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| Joined: | 04-07-2022 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 140 |
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I added coolant to Rusty in an attempt to prep the car for start up. All three freeze plugs in the head started to leak. Not around the freeze plug mind you, but THROUGH the freeze plug. That's correct, THROUGH. I don't know what I was thinking, but I used 7/8" freeze plugs. They were harder to install than I thought they should be, but they all went in without incident. Apparently I somehow damaged them such that they ended up with pinholes in them. I could watch a droplet of coolant form inside the plug and get larger. WTF?
Well, I drained the coolant and used my slide hammer to yank them out. I have decided that since the engine is metric, I should have used 22mm plugs, not 7/8" plugs. 7/8" = 22.3mm so that may explain their reluctance to install. I had used sealant too, but if I damaged the plugs then then sealant would have been useless. They were Dorman plugs (555-014) but said China on them. Perhaps a manufacturing defect? Anyway, ordered some real 22mm plugs.
Next up on the hit parade of mishaps, the spark plug wires. Simple, right? Install the wires that Martin Robey shipped me for the engine. Plug and play. Yeah, right. The number four wire was too short to reach the plug. Number one and two were a bit too long, but better that than too short, but no matter how I routed number four, no luck. Curse you Murphy, purveyor of automotive ills! Ended up ordering a universal cut to length set from Amazon - BTW, I had the same experience with my TR8. Buy the "Buick 215 spark plug wire set" - it is sure to fit. HAH! Toss that and get a universal cut to length set from Taylor, their so called "Thundervolt" wires - they worked. But did I learn my lesson from that experience? Hell no!
Put a couple gallons of petrol in the tank, and am now waiting for it to leak, or perhaps explode. After all, bad luck comes in threes. Sheesh.
On hold for now...
Vance
Attachment: Engine bay 03-13-2026 [small].JPG (Downloaded 4 times)
Last edited on 03-17-2026 12:17 am by vnavaret