HELP! please - antifreeze leak

[Monkey Run]

Today, after purchasing a mirror, I was easily able to pinpoint the leak. It's what appears to be a freeze plug on the back side of the head below the threaded plug in the picture below. The plug itself does not appear to be in bad shape, so I'm thinking perhaps I may be able to clean the area well and seal the recessed plug with JB Weld. My shop is several states away, leaving me with limited tools etc to work with here. A few years ago, I used the JB Weld to seal up the leaking factory (know to warp and leak) exhaust manifold. The stuff held up for a couple of years until I was able to locate the newest release from CUMMINS, which is a split manifold to avoid the warping and leaking issues. Thoughts?

[Unplanned Tourist]

Best to do it when your engine is at least warm. Clean it good with a wire brush and alcohol. Let any pressure out of the cooling system by taking the rad cap off. Put the cap back on and apply the JB Weld while the engine is cooling. That way the cooling system should be in a vacuum rather than a pressure state, and the JB Weld will seal up the leak for now.

[craigd853]

Originally Posted by Monkey Run

Today, after purchasing a mirror, I was easily able to pinpoint the leak. It's what appears to be a freeze plug on the back side of the head below the threaded plug in the picture below. The plug itself does not appear to be in bad shape, so I'm thinking perhaps I may be able to clean the area well and seal the recessed plug with JB Weld. My shop is several states away, leaving me with limited tools etc to work with here. A few years ago, I used the JB Weld to seal up the leaking factory (know to warp and leak) exhaust manifold. The stuff held up for a couple of years until I was able to locate the newest release from CUMMINS, which is a split manifold to avoid the warping and leaking issues. Thoughts?

Hello sir and sorry for your issues. Putting JB weld on this it will never hold, due to vibration and the heat and cold cycle of your engine. If this is just a temporary fix then I apologize in advance and it may get you by for the immediate future but probably not a good idea. Good luck and safe travels

[Monkey Run]

Originally Posted by craigd853

Hello sir and sorry for your issues. Putting JB weld on this it will never hold, due to vibration and the heat and cold cycle of your engine. If this is just a temporary fix then I apologize in advance and it may get you by for the immediate future but probably not a good idea. Good luck and safe travels

In thinking about it, the repair is for a 1300 mile return trip. The JB might be more of a pain to remove for the permanent repair fix than it's worth. The freeze plug is small and despite it being a job which requires a mirror to address, I might be able to fix it here. But first, I'm going to ask a freightliner shop how much they might charge..ouch.

[2cyber71]

I had a freeze plug with a major leak right on my RV pad in 2012 December. When I was exercising my motorhome engine in the winter. Lucky I was home, because it poured out quick. I ran back into the RV and shut it down fast. Not alarms yet, I lost about 7-8 gallons of antifreeze on my pad. Lucky me I was not the road or actually on the highway. My engine would have blown.

My diesel mechanic came over to my house, he drilled out the freeze plug and hammered a new one in. All at my house. It took about an hour to two total I put the antifreeze back in and I was good to go. The freeze plug we bought at NAPA. I think it was about an inch round. Cost me $2 for the plug. The mechanic charged me for 2 hours work. I think $200-300. I can’t remember.
Thi was in my 400ISL in my 2007 Ellipse
We figured the 400 ISL sat for about a year because it was a engine that Winnebago kept in the 2007 models because the new changes in the ISL. What I was told that most of these 400 ISLs sat for about a yr before they put them on the chassis by Freightliner.

BTW I’ve been up to Sodus camping at Cherry Grove CG in Walcott many yrs ago.
Here is my old video
https://youtu.be/10EF7exUriE

[Flyer15015]

Dan,
Re-read post #2.
Especially the part about NAPA having RUBBER PLUGS.
I have 2 in my 1940 Buick strt 8, and they have been there for over 4 years.

Mike in Colorado

[Monkey Run]

Originally Posted by Flyer15015

Dan,
Re-read post #2.
Especially the part about NAPA having RUBBER PLUGS.
I have 2 in my 1940 Buick strt 8, and they have been there for over 4 years.

Mike in Colorado

Mike, I'm going to stop at Freightliner to get an estimate, but also think about doing it myself. The rubber plug has crossed my mind because they will probably not need to be a perfect install to stop the leak ie they are flexible. Given I cannot see what I'm doing, this might be the best method.

