36 replies to this topic

[Masoa010]

okay, thatnks so much! honestly thought it was a gonna, but it would have been a nice excuse to get a new one hah, thanks again!

[newnham500]

did you drive it when it was really cold?

[stitch-86]

This happened to me................................. and needless to say I crapped myself when I saw the hole in the engine - easy fix though (assuming the engine didnt boil as you may need a new head gasket and possible a water pump - I did anyway!)

[Masoa010]

ohhhhh jesus! well i'll go and measure it and get a new , see what happens how will i know if i need a new head gasket or pump?

[Cooperman]

It might be wise to change all the front core plugs as they are so cheap.
To get them out just hit towards one edge with a punch and prize out with a screwdriver when the plug has swivelled round.
Before fitting new ones clean up around the edge of the holes with a bit or emory and you can put a smear of sealant on the edge to help the plug to slide in and fit well. You have to make sure you knock the new plugs in squarely.
Make sure you fill with anti-freeze.
Once it's all back together just run the engine and see if it runs OK. So long as you didn't seriously overheat it then there should be no problems. The water pump will be fine - it's the head gasket which could have suffered if it got really hot. You won't know until you run it and check oil and water levels.
Good luck with this job.

Edited by Cooperman, 07 February 2012 - 10:13 AM.

[Masoa010]

okay i'll do that, thanks cooperman :)

[stitch-86]

Just watch your water levels for the next few day or so, make sure they dont drop or if you keep having to top it up. Should be fine

[Cooperman]

The most difficult part of fitting new core plugs is knocking them in squarely when the engine is in the car. Once you get the plug started and aligned all round the edge you can tap it in around the edge with a hammer. Whatever you do don't hit the centre of the plug, only the flanges around the circumference.

[Masoa010]

okay i just measured, and i think there going to be the 33.6 ones, not easy to measure, will those be okay even though it says "

for all A plus and 1275cc engines except for Cooper S"

[Cooperman]

That sounds right. The bigger ones are much bigger and you would notice this when measuring. If yours measure around 33 to 34 mm using a steel rule or a plastic ruler those will be correct.
Take the alternator and grill off first, then you need a metal block to hold against the core plug flanges whilst you hit it to get it started. A smear of silicone sealer round rthe edges does help. When fitted the flanges should be flush with the block surface, but you'll see that from the old ones before you take them out.
Any problems come back on here.
So, instead of needing a new engine, it's going to cost you just a few pounds - result!

[Masoa010]

BIG result 90p to be exact! thanks alot dude, ill let yo know how i get on with it

[thebullet]

I noticed on a status update it says it overheated last night? was it freezing? as said, sounds like there was no antifreeze.

[Sam14]

You my friend are indeed very lucky.

This happening in the motor trade is codemed as a myth.

Thats the core plug from where they drain the sand from after casting the engine and it is a myth or possible that if the cars coolant doesnt have anti freeze in and the water freezes the core plug will pop out to save the engine block from cracking. 98% of the time it doesnt work.

My best advice to you is to take the head of (i know its a pain) to check the bores havent cracked and check the head while your at it.

If everythings okay, replace the head gasket, flush the coolant and rad, refil with some anti freeze and water 50% each.

[Dan]

The myth is that freeze protection is what core plugs exist for, not that it happens. They are the weakest point and can fail if the water expands, which it does both when cold and when hot. When the plugs are quite rusted as they look to be here they will fail easily. But the water expands everywhere when it freezes, not just where the plugs are so they would be a pointless bit of protection if that's what they were for. They exist only to close up holes that have to be there to clean the block once cast. It may not be the case that freezing caused this, they may simply have finally got so rusty they failed. I've had one fail due to freezing though. The car was in a lockup where it was having some bodywork attended to after someone hit it and due to odd local conditions it must have got down to -15 to -18 over the weekend. It only had anti-freeze to - 13 or so I seem to remember and so half way home on the motorway after picking it up it dropped all its coolant. I didn't open the engine then and I wouldn't open this one now. The plug hasn't moved from the looks of it, so if the water did freeze it didn't expand far. Just far enough to push on the center of a rusty plug. Or it might have simply been the normal coolant pressure of the hot engine that did it, 18psi is quite a bit.

I'll just point out for anyone reading this that some core plugs are hit in the middle to lock them, but they are the dome type not the cup type as used in later engines. The cup type ones like in this thread should be set using a socket or similar that fits nicely into the cup, and driven in square with a little sealant as said by Cooperman. And as also said above, I'd replace all of them.

[Masoa010]

Basically, it didn't have any anti freeze in and so froze, we realized this when i tried to start it and i just wouldn't do it, so i left it until it had thored out and it started perfectly, then yesterday on my way to work it started to overheat because the water was leaking from somewhere and dripping onto the road. it was dark so i couldn't see and so just drove home late and waited till this morning to look when i saw the rusty flaky hole.

Thanks Dan for the help ill do as suggested and just hope that nothing else cracked as i don't have the time or money or knowledge to be opening up the head. When you say flush it out do you simply mean poor more water through so it comes out the hole just to get the loose crap out?