Core Plug

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Andrew 2.8i
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Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Hello,
I'm in the process of changing a core plug that was slightly seeping.
I've got the old one out, but try as I might I can't get the new one back in the hole. Any advice/tips?

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Arnoldhar »

I always find a large socket that fits just inside the core plug and use that as a drift to knock the new one in flush with the block face after I have cleaned the block seat and wiped a little gasket sealant around the plug. Never had one leek
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Re: Core Plug

Post by Jasonmarie »

Nick did his with John lastyear I think , as Andrew said use a large socket or have you got the right size Core Plug ? Keep us posted .
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Re: Core Plug

Post by Mc Tool »

They are an interferance fit and are very tight so used a decent sized hammer :shock: , a big hammer used gently is far easier to control than beating shit out of it with a small hammer :D
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Re: Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Arnoldhar wrote: Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:20 pm I always find a large socket that fits just inside the core plug and use that as a drift to knock the new one in flush with the block face after I have cleaned the block seat and wiped a little gasket sealant around the plug. Never had one leek
Thanks Andrew.
Yes, I tried giving it a good whack with a hammer on a socket. I think the job is made a bit more difficult than it could be because the engine is in situ.
I'll try again at the weekend.
Thanks again,

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Jasonmarie wrote: Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:46 pm Nick did his with John lastyear I think , as Andrew said use a large socket or have you got the right size Core Plug ? Keep us posted .
I know, I re-read that thread before attempting to do mine. It would appear that they found the job a bit easier than I'm finding it! :)

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Mc Tool wrote: Wed Feb 19, 2020 8:31 pm They are an interferance fit and are very tight so used a decent sized hammer :shock: , a big hammer used gently is far easier to control than beating shit out of it with a small hammer :D
Hi Hamish,
Good tip about the hammer, thanks. There isn't really room for a big hammer when the engine is still in the car though.
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Re: Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

I've also had a couple of core plugs in the freezer since the weekend. Doing this to shrink them and make them easier to fit is an old wives tale though. I've measured the diameter of one that has been in the freezer and one that hasn't and the measurements are exactly the same, measured to a 100th of a mm!

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Mc Tool »

Ah , see :) thats where I would go big ,coz you dont need a lot of swing to get a good bit of energy up . I have a solid lump of copper about 3" dia by 4" long , no handle ,real handy for giving something a decent nudge in limited space.
You could very slightly bevel ( chamfer ? ) the edges of the plug hole with a bit of wet n dry wrapped round a bit off the end of a broom stick ( Dianne reckons her's doesnt corner as well now that I shortened it :lol: ), just a small polish ...1/2 a mm. And , fwiw I think the brass ones are easier to fit , they dont seem to keep bouncing out of the hole when trying to get it started in like steel ones do . :)
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Re: Core Plug

Post by Major_Tom »

Andrew 2.8i wrote: Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:50 pm I've also had a couple of core plugs in the freezer since the weekend. Doing this to shrink them and make them easier to fit is an old wives tale though. I've measured the diameter of one that has been in the freezer and one that hasn't and the measurements are exactly the same, measured to a 100th of a mm!

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Major_Tom wrote: Thu Feb 20, 2020 1:58 pm
Youre supposed to use liquid helium my boy!
Mmmmmm, now you've got me thinking....

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Fordoholic Nick »

Hi Andrew,

When I first measured up the new core plug with the hole I tnought there's no bleedin chance in hell of it fitting but John laughed, lined it up and gave it a whack and bang it was in !!! A few softer taps just to bed it just past flush and job done. More recently when Tickover had the Pinto out I got them to replace the others especially that one behind the bulkhead end of the block!!! Got Tickover to paint the block and they left the plugs unpainted which is a really nice feature too but keeps them more 'flexible' if the time ever came for them to blow out.!!!! Good luck wth yours mate. Yep when you need a decent swing with the hammer/mallot the engine in situ does not help mate.
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Re: Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Success! :D
Thanks to everybody who offered advice and encouragement.
Without your help I would probably have given up!

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

As already mentioned, feline oscillation clearance is prohibitively limited when the engine is in situ.
To counter this, instead of using a socket that is 50mm deep, I found a fairly slim nut that was almost the same size across diagonals as the recess in the core plug. I wrapped masking tape around the nut so it was a snug fit. This enabled the nut to stay in place without me having to hold it, so no danger of whacking my fingers with the hammer. The main reason for using the nut instead of a socket was to maximise the space for a hammer swing, and doing this allowed me to use a heavier hammer than I had been using. It seems to have worked, but as yet I haven't filled the cooling system with water to check for leaks. Fingers crossed! :)

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Re: Core Plug

Post by Fordoholic Nick »

Andrew 2.8i wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2020 11:12 am Success! :D
Thanks to everybody who offered advice and encouragement.
Without your help I would probably have given up!
Hi Andrew,

Brilliant mate. :applaud:

Great job done and lots of satisfaction too mate as it deffo sounded a bit tricky given the space you had to work with. . Glad it went ok.

Let us know how the coolant test goes too :)
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