whats the easiest way to get to the freeze plug on the backside of the head to replace it? I know I could pull the engine or cut a whole in floorboard. Just wondering what other options there might be? Its on the drivers side if it makes a difference?

 

Drive a screwdriver thru it, and just pry it out... got enough room back there to hammer in the new one? If not, pull the head.... Sorry.

 

Not sure if there's enough room or not, which is why I'm asking how to get to it in order to replace it? The actual replacing isnt bad its going to be the getting to it part. I think I'd rather cut a whole in the floorboard then pull the head or engine. I'm just hoping someone has a better idea? Heck maybe I'll get lucky and when I pull the carpet back someone will already have an access panel of some sort back there...

 

One the driver's side, its very tight (I was just in there installing a new steering shaft this past weekend). You will have to manuever around the brake booster and the steering column. The best option is to pull the head and replace it. When I installed a used motor in my truck recently, I installed 1-1/4" brass deep cup freeze plugs into the heads and all of the block freeze plugs, which are 1-5/8". If you don't want to pull the head, you can likely use a hole saw to make an access hole to gain access to rear head freeze plug from inside the truck - use a body shop style dent puller to remove the old freeze plug and drive a new one in its place and use a piece of sheet metal to cover the access hole you created in the firecall of the truck. With my luck, after going through all of that, another freeze plug would likely spring a leak somewhere else.. After repairing the leaky freeze plug, be sure to flush the coolant and refill with the proper mix of anti-freeze and water.

 

Good news, it's not the freeze plug on the backside of the head! Bad news apparently its one of the ones between transmission and engine!

 

^ i don't know if that's good news or bad news. it probably easier to pull the head than it is to pull the engine or trans.

but back to the freeze plug on the head. when my transmission got replaced, i asked for all possible freeze plugs to be replaced. the 4 or so on the back of the block were very easy. the ones on the back of the head were pretty much impossible to get to, even with the trans out. everybody including me that looked at it said - you know, if they're not looking bad or leaking, the best thing to do is leave them alone. there's zero room to swing a hammer between the firewall and the head.

if i had a back of the head, and being lazy like i am, i'd try to gob on big layer of RTV to see if it would hold.