Telltale Installation 1983 Chrysler 45hp Square bolt stuck...

CApTaInGoOfy

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
91
So I wanted to add the Telltale add on as I was looking into doing it last August but got caught up with other "projects" thanks to the wife...smh. Went out today to conquer what I thought a trivial task of removing the square bolt and installing a 1/4" barb....but it has become a PIA. The square bolt is not moving a cm... I first tried with a 11mm crescent wrench and it did not work at all even with a pipe on the end of it. I had soaked it in PB Blaster and heated it as well. Even gave it some love taps. After I broke my crescent wrench (Say NO to Harbor Freight hand tools). I then moved on to my Craftsman crescent and it still did not budge. Then the Tim the tool man Taylor within me came out and I grabbed a large monkey wrench and the darn thing still wouldn't budge... At this point I am not sure how to remove it without damaging the head... I was going over in my head... Lefty Loosy.... Righty Tighty..... Any tips would be awesome! Thanks.
 

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Derrick Fronckowiak

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
112
This is one of those times when a machinist can be your best friend (sorry, I'm not a machinist, but I am a grease monkey). From the pictures you've provided, clearly those are right-handed threads (so lefty loosy, righty tighty is correct). Having tried all the things you said you tried, what about applying heat? You could get a cheap propane torch (the kind that plumbers use to do sweat soldering on copper pipes, Home Depot or any hardware store has them) and heat up the area on the head around the plug (not on the plug itself). WARNING: make sure no fuel or fumes are present when you have an open flame around an engine. If you are concerned about trashing another crescent wrench, I'd recommend getting a pair of vise grips and grabbing onto either the square plug (what's left of it) or choking down and grabbing the threaded area that is sticking up. Then stick a piece of pipe on the vise grip handle (the one that has the knob on the end for adjustment) and apply slow and steady torque until it breaks loose. If it doesn't work, reheat it and try again, After you heat it, put the vise grips/crescent wrench on quickly and apply torque quickly before the heat disapates. Also remember in the case of crescent wrenches and vise grips, make sure the movable jaw is in the direction of rotation or it will almost certainly slip off and do further damage to the square plug (no to mention busting your knuckles or sending you flying. Needless to say, you'll likely be trashing the plug as you try to get it out, but at this point you're pretty much past the point of no return. Plus a new plug likely won't cost that much. Let us know how it goes.
 

Derrick Fronckowiak

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
Messages
112
Sorry, I missed the part where you said you heated it. How much did you heat it and did you heat the plug or heat the area on the head around the plug. Depending on the coefficient of expansion (between the plug and the head) one will expand faster than the other. You want the head to heat up (not the plug). If the head expands as it heats faster than the plug, the difference in expansion rates (that's that goofy coefficient of expansion term I used so I'd sound like I actually knew what I was talking about) it should create a clearance (we're talk gazillionths of an inch) in the threads between the plug and the head enough for you to be able to break it loose.
 

CApTaInGoOfy

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
91
Sorry, I missed the part where you said you heated it. How much did you heat it and did you heat the plug or heat the area on the head around the plug. Depending on the coefficient of expansion (between the plug and the head) one will expand faster than the other. You want the head to heat up (not the plug). If the head expands as it heats faster than the plug, the difference in expansion rates (that's that goofy coefficient of expansion term I used so I'd sound like I actually knew what I was talking about) it should create a clearance (we're talk gazillionths of an inch) in the threads between the plug and the head enough for you to be able to break it loose.

I was only able to use a heat gun.....smh. Was concerned the flame would cause some type of problem as the fuel line is only inches away as well as hoses. I will try the butane torch and see if that works. Thanks for the response!
 

jerryjerry05

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
17,923
Too little heat and it won't move.
Too much and you cook the thermo gasket and possible the head gasket.

Remove the thermo and look in the hole.
You should see the end of the plug.
If you do, then get the appropriate drill and tap(for a pipe plug) and install the right elbow next to the plug that won't budge.
 

wickware

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 20, 2009
Messages
1,286
No Title

Drill and tap into the existing plug. Do not droll into the threads or close unless you want to see if it will come loose. It will come loose or should if you drill close ?but not into the threads?. If needed cut threads on one side to crush the plug away from the head?s threads.

Drilling tapping a reduced nipple might be the safest option.....

Good Luck!
 

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CApTaInGoOfy

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 17, 2015
Messages
91
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Derrick Fronckowiak
Finally Success! The "coefficient of expansion" worked! Put a little butane torch to it and it came off! Got a 3/8" brass barb fitting and put it in and 1/4" tube. But ran into an issue I think. Fired it up to see how far the thing would spray as some people in the 15 page sticky reported 3 to 6 ft. Did not get a drop. Ran it for a total of 5 minutes and not a drop. I was getting water out of the normal area hot but not scalding hot.... Think I will start another topic for this one. But at least I was able to complete the telltale.....
 

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