If you can't find Loctite 277, 271 (the regular red stuff) will work fine. Good luck.

 

"Threadlocker px#27100" is all anyone carries, that I can rouse on the phone today anyway, being Easter and all. So overwhelmed with last-minute maintenance, that I actually forgot about Easter !

 

So I drove that new one in there as far as I could. This was rather difficult, as the exhaust is in the way of getting any real force to bear on it. Used a socket, and eventually, a long, thick round metal bar.

Put that bead of Permatex Threadlocker 27100 on there, as the OEM is unavailable. The instructions on the back of this say "Permatex Threadlockers fixture in approximately 20 minutes and are fully cured within 24 hours."

Does this mean wait 24 hours before adding coolant and starting motor ? The Cummins service manual PDF I dug up says nothing about that.

Also. The top lip of the new freeze plug cup pokes up slightly (1mm) above the surface of the block, while the bottom is in fully.

I banged and banged on this thing, it wont go in any further. In fact, by these pictures, you can see I resorted to banging on the top of the cup with my long metal bar, but this only dented it in spots.

Guess I find out if it's any good when I fire it up, right ? I have two more to practice with, but I don't see the result being any different whatsoever...

 

Frost plug looks good to me - I would not mess with it any more.
Leave the thread locker for as long as possible - if 20 minutes is all you have then it will still work.

 

Oh, I have way more than 20 minutes to kill right now, as it's dark, raining and cold out in my "shop"...a muddy gravel road in front of a friend's house...and icy up on I-80 on the way to Denver. So I'm letting that thread locker set overnight before I add coolant and fire it up.

Yunno, if it still leaks, I'm thinking more and more about heading up to Cummins and picking up a second block heater. Do you pound those in as well, or is there a little more finesse involved ? Have to check the service manual on that one. As the plug next to my problem one looks terrible as well, even though it's not leaking just yet, I'm thinking about putting a block heater in it even if my plug works out OK.

The only hard part is of course contorting your hands and fingers in such a way that you can pound the plugs in, in the first place, with all that stuff in the way. If a block heater screws in or something instead, hey...

Plus, how neat would that be, to have twin block heaters you could fire up at the same time on really cold mornings ? I already have a little orange "Y" extension cord splitter to run both of 'em off of.

What I really miss is the oil pan heater I had on my 6.2L diesel Short Bus. That thing worked wonderfully, it was really powerful. You could plug it in on a frosty 13 degree morning, and see the snow and ice on the windshield immediately begin to melt.

 

Nope, the freeze plug I installed is no good. Let sit overnight with the red thread sealant, and coolant just weeps out around the plug instantly when I fill it up and start it.

I think...if I didn't deform the plug in the process of putting it in...that perhaps the hole itself is out of round from someone prying on a stuck plug sometime in the past, and no matter what metal plug anyone pounds in there, it will eventually leak. The stains on the block from old leaks below this plug attest to that theory.

So I'm going to try this second block heater route. They have a rubber seal, apparently, and a nut that tightens them on. I'm looking at the Cummins service manual on block heater replacement right now.

Question is, will it fit ? Is there room on the inside and outside of the block at the passenger side rear for a block heater ?

People here have actually done this in real life and it's worked, and stayed leak free...it's not just an idea someone had ?

Or what about a rubber plug, if the block heater idea doesn't work ? How long will that last pulling a load up the side of a mountain ?

 

this is not a hard thing to do just dont use the rubber plug that goes in and you turn a screw to expand it in order to seal they are junk. you can just take it to a normal machine shop or you can do it your self. drain your coolant then run in about about a two inch self taping screw about 4 threads into the welsh\freeze plug try to pull it out if it wont come you may have to heat it up a little some people use a sealer on these which may hold it up once it is out use some sand paper and try to clean the rust and scale out of the hole then break clean use some type of sealer on the plug lock tight makes a a sealer for this i want to say a bearing mount would work then drive in with a socket be sure not to drive in to far then let sit till dry and fill with coolant you may want to take a look at your cap and make it pops at the right psi that may have been what made that leak most likely not but who knows

 

Getting the old one out is not the problem.

Cleaning the hole is not the problem. Getting the block to a machine shop is impossible for me.

Radiator cap is not the problem.

Installing the new plug is a pain in the butt because the exhaust is in the way, but do-able.

The idea of the metal plug itself, is the problem. I think the hole the plug goes in, is out of round slightly, or has a little chip from someone prying on a freeze plug long ago

For now, I am giving up on metal freeze plugs in this particular block hole. Out of time. Lack of access to machine shops, etc.

I'm going to try this second block heater, because the nature of it's seal might solve my problem here. A cursory search on Google indicates people have installed second block heaters before.

My question is, have any of you done this, in that location ?

 

And THAT is the can of worms I warned you about opening .


A block-heater installs exactly like an expandable rubber plug; in fact, that is just what a block-heater is --- an expandable rubber plug with a water-heater element stuck through it's center.

Were it me, this is what I would now do :

Take one of the metal plugs that you know for certain is the correct size to a reputable parts-store; lay that metal plug on the counter and ask for an expandable rubber freeze-plug that is the same size, in fact GET TWO, in case one blows out.


Read and follow the instructions carefully and install the rubber plug; finish your trip and worry with installing a proper metal plug after you get where you are going.

You never hear of a block-heater blowing loose, so a properly installed rubber plug ain't going anywhere.

 

Yeh, I know. The other guys scared me with the idea of the leaking one blowing out on the side of a mountain and leaving me stranded or worse.

Well, I go a ride up to get the Cummins distribution center, and now I have a block heater. Gonna try to put it in that rear passenger side hole now. If it won't fit, then on to expandable rubber plug type options.

 

By the picture and your description of how the new replacement sits uneven I would guess it leaks for that reason. It also does not help when you tap on it and dent it. I have been there too when you do what you need to to get it in. I bought a rebuilt 0 mile 350 chevy once and they pounded the cam plug ( same as a frost plug ) in crooked and it always weeped oil. Of course I did not find it till I had already replaced 1 rear main seal which did not fix it. I was able to get the replacement in true and it never bothered again. I have frigged up plenty of frost plugs trying to get them in straight. It happens.

 

Second block heater fits like a glove, and doesn't leak at all. Ought to warm up the motor in a hurry on a real cold morning, two of those on at once.

Yeah, with the exhaust in the way, it's hard to get anything at the right angle to hit that plug square on. I tried and tried, but it went in so far and just jammed in there crooked. Attempting to beat on it with plywood and a pipe at a weird angle did not help. And who wants to remove an exhaust in the pouring rain and mud ?

I should have went with the block heater idea to begin with. I might start looking for used ones on eBay...remove the heater part and just use them as replacement plugs for the other old freeze plugs when they go...

Thanks for the advice and help, all.