Archived I need some advice!!! Trucks down and out!

[Cavaness]

OK, today i was driving down the hiway and smelled coolant. Got to work a mile down the road, got out a flashlight and a mirror. Found the rear freeze plug in the head was gone!!! The truck is a 1995 3500dually 5speed. 5000 miles on a brand new motor. The temp never went above 200degrees. It is normally at 170. When i got it back together 5000 miles ago the side freeze plugs in the block kept popping out. I made some billet aluminum ones and have not had a problem in a long time. There is a new thermostat in it too. The pressure is usually about 16lbs on the coolant system. The compression is 475psi in the cylinders. No oil in coolant whatsoever. No coolant in oil whatsoever. I even performed a combustion leak test with chemicals. All OK. Im just confused on what to do next. I really need this truck back on the road. I just cant understand why the plugs would keep coming out?!!

 

[JFaughn]

Have you tried real frost plugs , making out of alum. , not the spring effect to hold them selfs in ?

 

[DCreed]

you may have a blockage in the system, even an internally collapsing hose,hard to determine unless you change hoses.

 

[Cavaness]

all hoses are good also. i checked that recently.

 

[DCreed]

try a spare oil/boost guage hooked into cooling system at head plug then u will see actual system pressure during driving/under load.

 

[RHaber]

Did you purchase this engine from a DODGE dealer ?. If so you need to know that there were some diesel engine blocks with casting problems which resulted in blowing freeze plugs and the only resolve is to replace with another engine. No mater how many times you keep putting in freeze plugs they will blow.

 

[TBurow]

cant the holes be tapped for a pipe plug of the same size? if you can make aluminum plugs im sure you could thread them and put them in with a little sealant, im sure lots of people would buy them.



and before someone says they are there to protect the block in case of freezing 90% of all engines that freeze hard enough to pop a freeze plug have cracked the block also. so you are screwed anyway. just use enough antifreeze.

 

[DCreed]

RHaber- are they #ed like the "53"s ??

 

[B.G. Smith]

Actually they are holes to remove the sand from the casting when the block is cast. I have seen them come out when an engine freezes. I think you will have trouble with the aluminum plugs. I have seen brass freeze plugs in marine engines, don't know if they are available for Cummins? bg

 

[MAshley]

napa has at least for a jeep motor freeze plugs that are expandable nut in center expands the plug and the rubber plug fills the hole



went threw 12 standard plugs and gave up, used the expanding ones with no issues ... only kept thee jeep for a few weeks but no nasty calls about them. . may be an option