Hello to everyone. I have been checking out this site for awhile. Lots of good info. Yet to kill the KDP, but ya'll sure have me worried about it now, especially since my front end stays pretty well lubed! Can't wait fot it to finally get warm again up here so I can work on it!

Anybody know what size freeze plugs are in my 94 12V? Anybody ever had to change on on these Cummins? It's my first experience on the old girl @252,000miles, and my back plug is leaking now - just started 2 days ago. I should note, it'a been below freezing now for 2 weeks straight, about 0 last night. I keep it plugged in all the time that the wheels aren't turning.

Thanks,
J

 

Sorry, don't know the size of the freeze plug. Have not heard of many complaints of them leaking. Usually the block heater, or the heat exchanger (or related lines) is the problem child. I would suggest you check with a Cummins parts dealer near your home. They should be able to fix you up with the correct part.

I feel bad that this is your first post and nobady was able to get you an answer! Welcome, this is a great site (despite your luck so far). Hopefully pulling this back up to the top for second look will get your answer. Kevin

 

Welcome aboard I looked thru all my info and cannot find the size, There is one thing I would suggest, make sure the water pump is not leaking and the thermostat as if it is the fluid can go to some strange areas and make it look like the leak is coming from the wrong places, freeze plugs are not notorious for problems like kd460 stated above, Goodluck,,,,, Rick

 

Freeze plug leakage on 24 valves has been fairly common, this is the first I've heard of on a 12. Perhaps it was caused by the plug doing it job, make sure to check your anti-freeze concentration.

 

Read this

 

And this...

 

The chart on Page 2 might help you, here's the last of it......Hope it helps.

 

Thanks for the effort, and thank you for the great help Farmer. Would have helped if I had seen it before I went ahead and changed the plug! Ended up getting one from Dodge house - suprisingly less than $3/each. Cheaper than the wrong sized ones I got from NAPA. Ended up OK. Note here - be careful when intalling the new one- you can drive it all the way in!! Scared the daylights out of me! Got it out w/o too much trouble - thank the Lord. Once I finally got the next one lined up in the hole, it went pretty smooth. 10 min job turned into 2 1/2 hours! Just my speed! Oh well, it seems to be holding just fine now.
Another important note here for all of us. Come to find out, the reason it started leaking was electrolysis. Haven't changed my coolant in right at 2 years. Come to find out - it is very important. Solution for me now - flush, add corrosion inhibitor, and new anti-freeze.
Sorry for the novel here.
Thanks again,
J

 

Electrolysis doesn't come from not changing your anti-freeze

Electrolysis
What is it? Chemical change, especially decomposition, produced in
an electrolyte by an electric current.
What causes it? Most likely it is caused by improper vehicle
grounding. Electrical grounding problems can stem from poor installation
of aftermarket accessories or uncorrected vehicle collision damages.
How to detect it? First, test your antifreeze with ph test paper.
It should be neutral or some what alkaline. If the coolant has been
effected by a stray current it will be acidic. Another way to test would
be with a voltage meter to see if there is a difference in the coolant
voltage and your vehicle ground.
How do you fix it? 1) You must find and correct the electrical
problem (stray current). 2) You will need to completely flush your entire
cooling system. Acidic contaminated antifreeze left in the engine block
will eventually ruin your radiator or another freeze plug. 3) You must use only new quality antifreeze and distilled water.
Never use recycled antifreeze or tap water. 4) Once everything is
installed properly you need to retest the system, insuring the coolant is
neutral to alkaline.

 

I have seen the plug closest to the starter act as a sacrificial anode on 2.2 Dodge (Mitsu) motors. The current draw dispersing in that immediate area near the starter caused corrosion of the dissimilar metal of the plug. I changed out 2 in three years on that particular Dodge Shadow. Second replacement I went back with a rubber expand-a-plug and never had any more problems with it. It may not have been electrolysis per se but the end result was the same - corrosion to the point of failure.

I have wondered about whether this would be a long term problem with the amperage that it takes to turn over our 17:1 motors. At 160K miles mine are OK.

Anybody else have this problem starting to show?

 

redramnc, yep, I agree - close enough to me. Seems like it is a a lot more common experiece up here in Pa than it ever was in Texas. Lot of people here seem to have them leak and have to replace them. I do not know if the cold adds to the effect or if people just don't check their coolant specific gravity. My plug that was leaking was the one closest to the starter. I think part of my problem was that I did not change/flush for 2 years now, and last time I did, I used Walmart anti-freeze(not sure, but seems to me - you get what you pay for). Oh well, $3 (- well $6 after I drove the first one through!) and a few cuss words later I learned a lesson. I usually end up paying a lot more!
Note on the rubber plugs - I couldn't find any big enough, nor any that were the right depth. For what its worth, I was told by several locals that they don't last as long, either.

 

Infidel, I never thought about using demin/distilled water before. That sure makes good sense. Will definitly stick that one back in the old nugget!

 

I am on well water (very hard, slightly acidic) and have started using the pre-mixed stuff - saves me having to get the mixture just right. I always keep a couple of gallons of distilled water around for batteries, windshield washer top-offs, and the occasional addition to the cooling system. Seems to be keeping everything happy. Added benefit is that I can drink it if I am low on Gatorade. I have started keeping some in my milk crate in the back of the truck when it is above freezing. Solid water don't pour to well.

It wasn't until about 2 years ago that the pre-mixed stuff became available in my area, if I remember correctly. First was Rotella ELC, now there are 3 or 4 brands available.

 

now, how much horsepower do the new freeze plugs add?

 

Don't I wish!! Hope to be working on tthat before long!
J