is probalbly shot or will be shortly.