Dodge Ram Cummins Freeze Plug Fix
It’s amazing that inline-six Cummins engines hold up as well as they do, considering the type of abuse diesel enthusiasts put them through. Not only are they stretched to triple their stock power levels, they’re spun a lot faster, too. That extra engine speed can lead to problems. One of the most common issues is that extra water pressure in the cooling passages in the back of the block can pop out a freeze plug or push through a corroded and rusted one.
| freeze Plug Fix mechanic Working Under A Truck
This exact thing happened to our ’89 Dodge D250 when we accidently forgot to shift and spun the engine up to its 3,800-rpm governed speed. We smelled coolant and quickly found out the rear freeze plug was to blame. Unfortunately, to get to it we had to drop the transmission, so we enlisted the help of the crew at The Diesel Shop, located in Mission Viejo, California. They’re experts at all sorts of large repairs, such as engine and transmission rebuilds, so they were perfect for the job. Follow along as we make sure that rear plug will never blow out again!
| With the transmission in place, the freeze plug is barely visible (arrow). If you’re really lucky, and it is loose, you might be able to pry it out. But ours was corroded, so our only hope was to drop the transmission.
