Well, i was testing the smarty hot beta4 just now in preparation to go to bd in the morning. The rear freeze plug blew out. Cant find it. SO CANT GO TO BD!
I will now be installing the block off plate in the rear.

I know that they occasionally blow out. Is this caused by the head gasket lifting, pressurizing the coolant system and out it blows? Or does it just go sometimes? I was fully warmed up, and only at 45 psi of boost. i have run much more before. THis sucks. I really wanted to dyno tomorrow. Guess i will have to go back to the powershop after i get it fixed and see what it does then.

 

Did it mess up anything???

Man I know we have been ribbin each other but that sucks.

I will be pullin my thermostat this weekend, I have my rear plug blocked off but I aint takin any chances.

I truely am sorry Chis and I hope you get this all worked out.

Usually they blow when not warmed up properly, but maybe the smarty is fueling harder up top and that had somethin to do with it.

BTW, how did you get it home?

 

Well mine blew on the track, I think it was the fueling hard through 3300+rpms. I think over time the heat of many hard runs and then the extra crank case pressure from fueling hard through higher rpms that the Smarty allowed was what did it. Most that I have seen with blown freeze plugs were running a downloader that fueled hard well past the 2950rpms with stock programming. Just my .02. Mine does have a plate over it now.

 

it went 1/2 mile from the house, so i got it in the driveway ok. i let it warm up fully on the ebrake and fast idle, then drove it really nice for 2 miles to completely get it hot, and gave it a few blasts with no problem. then i turned around to go home, turned the quad to 100hp and blast off. Boy that thing is fast. And pop, saw all the coolant dump behind me(doing 90mph!)heard the tinkle of the plug hitting the exhaust, and got home real quick.

 

Well I know most of the guys have seen this, but it is still unique. The track photographer was taking pictures of vehicles as they pasted the 1/8 mile light. He was getting the sunset background and some cool pictures. Look carefully under the truck and you can see the freeze plug in mid air. I never new it until I let off at the end. Did not know it for a few weeks, but the combo of WOT with no water in the block and EGTs pushing 1600+ was too much. Best diagnosis is scarred cylinder and/or warped piston. Truck has about 14,000 miles since then runs ok, just uses oil and fair amount of blow by.

 

even if the truck is warm all it takes is for the t-sat to close once and it will blow it... the t-stat will open and close while normal driving so it is a gamble either way
best insurance is to drill out the the brass bell hole on the t-stat...
sorry for your trouble's of course it happens the night before you want to go to BD days
good luck

 

Mark, cant we just cut out the brass piece?

I know drillin it would let more coolant flow but I havent pulled mine, nor seen one is why I ask.

 

thanks mark. i will be ordering the cummins blockoff plate, modding the tstat, and studding before i get carried away. i make look into orings so i never have to worry about the HG either.

 

some guys on here said they gutted theirs and it made it too cold....the truck would never reach operating temp, so the brass bell and drill trick would be the best bet it may take a little longer to warm up but that is better then a blown freeze plug IMO

 

BTW that is not a Cummins t-stat that I posted, I just Google imaged t-stat to get the pick, so yours may look a slight bit different but they all work the same

 

I am kinda confused.

I am sayin, can I cut out the barbells and not drill it? Would that help or is it pointless wouthout drillin?

 

thanks for the help and offer will. this is why i belong here. you fellas are great.
chris

 

oooo now I get it...I bet it will work. I don't know how big the hole should be...but as long as the pressure/coolant can pass through it should help...

I wonder if you could hook a gauge up to the block some where and read block coolant pressures???? I would like to know how much pressure these thing's are building???

 

that really sucks! welcome to the club, mine has a plate over it too

 

got anymore info on the plate? cost, where to get it, whats involved with the install?

Dan