Tiberian Fiend

So I've been trying to get my engine back together after putting the new intake manifold on and it's been slow going, since the car is 30 minutes away and I only have a few hours a week to work on it and I keep running into problems that stop me. The latest (and greatest) is that the alternator bracket doesn't fit on the stud because it's being blocked by the plug required because this intake manifold has holes for several years and engines, but that's not the worst of it: I tried to take the plug out, but it's stuck, and I rounded out the inside trying to get it out.

plug_zpsoaqniymi.jpg

I have three questions:

1. Is there any way to get this plug out without taking the manifold off again and drilling it out? It's stuck very well and it's aluminum, so it's soft.

2. Is there any way to plug the hole without using one of these plugs, or do I just have to grind one down?

3. Where in the hell does this go? (This is a 330 with factory air.)

oldcutlass

Can you get a small pipe wrench, vise grips, channel locks, etc... on it. Its already rounded and will need to be replaced any way? Don't know about that bracket, mine did not have a/c. Can you heat the manifold area around the plug?

Donolds

R

Donolds

Sorry, never replied to a question on this site. The third picture shows your bracket bolted to the rear of ac and bracket over valve cover. I had the same problem trying to figure that one out.. Luckily I took a photo before dissambly.
65 Cutlass Holiday Coupe with 330 and 200R4 transmission..
Good luck with your project,
Don

Donolds

Found better picture

steverw

You can drill out that rounded out plug and use a easy out to get it out, Sears has some pretty good ones. You can do it without removing it. I need a compressor bracket like that.

Tiberian Fiend

Thanks for the photo and the info, Don.

It's probably too short for a wrench to get a purchase on it, and I doubt I could turn it around anyways.

I don't want to drill into it while it's on the engine block because I don't want to get aluminum filings in my water system. I put PTFE tape on the threads and that's what's binding it in place. It was impossible to turn with an Allen wrench, and when I tried an air ratchet, the socket into chips. It's so soft and stuck so well, I fear an easy out might just break it up even more.

oldcutlass

Can you weld a nut to it? Using a shop vac while drilling will prevent the chips in the cooling system.

joe_padavano

Put wheel bearing grease on the drill bit to catch the chips. Pull the drill out frequently to clean the chips off the drill bit. This is pretty much your only option for getting that out.

Is that a steel plug? Replace it with aluminum or brass to avoid galvanic corrosion. FYI, teflon tape is a lubricant, not an adhesive. That's not your problem. Wedging the plug into the tapered threads because the teflon made it easier to overtorque is why it's stuck now.

texxas

I wouldn't have used steel plugs( or is it aluminum?) as Joe mentioned but since it is already in the intake and stuck, that ship has sailed. So you don't really need it out, you need it flush so the alternator bracket will sit flat. I recently had this problem with the same intake on a 350 in my 67 Cutlass, but I didn't botch the plug and used brass with Teflon tape and got it turned a few more times until it is flush with the intake surface. If you don't have a problem with the existing plug, take a hand file and carefully file it flush with the intake and just leave it.

Tiberian Fiend

I used the plugs that came with the manifold (which are aluminum). I only torqued it by hand, so I didn't think I could have overtorqued it that much. It turned outward some before it got stuck, so I'm worried it might leak, but if I overtorqued that much it to begin with, it might not. I'll file it down for now and see how things go. I'm probably going to have to flush the rust out of the system now anyways since coolant has been out of the system for three months, aren't I?

edzolz

Are you sure the plugs are aluminum? Never seen aluminum plugs like that. See if a magnet will stick to the plug. The only removel method is to drill them out and re-tap the threads.