Freeze plugs locations and write up?! HELP

**chicagosleeper** · 12-26-2013

happy holidays !

ok well here in chicago its been very cold an average of -5F.
on xmas eve i started my car up let it run for 10 minutes hopped in it and started to drive to my parents house 10 miles away...
heat wasnt working even though it was on full blast,only blowing cold air...after driving for a couple minutes i noticed my temp gauge going above normal operating temp, temp just kept rising and never went back to normal almost overheated but didnt. i stopped at a stop light right before my mom n dads and i noticed a thumping noise from the back of the engine more towards the passenger side..i hurried to my moms house and there was coolant leaking under the car....so i shut if off and started to inspect for a leak.
Now last month we did an overhaul of all the gaskets uim,lim supermani,new water pump. the leak seems to becoming out under the back 3 cylinders,under the downpipe.
NOW since we did the gaskets im thinking that maybe we might have put the wrong mixture of coolant/water ratio and one of the freeze plugs could have popped.that or ive read about apossible heat core connection going bad.
any suggestions !? thanks for the help!

**Scottydoggs** · 12-26-2013

if the rear freeze plug rusted out or popped out, the engine needs to come out to replace it. the tranny blocks you from working on it.

and for future reference, cly 3 in the middle front.

**chicagosleeper** · 12-26-2013

my bad so then the leak was more behind cyl #4.
are there any write up or other loactions of the freeze plugs?

TY SCOTTY!

**Scottydoggs** · 12-26-2013

a write up? not really.

the tranny needs to come out, or the engine. then pull the old one plug out, hammer the new one in after lightly sanding the hole clean.

how cold has it been there? one gallon of antifreeze, the rest water added to the cooling system should be safe to -20.

**chicagosleeper** · 12-26-2013

gotten up to -15 out here it gets cold with the windchilllll

**Scottydoggs** · 12-26-2013

wind chill is not real temps. thats the it feels like deal, but its not really that cold. at least your coolant wont care.

either way a back plug blown out sucks a dick.

**chicagosleeper** · 12-26-2013

your telling me
it was a great xmas present -_-;

**chicagosleeper** · 12-26-2013

im guessing that since i have to pull the enigine or trans that this wouldnt be a good job for a shop to do for the cheap lol oh well

**Scottydoggs** · 12-26-2013

all you really need is a engine hoist. you can rent one or buy one for way less then the labor at a shop. but then again, its f ing cold out.

most shops will be around 500 to r & r a engine. the freeze plugs are cheap.

theres also a chance its not a freeze plug. a heater hose may have blown out, its dead center on the fire wall. they leak right on the DP when they do leak.

**chicagosleeper** · 12-26-2013

yes i do agree it is fing cold out here haha and ill check the heater hose connections when i get back today ill update if i find anything interesting thanks for the help

**Scottydoggs** · 12-26-2013

no problem. hoping for a heater hose, way cheaper to cut the hose and put it back on. lol

**chicagosleeper** · 12-27-2013

alright so i jacked her up and crawled under there yesterday. the freeze plugs are right by the knock sensor and they seem to be ok.
but theres coolant literally everywhere down there and i couldnt make out any clear signs of leakage i didnt have alot of time yesterday so when i get home i plan on putting water in the radiator and trying to find where its leaking at. BUT i would like to know where exactly the heater core connection is on the firewall?? i could only find power steering lines when i was under the car and they were like everything else just smothered in coolant

**FordMan77** · 12-27-2013

You can see the heater hoses from up top. They start right under the alternator and go over to just left of the brake booster. Should be below where the A/C lines are. Can't miss em.