I recently after waiting three weeks got my engine replaced under warranty. Three days later the rear freeze plug in the block behind #6 just above the bellhousing area fell out. The dealer has installed another one that STAR made them order that also fell out immediately.

Wonder if the plug got driven in wrong and lost it's fit or is the block junk making the hole out of round.

Guys for information there is no low coolant light like some other makes have. When you loose water the temp gauge does not necessarily go hot. And this new antifreeze does not have the odor when it steams out. The only clue I had was the heat went cold. I pulled over and towed home but even this may have damaged the block. Don't know why the first freeze plug came out as it was installed by Cummins. But, who knows why they are having trouble with a new one.

I race gas engines and I use deep Dorman freeze plugs and I pin them in the hole. If this truck were not under warranty I would be driving it right now as I can fix a missing freeze plug fairly easily and it will never come out.

 

Ok, you are saying when you loose coolent and the engine over heats the temp gauge does not read hot?

Why is this?

 

That is correct. The sensor must be immersed in coolant in order for it to read. It does not recognize steam as being hot.

This has caused and engine or two to melt down through the years.

 

i am quite familiar with freeze plugs blowing out. i have lots the rear one, above the bellhousing

there is a plate available, or template to make your own to keep them from popping out.

 

what do you mean 'pin them in'?

I have a plate over mine, I blew it out, I dont know if you care about your warranty, though

hope this helps

 

There was a recall on a few builds years ago for this very problem. And to be perfectly honest, I don't know how anyone could possibly install that plug correctly with the engine in the truck. I haven't been faced with the task yet.....but it doesn't look like the odds of success would be very favorable.

 

Do you know where can I get one of these plates already made?

So it sounds like it's pretty hard to tell when a plug blows if the temp gauge doesn't read hotter than normal. Are there any other ways of telling...does it make a certain noise or something?

 

I have been thinking about calling enterprise engine performance and asking them if they will sell me just a plate from their plug kit they sell....their plate is o-ring fit and it has a tapped hole for a coolant bypass

 

On my race car I have lost a freeze plug two different times. First time was at Bowling Green KN I was running 170MPH and was running straight water. The reason this plug came out was I had welded a fitting in it and srewed up some of the plug's integrity. The other time was a fresh engine that we matched weight of the rods and pistons and did not take time to check the balance. This plug came out and I was running antifreeze which a NO NO in drag racing. The engine literally was 300 grams out of balance and shook the plug out. I had raced the car 10 years without scratching it and that night I tore it up good. So after I fixed the engine balance I drilled and tapped three holes equally spread out around the plug. I tapped the holes and installed button head screws in the holes. The idea is the plug can push out a little but will get caught on the head of the screw and not come completely out. Sonny Leonard using an alluminum plate and two large screw to hold the plate in but on small block Mopar there is just not enough meat around the plug to do this.

 

These new engines with the new orange colored antifreeze leave no odor like the old green antifreeze did when it spews out. I had no clue this had happened except for the fact the air coming out of the vent instantly went cold. I had just left a freinds place about 5 miles down the road and everything was fine when I left. The engine was already warm and I was just easing along as I wanted this new longblock to break in as well as possible. So much for that.