what is THIS for? well whatever it is it's leaking...

[hank14]

I'm in the middle of sweating bullets on trying to drill the plug out on mine. I have 5/16x24 allen head plugs and the appropriate brand new tap if I can get the old plug out. It seems to be really well pressed into my head.

Here's where I'm at:

1. I removed all the crap to replace the intake and exhaust manifold due to an exhaust leak. While all that stuff is off, I figured I'd repair the oil galley plug.

2. Starting out, I tried to do it cheap by using a dremel and a small (3/32) drill bit. I drilled a pilot hole, then screwed in a machine screw about 1/16 inch. I tried to pry the plug out and the screw tip broke off in the plug.

3. Next, I used a dremel burr to grind down the screw.

4. Then, I went and bought a right angle attachment for my drill and a Black and Decker reverse thread easy-out bit. I drilled the appropriate pilot hole (5/64), and began screwing in the easy out with a crescent wrench per the directions. The easy out snapped off.

5. Once again, I used the dremel burr to grind down the easy out.

6. I was going to just use a 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch bit and drill the plug out, but even with the right angle attachment, there is not enough room. So, I have replacement heater hoses for my engine (my 3rd project while replacing my manifolds), and may remove the heater hoses that are in the way of replacing the oil galley plug with the head in the truck.

As usual, what many report as a simple 1 hour preventative maintenance job is turning in to a major endeavor for me.

I may be looking at pulling the head, which I really don't want to do. I've got 160,000 miles and the last time I checked my compression, everything was well within spec.

Suggestions?

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I'm in the middle of sweating bullets on trying to drill the plug out on mine. I have 5/16x24 allen head plugs and the appropriate brand new tap if I can get the old plug out. It seems to be really well pressed into my head.

Here's where I'm at:

1. I removed all the crap to replace the intake and exhaust manifold due to an exhaust leak. While all that stuff is off, I figured I'd repair the oil galley plug.

2. Starting out, I tried to do it cheap by using a dremel and a small (3/32) drill bit. I drilled a pilot hole, then screwed in a machine screw about 1/16 inch. I tried to pry the plug out and the screw tip broke off in the plug.

3. Next, I used a dremel burr to grind down the screw.

4. Then, I went and bought a right angle attachment for my drill and a Black and Decker reverse thread easy-out bit. I drilled the appropriate pilot hole (5/64), and began screwing in the easy out with a crescent wrench per the directions. The easy out snapped off.

5. Once again, I used the dremel burr to grind down the easy out.

6. I was going to just use a 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch bit and drill the plug out, but even with the right angle attachment, there is not enough room. So, I have replacement heater hoses for my engine (my 3rd project while replacing my manifolds), and may remove the heater hoses that are in the way of replacing the oil galley plug with the head in the truck.

As usual, what many report as a simple 1 hour preventative maintenance job is turning in to a major endeavor for me.

I may be looking at pulling the head, which I really don't want to do. I've got 160,000 miles and the last time I checked my compression, everything was well within spec.

Suggestions?

I got lucky and did it in place and it went well. With that broken off tool steel in the plug, I think you are going to have to pull the head and have a machine shop do this.

I did not think this was a simple job. It was 2 hours of fear that I would screw things up and fail. I was doing it as the sun went down and it was getting cold.

You might try with the small Makita right angle drill-that worked for me, but pulling the head is not that hard and it's 100%.

Good luck.

 

[fliphkd778]

Ouch, I'll get rid of my black and decker easy out then. If it's that weak...the plug should have just spun before the tap broke. The plug is just a piece of soft aluminum.
I would try beating the easy out- out of the plug with a sharp pointed chisel. If that doesn't work and you were able to grind the easy out(surprising, ususally extremely resilient high stregth) maybe just go ahead and grind it all out and get a hole going to pry that plug out. I screwed a wood screw into mine until I could grab it with vice grips and rip out the plug.

 

[hank14]

I think I got all the screw and the easy-out out of the hole by drilling and grinding the plug around it. Now, I'm having a hard time finding the center of the plug to drill into again. I may work on it tonight after I remove those heater hoses and will post pics if I can't get it.

Thanks.

