Corroded core plug led to overheating

[samuel]

This is a new one on me.

Having suffered a coolant leak for a while and having checked the hoses time and time again I was giving up all hope of ever finding the leak. As the leak was running off the undertray the exact location was difficult to ascertain. On closer examination I eventually found coolant running down the side of the engine block. To my surprise I found one of the core plugs had corroded and because of this was leaking.

The core plugs are normally there to pop in the event of freezing and save the block from cracking.

So if you can't find a leaking hose you my well have a leaking core plug. They are situated on the drivers side of the block and easy to locate if the
air cleaner top and hose are removed first.

Replacement is straightforward. I managed to remove the old core plug with a pair of small pliers. A new core plug can be purchased from ebay for less than £2.00. The size is 20mm. I managed to tap a new core plug in using a socket and extension. Topped up the system again and we're back on the road.

Hopefully this will help someone who can't find a leaking hose and have suffered the same as Bong.

[Northern Bongolow]

this post is quite good but would be better with the pics if anyone can salvage them.

https://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum ... 79#p488739

[Bob]

Thanks to Tim and Ady.

[Northern Bongolow]

nowt to do with meeeeee.

[samuel]

Ady Can we download photo's?

[Ian]

That was a bit of a challenge. But managed to insert missing photos in to Steve's original discussion (I think).

[Northern Bongolow]

Ady Can we download photo's?

i never could, but i think the forum guys and girls and ian have sort of approved a new system/host thing.(its all dutch to me) going forward, someone on the puter side of things will shout.

thanks ian for doing that, it just works so much better with the pics.

[Ian]

Replacement is straightforward. I managed to remove the old core plug with a pair of small pliers. A new core plug can be purchased from ebay for less than £2.00. The size is 20mm. I managed to tap a new core plug in using a socket and extension. Topped up the system again and we're back on the road.

I have had someone on the phone with the same problem. Can you confirm that you can do this job without draining, refilling and bleeding the system? Is it something a home mechanic, perhaps based in Colne, could do?

[samuel]

Hi Ian
.
This is a really easy job. Takes a couple of minutes to remove the core plug and pop a new one in. Obviously if the core plug leaks then the coolant system will drain to the level of the core plug. The whole system doesn't have to be drained. Due to the location of the core plugs this means a bit of bleeding will be required. Hope this helps, even if they are from Colne.

[Markas]

Hi Ian
.
This is a really easy job. Takes a couple of minutes to remove the core plug and pop a new one in. Obviously if the core plug leaks then the coolant system will drain to the level of the core plug. The whole system doesn't have to be drained. Due to the location of the core plugs this means a bit of bleeding will be required. Hope this helps, even if they are from Colne.

Perhaps worth mentioning that another frequently used method to extract a core plug is to wallop a screwdriver through it and yank it out - all done very surgically of course

[Northern Bongolow]

as can be seen from the above pics the castings are not always clean, just machined to a depth to accept the plug so as long as you are central when you belt the screwdriver or whatever through the old one you should be ok.

i would always recommend bleeding after opening the cooling system up especially on the engine itself, you can get away with doing stuff around the front rad though if your quick or use the finger in the dyke method.

life gets a bit harder if its one at the front or one of the 2 at the back of the engine block as they are hidden from view and hard to check.

these are the block ones for the diesel
http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html.

these are the head core plugs diesel.
http://lushprojects.com/bongopartsmk2/c ... mgno=.html