Crossover tube plug locked up!

[Svashtar]

Wanted to burp my cooling system a couple of days ago and tried to open the 1" diameter plug on the xover tube (with a 1/4" drive male extension.) It's been a year and a half since it was off when my mechanic installed the WP and drained and filled the system.

And it was not coming off. I had it off several times before when I changed out the stat etc., and it was always painless. I think the guy in the shop who put it back together must have tightened the hell out of it, either that or it's just frozen for some reason.

So far I've broken a 1/4" drive ratchet, snapped off a 1/4" drive extension in the hole (still there), used a pair of curved vise-grips and a pair of 14" curved channel-lock pliers, and all I've done is torn up the cap. I torqued so hard on it that I was afraid of actually breaking the weld were the bib connects to the xover tube.

My mechanic is a great guy, but am I wrong in thinking this was caused by his guy and should be addressed by him? Or is it possible they just get locked up over time?

But at this point I would prefer to just fix this myself, I'm trying to get the part # for the plug so I can get a replacement ordered. Any suggestions as to how I can get this thing off? I've never seen anything like it, but maybe you have. Heat gun? I'm going to have to clean and repaint the bib as it is now...

If all else fails I was thinking about having a big A$$ nut Tig welded to the top of the plug and cranking it off that way. Or maybe drilling out the square hole, and tapping left hand threads in it, and then running a bolt down into it and backing it out?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Norm

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Oh man I would never want to be the one who worked on someone's car only to get blamed a year later for a plug getting stuck. Leave the guy alone!

[Zack]

Heat it up and use the vice grips again.

Be prepared to replace the o ring.

[omarauder]

Is it possible some kind of thread sealer (loctite, etc) was used? Try putting torque on it while a friend applies heat to the bib/crossover tube part. Make sure there is no fluid up there as it will absorb the heat.

[Shora]

I had the same problem only I didn't have a mech. to blame. The sucker (plug) just wouldn't come off.

I used one of those plummer wrenches to finally get it off.

[Bradley G]

dITTO^^i STILL GOT THE CAP WITH THE SOCKET NIPPLE BROKE OFF IN IT.

[Marauderjack]

Mine was stuck so bad once that I also broke several 1/4" devices!!:argue::mad2:

It really doesn't have to be more than finger tight to seal...."O" ring!!:beer:

Go to Lowe's and get a 9/16" Grade 8 bolt and cut the shaft down to a square 1/4" to fit the plug and use a REAL 9/16" socket to remove that sucker!!!:beer:

After you burp it just tighten like it was a spark plug.....also some Hi-Temp grease will help!!;)

Good Luck!!

Marauderjack:burnout:

[Svashtar]

Heat it up and use the vice grips again.

Be prepared to replace the o ring.

Good advice Zack and just what I was prepared to do. I'm sure that would have worked, and I have some xtra o-rings ready. I figured out after a few calls and some online research that these things will get some corrosion over time and lock up tight. My mechanic is a great guy like I said, and has always done right by me. He does exceptional work, but I knew his shop was the last one in there. (I just figured his part time assistant got carried away with the ratchet when he put the thing back on and leaned on it too hard.)

So I took it over to him and he figured out how to get it off right away. He said the trick with anything with an o-ring is _constant_ pressure over a period of time; a lot of force is not necessarily needed. He leaned on it hard but steadily for a good 40 seconds with enough pressure to open it but not enough to shear off the ratchet and it opened up all at once. Weird to see after all the effort I put into it.

I'll sand out the scratches and hit it with some hi-temp paint and it s/b good as new for now.

Thanks again for the great suggestions.

And Maruaderjack you're right. He just put it back on with his fingers and not a leak.

[huot5]

it might help to dab some anti-seize on the threads.

[Icarus]

I popped the one off my car last spring to change out the coolant adn had a lil bit of a fight to take it off. I put it back on and even torqued it proerly to spec and this year when I had to replace a hose I killed it taking it off! I broke three ratchets and and two sockets. I finally got it off with vise grips, and then welded a 17mm nut to it, painted it and used antiseize this time with new orings. I've had it off only once since then, but it's real easy now :)

[Spectragod]

Daggone, what kind of tools are you guys using that break so easily?

