Attempting to fit freeze plug with head in-situ (1 Viewer)

[dimspark]

Hey legends,

Long time lurker first time poster. Found myself in a pickle with my 1HZ HZJ78 troopy down in Australia.

Long story short, head came back from the head shop, I was in a rush and didn't check it as well as I should have and installed it without drama. Some (...many) hours later, topped up the radiator in preparation to fire her up when water starts pissing out the back of the engine. A freeze plug has been left out! If I took 2 minutes to inspect prior to install this would have been avoided - life lessons, live and learn.

I need to get a plug in. I'm moving out of my house in 6 days and moving 7 hours south. This limits my options.

Plan A - jerry rig a dodgy system to press/pull the plug in - how to do this I don't know.
Plan B - Rubber expanding plug until I can get to my new house and do it all over again so I can put in a new brass plug.

Looking for advice. Send help!

Cheers - Mike

 

[Mark W]

Most of the freeze plugs on an installed 1FZ are a PITA to get to.

A rubber expanding plug is an perfectly acceptable alternative. Especially in this sort of situation.
I would absolutely take (and have taken) this approach with no concerns

Edit: I just looked back at this and realized that you meant one of the freeze plugs in the back of the head, not one of the ones in the block. That is gonna suck to get to no matter what. I have never had reason to try to insert any type of freeze plug into that location with the engine in the rig. Without pulling ther head, an expand-a-plug id probably your only option. Might still be a tough one.

Mark...

 

[Fedtime]

I had a rubber expandable freeze plug in a 3B diesel for several years before I got around to swapping it out. I’d not hesitate to use one again.

 

[dimspark]

Little followup for anyone in the same position.

Couldn't make it happen. Spent ages with an improvised press trying to push off the firewall on a piece of wood to spread the load. Plug only went partially in and no further.

Ended up pulling the head again and tapped it in in 2 mins.