Winterizing my PCM inboard

Brady wrote: Pete how long did you look for those?

When it came up in the earlier thread (I linked it), I did the searching and found a picture referencing it as a early hemi plug. This time all I did was google "early dodge hemi freeze plug" and it was on the top of the list!!

The Web is certainly amazing!!

early dodge hemi freeze plugs

Pete
I think its hard copper

Oops, lost control of the spell check! That was supposed to read: You may or may not be able to retrieve the bolt, if you can't I don't think it will do any harm.

LOL well she hasn't seen a hard winter yet but I am preparing it for one.   Thanks so much. It is a 92 needs some interior work now, and some new decals but hey it's paid for and that is good. Oh yes and it had a NEW tranny put in it this year also. i am hoping to sell the old one to someone so they can rebuild it and at lest recoup some of the cost of the new tranny.

So that is a freeze plug? It was painted over so it locked like it was part of the block.   So I can just pry it off and fish in there to find the bolt and then replace the whole plug.

THATS IT!!!! The pic above teh starter!!! I was just going to go out and take a pic and there it was. The boat is a 1992. There was a threded item that stuck out and it got pushed in some to see if more water would come out (won't say who did it) and it must have fell into the wtaer jacket area. I didn't do it so I am unclear. I put a magnet in it but it would not drop down and would only go straight is so here I am now unsure of what to do.

eng,
Charlie has a good comment. I tried to find a picture of the port side of a block but couldn't. Here's another one of Tim's pictures showing the starboard side. It's basically the same and does show both the block drain and the core plugs (some, and yourself call them freeze plugs). We'd still like a picture but how big is this "acorn" nut you are talking about? Notice the block drain is the pipe plug with the arrow. To the left are the core plugs. Shown are the original that are pressed in. Sometimes if they rust out or become loose say from a block freezing (not drained in the winter) these plugs are replaced with a "repair" plug. It is basically a rubber expansion plug with a bolt in the middle used to pull it into the hole in the block.



I forgot to welcome you to the site. Welcome!! Tell us some more about yourself and the boat.

eng,
Sorry but I'm trying to figure out this problem and not getting a clear picture. Posting a picture would certainly help myself and others here.

The "acorn" nut - do you mean a pipe cap? The bolt that "disappeared" - could it have been a pipe nipple? I'm wondering if a PO (or even a "mechanic") stuck whatever he could find in the hole to plug it up!! Are there enough threads left in the hole for you to see if they are pipe treads? Try a 1/4 or 1/8 pipe plug in it.

eng,
Why do you feel it goes into the water jacket? Water didn't come out. Are you sure you haven't opened up a port into a oil passage?

BTW, you should be probing all the drains with a piece of wire to make sure sediment and scale isn't blocking water preventing it from draining.

Does your boat have a sea strainer on it?

eng,
There is only one block drain on both the port and starboard side of the engine so I don't know what the acorn nut was that you removed. Can you post a picture or maybe one of our other members will know exactly what it is.

You also need to drain the "J" tube on the front of the engine. Here's a picture:


The last drain point is the oil cooler. This can be done by simply removing the water hose off the bottom. Here's the picture of the typical trans oil cooler:



Photos courtesy of Tim (TRBenj)