Last weekend at the river on my last pass of the evening i poped a freeze plug out.I have seen them pop out in the middle of the block before due to block twist but mine blew right next to the oil filter.I am running a water regulater so it wasnt water pressure,i am going to pull the motor out and check the mains before running at Ming.I was thinking about hard blocking the block up to about the bottom bolt on the water pump holes on the block.That would help solid the block up a little more,this is if i dont pull the pan and see that the main caps have walked a little!So my question is has anyone hard blocked a block that is run in a boat before and did it help? Thanks for the input.
If you tired of freeze plugs a-poppin', why not just put threaded freeze plugs in your engine?
Hard-Blok to the waterpump holes will work, and yes it will certainly provide support to your cylindee walls; it will also make your motor oil absorb a lot more heat from the bottom end of your engine.
LO
freeze plugs do pop out - ??? how much block presure and how is your cooling system routed ---- may be ya JUST built to much presure (sticky reg ?... :idea: I'd recomend put a new one in and see if it does it again - before doing anything crazy ????
sure would hate to wreck a nice block-------
save up and buy a new merlin blk ...
The freeze plug that popped out doesnt bother me i just dont want to deal with it all the time.I have hard blocked street engines but not a boat motor so i was just curious about the heat in the motor.I was thinking about the hard block in the block to help strengthen the block.The motor is making a little power and also hits some pretty good rpms now and again.I also dont drive the boat a whole bunch may go a mile or two at a time if that.
Did you stake your plug in several places after you gooped it up? That should hold most reasonable water pressure.
Water pressure never got passed 20 lbs i drove the freeze plugs in with black weather striping adheasive on them.i will know for sure in a day or two what caused it to happend when i get the pan off.I am pretty sure i will see where the main caps walked a little.
DJD...I know if you don't drive the deep style plugs in all the way past the lip, they some times have a tendancy to "squeeze" back out. I use Permatex on freez plugs. You can also use a small pan head screw on each side of the plug, like a 6 or 8-32, where the head of the screw catches the side of the plug. For what you use your boat for, I don't see what filling your block would hurt. Definately help keep the cyls a little straighter with boost.
My .02
Thats kinda what i was thinking also Steelcomp.I will probably fill it after fc2 when i pull the motor apart to check it out.
Danny, I know guys that have filled their blocks part way. You should have zero problems, especially since you just cruise up and down the river on short trips for the most part.
But i dont think thats the answer to your freeze plug deal, also if you have a good block, I wouldnt fill it, but if its on its last leg anyway, well then it really doesnt matter.
You thought about gettin an intercooler yet?
Later..Chris
You must be living right. Should pop the one behind the starter. It's the hardest to replace in the boat.
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