Club 80-90 Forums

I would agree with jamesc - looks like a core plug and his explanation. Good photos.
They are cheap and prone to corrosion, the cost will be in having new one fitted.
You have good luck !!

croc wrote:I would agree with jamesc - looks like a core plug and his explanation. Good photos.
They are cheap and prone to corrosion, the cost will be in having new one fitted.
You have good luck !!

Ummm from the look of that you will have to take the pushrod tubes off to get at it.
That means head off and all that that entails on a WBX (unless anyone knows a "trick" ?)

This is the first time I have come across a core plug issue on a WBX engine in all the years I have been on this forum and generally messing with T25's

Sorry

Thanks for the photo comments...got some wierd looks from the old dear next door when she saw the legs sticking out under the van!
Glad to hear its likely to be a core plug ...but "Pants"...I was trying to avoid the head coming off . Will have to wait and see. Do you think it could be welded in situ? Probably awkward as hell to do, and no guarantee it will last but may be an interim possibility?
Thanks all for your words of wisdom. I'll post another pic of the end result...with possibly even more shiny metal - I really should treat the old bus to a good old clean, but scared what I'll find

It can't be welded - they are a slightly domed circle of metal that are set in place by sharp heavy blow with a hammer and drift in the centre. If you cannot get a drift to the centre of the plug the only way will be by removing the tube.

They always rust from the inside then leak as yours is doing , some are the domed ones that as oldie says are a push fit in the reccess and then smacked in the centre with a punch to expand the base and hence seal. in your case its the cup type you can remove by knocking a sharp small chisel into it and lever out, clean the reccess and use a socket that is a snug fit to drift it in, keep it square though.

and

ignore the sizes, the larger is one I keep for the rear gallery on a 383 (chrysler v8) I always replace them all when doing the engine rebuilds as the plugs cost pennies,the cost of failure is not,,,
mike

Yes, to what the others have added.
They do corrode from inside outwards so least amount of dismantling preferred.

I have not tried this but ... Possibly ??
1. take rocker cover and rocker gear off that side
2. remove the pusrod through head, easy, just slide out
3. destroy pushrod tube and remove
4. lever out old coreplug as suggested
5. replace with new coreplug
6. replace pusrod tube with expandable type that does not require head removal
7. replace pushrod, rocker gear and cover ( mind that pushrods go into proper recess in lifters)
8. fill and bleed coolant!

This is speculation, others more knowledgable please comment how practical this is ...
Have seen replacement tubes mentioned here but don't know the source.

Well its an idea but................when one has gone to be sure the rest are not far away, how many times do you split an engine to do one at a time?
If you can do a fix to get back on the road, great.
wonder how many engine builders change all the core plugs when they do a rebuild.
mike

croc wrote:Yes, to what the others have added.
They do corrode from inside outwards so least amount of dismantling preferred.

I have not tried this but ... Possibly ??
1. take rocker cover and rocker gear off that side
2. remove the pusrod through head, easy, just slide out
3. destroy pushrod tube and remove
4. lever out old coreplug as suggested
5. replace with new coreplug
6. replace pusrod tube with expandable type that does not require head removal
7. replace pushrod, rocker gear and cover ( mind that pushrods go into proper recess in lifters)
8. fill and bleed coolant!

This is speculation, others more knowledgable please comment how practical this is ...
Have seen replacement tubes mentioned here but don't know the source.

When you say, remove pushrod tubes through the head....sounds like your talking about a CU Aircooled lump.

No it means take the actual pushrod out, then get the TUBE out by destroying it (hacksaw) to get it out from between the head and the crank case.

I have heard of the tubes the are "expandable" and can be fitted without removing the head, though at this time I do not know who sells them. Try eBay or VW heritage perhaps, I do know they are expensive for what they are, but a heck of a lot less hassle and expense than taking a head off a WBX engine !

Cheers for all the info...
I thought that the lug would have been far thicker...really surprised it's such a simple piece of metal.
Seems a fairly striaghtforward fix, give or take the access issue.
So, the process is:
1) Drain cooling system and tehn replace drain plug
2) lever out the old lug using a strong sharp implement
3) insert new domes lug - keeping it square
4) "tap" with a heavy point load in the centre to wedge/ expand into hole nice and tight
5) refil cooling system and bleed air out
Add wing and a prayer as necessary
I think it could be done without the push rod tube being removed as there is a bit of access, although possibly slightly skewed.
I will be passing all this information onto the local mechanic and see what he says.
Fortunately I don't need to drive it anywhere this week, other than to the garage - so thats the fuel saved towards the work at least
Thanks again...I'll let you all know how the job goes.

Might be possible with tube in place. They are not too diffucult, just awkward.
This looks like a cup type coreplug not a dome so your comment re tap in centre to expand does not apply. They are a 'spring' fit when driven into place as they are slightly larger than the hole.

Yep, thanks to ghost clarified pushrod removal not pushrod tube removal correctly.
On an old volkszone forum a comment that GSF supply spring loaded tubes for replacement.
Cant check online now as they've ruined their website!

Not quite
look at my post and pickies, you have the plug on the right, these are fitted as I described, dont go near it with a punch in the centre.
mike
sorry croc hadnt seen your correction to him when I posted mine

Metalmick8y & Croc, thanks for highlighting my mistake...could have be nasty.
I think it's definately possible to insert the cupped lug without removing the tubes. It'll be snugg but could be done with some jiggery pokery.
Thanks for your help.

Do post here how successful you have been if this coreplug able to be changed with pushrod tube in place.
Maybe useful for the rest of us to know some time in the future!!

Good luck.
jon

OK so it's been to the garage and as predicted by some of you they can't get to the core plug to replace it. The garage were understandably nervous about starting the job to strip down the engine to replace the plug because of unknown works cropping up - sheared studs etc - so have said that although they would do it they would rather not, which is fair enough.

I have spoken to VW Live in Wadebridge and spoken to their T25 specialist. He noted that it could be as quick as a couple of hours (they would use telescopic push rod tubes rather than go the whole hog) if all goes well, but could be a real mare. His alternative recommendation was not spending arm fulls of cash just yet but getting some good leak stop and liquid metal and treating the inside and the recess for the core plug - he has recently done this to a Skoda and it is still going strong 3 months later. His recommendation is to thoroughly clean the external surfaces and then apply the metal putty to seal the outside, having already applied the leak stop to the system and allowed it to circulate and act. If this fails they have said they would willingly take it in for work.

So, my course of action is just that, and fingers crossed this short term solutin will buy me some time before going in and getting a "proper job" done. I'll let you know how the "temporary" measure goes.