Just lurking a little tonight and saw this thread. Interesting. I don't
remember seeing anything on freeze plugs mentioned on the list previously.
Maybe I just missed it but I do believe that this is one of the least
discussed/least troublesome areas on the list on a B. I own a 73 B myself,
now going on 29 years old, with the original steel freeze plugs. No
problems - so far. Of course the engine probably has been kept with
anti-freeze and has never been frozen before either. Hope I didn't jinx it!
The freeze plug described is a typical backyard grease-monkey patch piece,
made to shortcut the job, making it easier (for now) but not doing the
proper permanent job with a correctly sized, correctly installed freeze
plug. Over time, the rubber will oxidize, degenerate, soften and come apart.
Where Tom's is located is a very BAD place to use this shortcut in the first
place - and it must have been there for a-while for it to come apart!!! I've
experienced problems with these rubber plugs in the past myself (while in
the auto service business, not on my own car)- but never in such a
"difficult" place as this.
I know that this doesn't help Tom Boes any, but his problem is NOT due to
BMC engineering. DPO's do do (pun intended) some dumb things sometimes
though. This is an example of and proof of that!
-Jerry Erbesfield
73 B Black Beauty roadster
jerbesfield@mediaone.net
website- http://people.atl.mediaone.net/jerbesfield
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-mgs@autox.team.net]On
Behalf Of Dodd, Kelvin
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 7:50 PM
To: 'Tom Boes'; mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Freeze Plug
Sorry Tom, this one is a DPO bodge not factory. The original plugs were
steel and usually were not a problem unless the engine was in major
distress.
I'm afraid that the only way to fix this one is going to be pulling the
motor unless you can wheedle another rubber plug in there (doubtful)
Kelvin.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Boes [mailto:tjmga@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 4:02 PM
> To: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Freeze Plug
>
>
> I own a 73 MGB and I lost the soft plug at the rear of the
> block. It looks
> like a generic replacement plug as it has a rubber disc
> sandwiched between 2
> steel discs, the rubber is compressed by tightening a nut on
> a stud. Is
> there any advice out there on how to remove the plug from
> between the block
> and the steel plate without seperating the engine from the
> transmission.
> The hole in the plate is smaller than the plug and with the
> stud and nut it
> is too thick to slide between the block and plate. I have to
> ask; with this
> type of engineering is this why there was no 1981 MG?
///
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