Bra$$ Plugs

Try using never seize . That would be the best bet.

Pat

are we talking about block drain plugs???? if so why don't you have bra$$ petcocks,that would take care of two problems,ease of draining and nothing to drop in the bilge,,,,,,,,,,boat dr

GottaSki wrote: I think petcocks suck on freshwater engines, they plug with scale.

thats been my experience. worst $45 i ever spent on my boat. luckily someone liked them on ebay and i got all my money back after using them for 2 years. go figure

mercruiser has a set that has worked great for 20 years,bra$$ barrel that screws into block then a cool plastic thumb screw that threads into that w/ o-ring. dont think i have ever had one to plug with debris,but here in the deep south our water is PURE & CLEAN,yea.....if they do plug just poke something thru the barrel..I guess all the chemicals in the water here act to halt all rust or other substances from attaching to the inner parts of our motors.....boat dr

If you change to petcocks there are two types. The better is a solid bra$$ that the center wing portion can be removed so you can prob and poke for scale and sand. McMaster Carr # 4921K1 for 1/8 pipe and #4921K2 for 1/4 pipe. They are about $4.00 each.
You can drain with ease without a wrench!

For everyone with scaling problems, put anti-freeze in the blocks during layup and your scaling problems will be gone or at least minimized. I used petcocks on my '77 Martinique for years without ever having to reomove them because they were plugged with scale.

Petcocks don't work on the newer engines with anti-knock sensors, so I now drain the block the old fashioned way.

If you insist on removing plugs to drain engine and leaving that way during layup, then I suggest you thouroughly dry the threads in the block drain and apply a liberal coat of grease to prevent the threads from rusting. Or, grease (or anti-sieze)the plugs and put them back in after draining.