[magindat]

Daggone, what kind of tools are you guys using that break so easily?

Really?!

Anyways, go to the local plumbing store (or section in the home store) and get some silicone plumber's grease. It won't hurt the cooling system, will protect and lube the threads, conditions the o-ring to promote a seal, and is OK with the heat since it's used on hot water o-ring seals.

It's the same stuff the crossover tube is put into the heads with... same stuff the crossover tube is assembled with... same stuff for the water-pump o-ring seal, etc.

[Svashtar]

Really?!

Anyways, go to the local plumbing store (or section in the home store) and get some silicone plumber's grease. It won't hurt the cooling system, will protect and lube the threads, conditions the o-ring to promote a seal, and is OK with the heat since it's used on hot water o-ring seals.

It's the same stuff the crossover tube is put into the heads with... same stuff the crossover tube is assembled with... same stuff for the water-pump o-ring seal, etc.

Great idea! Thanks. Welding the nut on it also a great idea, but the downside is it might encourage someone down the road to _tighten_ it even more!

[fastblackmerc]

Daggone, what kind of tools are you guys using that break so easily?

Hint....

buy Craftsman tools so when you guys break them you can get new ones......

[Svashtar]

Hint....

buy Craftsman tools so when you guys break them you can get new ones......

Yep! Already got my new ratchet and extension. :)

FYI, I checked with the dealer. After much searching he found the part # for the xover tube plug: F50Z-8A500-AA. But guess what? According to him the "part is not available for order."! Ford says it is unavailable and won't order it separately.

They _will_ however order you assembly 8548, which is the entire Marauder Water Outlet Connection and related parts, including the plug in question. This consists of the whole xover tube assembly, everything that goes to the engine. Looks like 3 main inlets, plus the 4 smaller outlets. The whole assy is $189.

So I put the damaged plug on a 1X42 slack belt grinder and fixed the tool marks, polished it up, used emery cloth on the bib, coated the threads with some plumbers grease, put it back in, and painted it and the scratched bib with hi-gloss black hi-temp paint. Looks fine now, and should come off a lot more easily in the future.

So the bottom line is don't ever lose it, or tear it up so badly that you can't reuse it, as your options then get real limited. :depress:

Norm

[Icarus]

One ratchet was a Snap-on. The other two were Mastercraft (Canadian Tire.) The sockets were Mastercraft as well. All had lifetime warranty, so I wasn't worried, just po'd I'd used so may to do it! Trying to find our SnapOn guy is a bit of a pita for me now, as he doesn't come to the shop I'm in now, so I usually meet him at the coffee shop...

I like the idea of the plumbers grease, I wish I had thought of that last time I had it off. :)

[FordNut]

You can't get the plug by itself, but the same part has been used for a lot of applications since '93 or so. Go to the junkyard with the 1/4" ratchet and get one for a buck or two.


Yep! Already got my new ratchet and extension. :)

FYI, I checked with the dealer. After much searching he found the part # for the xover tube plug: F50Z-8A500-AA. But guess what? According to him the "part is not available for order."! Ford says it is unavailable and won't order it separately.

They _will_ however order you assembly 8548, which is the entire Marauder Water Outlet Connection and related parts, including the plug in question. This consists of the whole xover tube assembly, everything that goes to the engine. Looks like 3 main inlets, plus the 4 smaller outlets. The whole assy is $189.

So I put the damaged plug on a 1X42 slack belt grinder and fixed the tool marks, polished it up, used emery cloth on the bib, coated the threads with some plumbers grease, put it back in, and painted it and the scratched bib with hi-gloss black hi-temp paint. Looks fine now, and should come off a lot more easily in the future.

So the bottom line is don't ever lose it, or tear it up so badly that you can't reuse it, as your options then get real limited. :depress:

Norm

[MENINBLK]

Whenever you can't loosen a fitting, always try to "TIGHTEN" it first.
This will break loose any rust and make loosening the fitting easier.

[justbob]

^^^+++1111^^^^