[Monkey Run]

Originally Posted by 2cyber71

I had a freeze plug with a major leak right on my RV pad in 2012 December. When I was exercising my motorhome engine in the winter. Lucky I was home, because it poured out quick. I ran back into the RV and shut it down fast. Not alarms yet, I lost about 7-8 gallons of antifreeze on my pad. Lucky me I was not the road or actually on the highway. My engine would have blown.

My diesel mechanic came over to my house, he drilled out the freeze plug and hammered a new one in. All at my house. It took about an hour to two total I put the antifreeze back in and I was good to go. The freeze plug we bought at NAPA. I think it was about an inch round. Cost me $2 for the plug. The mechanic charged me for 2 hours work. I think $200-300. I can’t remember.
Thi was in my 400ISL in my 2007 Ellipse
We figured the 400 ISL sat for about a year because it was a engine that Winnebago kept in the 2007 models because the new changes in the ISL. What I was told that most of these 400 ISLs sat for about a yr before they put them on the chassis by Freightliner.

BTW I’ve been up to Sodus camping at Cherry Grove CG in Walcott many yrs ago.
Here is my old video
https://youtu.be/10EF7exUriE

I know exactly where that place is, in fact, there was a great 50s style drive-in very close to it. Everything from iced cream to fried clams at a reasonable price. The owners retired, and like so many family businesses, the kids and grandkids wanted nothing to do with it. So, it closed.

[Monkey Run]

Spoke with Freightliner this afternoon. They do not wish to do the job, but rather, referred me to a different service center an hour or so away. My thought at this point is to clean the area with my dremel tool with the wire brush attachment and if it seems solid enough to temporarily patch with JB, that is what I shall do. I may also apply a cloth and resin patch over the top of the JB on the surface of the head. Despite the additional work of cleaning it back off for the permanent repair, depending upon what I see after the cleaning, I would bet this will suffice. In the meantime, I'm going to precisely measure that hole with my calipers, and obtain a rubber plug replacement. Sometimes I change my mind

[Flyer15015]

OP,
When you get her home and do the job right, DO NOT bugger up the bore of the hole. These are bored at the factory with a low feed rate and the surface is very smooth. The plug is made of C-1008 carbon steel and it is soft enough to deform and seal the bore.
If you start scraping the bore with anything stronger than a wire brush, the plug will not seal.
Lots of YouTube videos on how to do this job. Watch a bunch before you dive in.

Good Luck and let us know how the job went. It's not rocket science and think how proud the DW will be when you're done. Plus, you saved a bunch of beer money.

Mike in Colorado

[Monkey Run]

Originally Posted by Flyer15015

OP,
When you get her home and do the job right, DO NOT bugger up the bore of the hole. These are bored at the factory with a low feed rate and the surface is very smooth. The plug is made of C-1008 carbon steel and it is soft enough to deform and seal the bore.
If you start scraping the bore with anything stronger than a wire brush, the plug will not seal.
Lots of YouTube videos on how to do this job. Watch a bunch before you dive in.

Good Luck and let us know how the job went. It's not rocket science and think how proud the DW will be when you're done. Plus, you saved a bunch of beer money.

Mike in Colorado

I totally agree! This would not even be on my ??? list if I were at my shop. Many more difficult jobs have been performed there on the old girl (motorhome )

[shootist]

Use brass freeze plugs if available. Weld up washers for the head of a tool and I use 1/2 square solid rod that is easily bent as my shaft for a custom installer tool. If you cock a plug hammering it in , toss it. They can blow out if deformed even a little bit. Had a boss eat a motor over one. Don't be afraid to drill a hole it the floor or inner fender to insert a tool. Plugging it afterwards is pretty simple.

[Monkey Run]

Originally Posted by shootist

Use brass freeze plugs if available. Weld up washers for the head of a tool and I use 1/2 square solid rod that is easily bent as my shaft for a custom installer tool. If you cock a plug hammering it in , toss it. They can blow out if deformed even a little bit. Had a boss eat a motor over one. Don't be afraid to drill a hole it the floor or inner fender to insert a tool. Plugging it afterwards is pretty simple.

Thanks for the tip, shootist. Unfortunately, there is no way to drill or cut in order to gain better access. This will all be by mirror and by feel.

[1972VWbus]

The key to JB Weld working long term is preparation. Clean the surface/s thoroughly then use some acetone and wipe the surface. Mix equal amounts of JB Weld and apply to surface/s. Then allow to dry for 15+ hours before returning to service.

JB Weld will have no issue breaking down with hot/cold cycles and/or chemicals such as coolant, oil, fuel etc. Just be sure it has dried 15+ hours prior to return to service.

I use it on lead casting plugs on Weber/Dell carbs and works very well.