 

[ntsqd]

There are two kinds of E-Z-Outs. Those with spiral ribs and those that are a 4 (or more) sided straight taper. Only use the straight taper type. The spiral types wedge the stuck bolt tighter and frequently break off in the bolt. I throw out the spiral types when even I stumble across one (I inherited my grandfather's tools).
Next, I use the biggest E-Z-Out that I can make fit. Makes it that much harder to break one.
And, yah gotta go at this with the idea that the bolt is stuck, it isn't going to come out easy and the last thing that you want to do is break off the E-Z-Out. So exercise patience. Go away for a while and do something else if it starts pizzing you off.
Sign me BT, DT & learned the hard way.

 

[PabloCruise]

As usual, what many report as a simple 1 hour preventative maintenance job is turning in to a major endeavor for me.

Suggestions?

Hank,

Sounds like you have been wrenching with me!

If my plug were THAT stuck in there, I would be tempted to leave it!

 

[hank14]

All right- I got it all done. I just had to grind out around the EZ Out to remove it, then drill the hole until the galley plug came loose like others described.

I'm glad this project is done!

 

[JonPalmer]

I just repaired my galley plug that someone else jacked up and was leaking. This job took me about an hour today, I had to grind off the epoxy or whatever it was that was holding a 5/16 x 1/4 hex plug that was only half in and might of been cross threaded. After grinding around the plug and then finding that the epoxy that had been used wasn't even adhering to the head so I was able to to just pull it off, I put a small drill in a right angle drill and drilled into the hex area of the plug to clean it out. I then put a craftsman easy out into the drill and removed the old plug. If it had actually been threaded right it might of just broke the easy out off. I then took a 5/16 x 18 tap and cleaned the treads that were there. I then found a stainless 5/16x18x1/2 plug applied red permanent Lock tight to it and threaded in 3/8". I would have done it flush but I broke my allen socket off in it. I put a little JB weld around it and am letting it sit overnight to cure and then I'll check it to see if it leaks. I think it should be fine and might not of needed the JB but that little plug is was made it sit in a field for 10yrs with a seized engine, and I don't want to have to put another engine in it again until I'm ready to drop that crate vortec in it.

Jon

 

[MAD40er]

Thanks!

Just did mine last night. 91 3FE engine. Used a M8 1.25 plug from ACE hardware. A great fix for under a dollar! (I had the tap already)

 

[the gimpey one]

I used a 5/16ths tap. I used a right angle drill adapter from ace hardware($20 or so) and a 8mm allen head set screw. Use loctite on it as well. Do not force the drill bit or u will break it inside your block. I had some really small zip ties so i took a piece of an old rag, put it in the zip tie and poked it in the bolt hole behind the freeze plug. Once i was through drilling i pulled it out with all the trash. Worked great. I am a 1 bananna mechanic and i had a broke left index finger at the time. If i can do it anyone can. Just take your time and be patient.

 

[the gimpey one]

Send me a pm if u need to see a tap conversion chart i have a pic of one on my cell phone.

 

[myquestoyota]

Okay, count me in. After seeing several references to the oil galley plug in the head I still didn't bother to do the fix even though I have had the head off twice. Fast forward to night before last and I got the engine in and everything else hooked up. Started it up and oil was puking out the infamous plug. If it wasn't for this forum I would have panicked but assembled the tools and in about an hour or two I had a stainless 8 x 1.25 allen screw red locktighted in the hole. Let it set up for about an hour (all the time I had) and no more leak. Thank the MUD gods one more time and if you have not done this fix take heed; DO IT! I am very glad it happened at the house with the hood open.

 

[coloradobrown]

Before drilling and tapping, you pack both the drill bit and the tap bit with grease. This will hold the shavings from going into the engine itself.

 

[markmark]

Im about to do this to my 2F. I am thinking of fitting a taper thread, like BSPT or US equivalent NPT, these are taper pipe threads so you can keep winding the tap in till the plug screw or grub screw sits flush with the surface of the head. Should work ??

 

[ntsqd]

NPT would be better at sealing pressure than straight threads. If the hole is two different sizes (some posts make it sound like it is) you may want to track down the appropriate sized tapered reamer made specifically for forming NPT female threads. These form the taper in the hole before you tap it.

I don't know that the plug being flush is necessary. It does need to have at least 3-4 turns by hand minimum to have enough thread engagement.

Apply air pressure to the oil galley to blow the swarf out while you're drilling, reaming, and tapping. I usually do this by removing the oil pressure switch and screwing in an air hose QD fitting. The best way to dull any cutting tool working on cast iron is to lubricate it. Sounds odd, I know. Cast iron is very abrasive and cutting it forms more of a dust than chips like with steel or aluminum. Adding a lubricant turns a dry abrasive dust into a poor man's valve lapping compound.