Rear Freeze Plug Blew

Black 02 · Jun 9, 2014

Got my new engine installed finally after a way too long of an engine building experience, but that's for another time. Fired it up and it ran amazingly smooth. Amazing what a balanced engine runs like. Let it come up to operating temperature and then decided to take it for a drive.

Oil pressure and water temps were good. Went about 1 mile from my house and I instantly smelled antifreeze. Turned around and coasted home and after a long investigation, I found one of the rear freeze plugs is missing.

I was driving on a "stock" tune and the boost didn't get over about 10 psi.

Anyone had this happen before? Could the builder not installed them correctly? I've read it could be a head gasket that blew pressurizing the system.. The engine is studded. I wouldn't think that little bit of driving would cause a head gasket to blow. There was no white smoke and the oil is still clean.

Any insight or advice is appreciated. Anything I should investigate? I'm going to pull the transmission now and fix the plug, but I'm nervous about this thing. I've spent a lot of money to have this happen. I honestly can't catch a break on this ordeal from those who know what kind of crap I've been through on this build. I was so excited to see the truck run again to then have this happen 30 minutes later.

uke:

rascal · Jun 9, 2014

That sucks! Hopefully its just one last small bump on a long, smooth road ahead.

Good luck!

CSIPSD · Jun 9, 2014

I would have to say a incorrectly installed freeze plug.

Black 02 · Jun 10, 2014

I sure hope you're right, Joe. I've had enough band luck for awhile on this damn thing.

Yanking the tranny out tomorrow.

golfer · Jun 10, 2014

(just to forewarn)...I've seen cracked blocks spit that very freezeplug.

hopefully it was just a bad installation...but carefully inspect the rear main webbing/register behind the rear cover for a crack that may run over toward the rear cam bearing journal.

TARM · Jun 10, 2014

Oh you are just making him feel great. HaHa

I know its certainly better to know now though rather than button it up all over again just to have to pull but.... wow would that suck to go thru all that and end up having to pull it and have to move it all over to a new block and all the machine work etc.

Dmstrucks02 · Jun 11, 2014

Dam the luck, let us know what you find

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

CSIPSD · Jun 11, 2014

I'm not that far away from you... If you need a hand pulling it let me know...

Black 02 · Jun 15, 2014

CSIPSD said:
I'm not that far away from you... If you need a hand pulling it let me know...

Thanks Joe, I really do appreciate the offer. I got the tranny yanked and put back in already. Now I have new problems..... :shrug:

vanderchevy18 · Jun 15, 2014

That happened to me last year. Put a new one in and kept on truckin.

TARM · Jun 15, 2014

So did any work get done on it this weekend?

Black 02 · Jun 15, 2014

TARM said:
So did any work get done on it this weekend?

I took last Friday off, fixed the freeze plug, and drove it and it held. So I'm 99% sure the freeze plug was installed incorrectly.

But...... After the engine came up to operating temperature, I have very little low oil pressure. At least low enough to send the idiot gauge to zero and turn the "CHECK GAUGE" light on.

FML!!!! God this sucks.

Check out the other thread I started about low oil pressure to get more details.

Thanks for asking! :toast:

vanderchevy18 · Jun 15, 2014

Just tap it this time.

Black 02 · Jun 16, 2014

vanderchevy18 said:
Just tap it this time.

Work was already completed. I thought about it, but found the engine builder used some autozone crap steel plug and it wasn't seated properly.

The new stainless ford plug has been holding like a champ so far.