Just a brief note:

freeze plug, which are made into most blocks as a
"pressure valve" to guard against cracking the block if the coolant
freezes.

        This is not true and clearly a false sense of security.
This has not been true in over 50 years.  This "was" the original
intent of these.  The only reason these are in todays engines
is, that access is needed when making the block to get the casting
sand out.   THESE WILL NOT PROTECT YOUR engine
for freezing water.
                                    Eric

Jim Felder wrote:

> This is cheap and easy to fix.
>
> You've blown a freeze plug, which are made into most blocks as a
> "pressure valve" to guard against cracking the block if the coolant
> freezes.
>
> Drain the coolant. Drill a hole in the freeze plug (I'd replace all of
> them) large enough to get a large screwdriver in it and pry it out.
>
> Clean the rim of the hole, Maybe with a dremel tool with a wire brush
> that will get into where the new part will seat.
>
> Get new freeze plugs.
>
> Put permatex in the seat in the block and drop in a part, convex side
> out *IMPORTANT*.
>
> With a ball peen hammer, make a substantial dent to expand the plug in
> the hole.
>
> Wait til next day for the permatex to harden. Start up and watch for
> signs that your head might be bad or you might have some other cooling
> system damage. Freeze plugs sometimes fail on their own, but yours
> could have failed because of heat from some other problem.
>
> Jim
>
> On May 25, 2004, at 5:08 AM, Markus W. Wittmann wrote:
>
>> Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.  While driving my 82 diesel
>> vanagon, antifreeze started pouring out of the crankcase.  The leak is
>> coming from one of the three sealed ports (Row of three circular
>> depressions on drivers side of  crankcase).  My guess is that they are
>> some kind of vents used when casting the engine.  I've not encountered
>> this before, and hoping someone has tackled this problem in the past.
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Markus
>>
>
>