[Shop-talk] Frost heater/freeze plug

[Scott Hall]

It's definitely threaded and it's not the kind that goes into a radiator
line or the ones that just fit dry into a port on the block--this thing is
an element exposed to coolant. It's 24mm. I thought it might be taking over
a drain plug until I saw it, but if that's a drain plug, it's bigger than
any drain plug I've ever seen.

I guess maybe there's just a threaded port in the side of the engine on
spec that people want to install heaters as an option?

I guess either way somebody's going to have to look and find it. At least I
know I'm not looking for a freeze plug.

On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 11:46 AM John Innis <jdinnis at gmail.com> wrote:

> There are different styles of those heaters.  Some intended to install in
> a freeze plug, some intended for go in a radiator hose, and some intended
> to go in place of a drain plug or port plug.  It sounds like he has one
> that is meant to go in a drain plug?
>
> On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 11:22 AM Scott Hall <scott.hall.personal at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> This is mostly theory.
>>
>> One of my staff wants to stick a frost heater in his car--it's a Kia with
>> a 3.3L engine (though I don't think that matters for the question).
>>
>> Since he thinks I'm a car guy--which in his head means I know everything
>> about all cars--he's asking for help.
>>
>> He brought in the instructions and the heater itself. The instructions
>> are pretty simple: drain coolant, "remove plug" (quotes mine--it just says
>> "plug", so I'm assuming that's a freeze/expansion plug), screw in heater,
>> refill coolant, etc.
>>
>> The heater to install is threaded. It says to torque it to 30 lb. ft.
>>
>> The plug he's removing probably isn't...I'd think.
>>
>> Obviously without rolling under the car, who knows? But I'm tempted to
>> tell him to not start--the only way I know to remove a freeze plug is to
>> drill a hole in it, then pull it out with something. If there are no
>> threads behind it--and I can't imagine that a press-in freeze plug presses
>> in to a threaded hole--then he's just going to need a new freeze plug to
>> reinstall.
>>
>> So I guess my questions to the list are:
>>
>> 1) anyone ever see a threaded freeze plug? That would seem to defeat the
>> whole purpose of allowing it to pop out.
>>
>> 2) anyone ever see threads behind a freeze plug? Perhaps the plug presses
>> into a smooth port, and there are threads behind it?
>>
>> We called the manufacturer who confirmed that the part number is correct.
>> It's used on several models so they couldn't say for sure other than,
>> "it'll work". I'd hate to see this kid pull out a freeze plug then be
>> screwed.
>>
>> YouTube similarly has nothing relevant.
>>
>> Anybody have any experience with this before I just have him drive over
>> and roll under the car to see what I'm looking at?
>>
>> Thanks.
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>
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