Yahooooooo!!! I got it out. I worked at this all weekend, Monday, Tuesday and now today it finally came loose. I'll post pics and a description of how I did it shortly. But you guys already know how so its for future folks. I swear this plug was never coming out.:TU: Dave
Good deal! Glad to hear you got it out. I am curious to know how. I will be trying to take the one out of my '66 before too long. If it doesn't come willingly I may just hold off until I rebuild the engine and then just swap the heads to get it in the back. The back is the better place to pick up water temp anyway as that will give you a better idea how hot the water is on its way back out of the engine rather than on its way in like you get in the front. I'm told the back will read about 10* or so higher than when its in the front. Mine right now hangs at about 160* when it's not scorching hot out. When it is, it may creep up to 170*-180* but never any higher. And that's with a regular antifreeze mix with more water than anti-freeze right now. When I get around to it I'm gonna flush it real good and switch over to distilled water and Water Wetter.
Coolant actually enters the rear of the heads, and exits from the front. Theoretically, the front would give the hottest reading, although there isn't a perceptible difference between the coolant temperature at the two locations. Like others have stated, heat is definitely your friend. I got mine out with nothing more than a 1/2in ratchet, a MAPP torch, and a whole lot of cussing. Maybe I got lucky? :laugh:
congratulations - I swore mine would never come out too, it's a real feeling of accomplishment when you finally get it.
Correct. It should be mentioned the coolant first flows through the block (front to rear) before entering the head at the rear.... unless your old steel shim head gaskets have the water passage block-offs rusted through, and the flow takes some short cuts! I once read an old article about a nailhead circle-track car (Max's?) that mentioned the Nails' long exhaust port added a lot of heat to the coolant.
It is correct that the water enters at the pump and goes through the block and then flows up through the heads and then to the front and the thermostat/water manifold... and is the hottest there... that is why the heater feed pipe nipple is there....now while you guys are into the cooling system , remove the thermostat and drill a 3/16 hole in the flange , between the center and the edge.... the resulting little trickle of warm water will prevent ''thermal shock'' to the radiator and keep it from getting brittle and cracking.....
The drilled hole also allows trapped air to escape from the engine.... especially important when filling the system for the first time.
