Had to replace the engine in my '01 S
 

Earlier this summer I had replace the engine in my '01 S. I got an engine from LN engineering/RND Engines and it is running great. After RND evaluated my old core and refunded my core charge, they send some pictures which make no sense to me. I am sure you can tell me they are showing.

Thanks.

Dave.



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Did you have an intermix problem?
What I THINK they're trying to show you is a casting plug failure.

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Yes I did. It was overheating and I thought I could get it to the shop and almost there the engine erupted in a cloud of white smoke.

I think sometimes those are also referred to as “galley” plugs. Could be wrong in this particular application. Interesting failure though. Would like to see some other input. I wonder if your crankcase pressures got to high and blew it out?

How do you like the RND engine? Does it feel stronger than stock, and does it have good throttle response? Thanks!

See here for what they are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug

Yes it does feel stronger than stock and throttle response is good.

Yea, fact that the freeze plug failed on one side is interesting. I'm also curious about the casting gap around the core plug on the RH side of the head. That does NOT look normal to me.

Correct name is expansion plug

Please clarify: are you stating that this particular plug is an expansion plug?

Expansion plug, galley plug, casting plug: these are the 3 different things that frequently look the same, but are used for different reasons. They are not terms that should be used interchangeably (though they often are, even by me, haha)

So if you're telling us that in this case it is an expansion plug, that'd possibly be useful in helping the O.P. understand the failure.

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Well, I've learned something today...looks like I've got some googling to do. ;)

As if more reasons were needed for sleepless nights we now have this. What is an otherwise fine looking "freeze plug" haha was pushed out of it's bore due to a bunch of overexcited molecules, the question then is did this car have a genuine OEM ending in .04 coolant cap, god forbid, or an aftermarket cap??????

Edit You do have to admire the German's environmental consciousness for capturing the coolant in the engine crankcase..

So, I should start prefacing my comments with "as far as I know", or something like that. I don't mean to be the guy who knows more than everybody about everything. pfft.

So, as far as I know, the differences are thus:

Expansion-Plug (Also called a freeze-plug)= used to protect larger castings where the stresses that may occur threaten to break the casting. A hole is cast-in to allow for expansion / contraction, and the plug fills that hole. These stresses are (in my experience) usually thermal, and especially about freezing, but they can also be about torsional forces in a stressed-member.

galley plug = These are used as a convenience / access to areas requiring machining, POST-Casting. An example is when an orifice must be drilled at the bottom of a casting, a hole will be cast (or bored) to allow tool-access, and then plugged with the galley-plug. In MANY motors the oil passageways are drilled / bored through the block, and then sealed at the tooling-end with a galley plug.

Casting Plug (Also called a "core-plug") = During the casting process, holes are required as a convenience for removing media after the casting has cooled. They serve no other purpose afterwards, but are an unfortunate limitation of casting methods. These holes are plugged with a casting-plug, or core-plug.

So here's why it matters in respect to the photos: Which type of orifice is being filled with that plug would help to determine potential causes of failure. This is why I noted that I am not the Porsche Expert.
But is this a galley-plug? if so, it shouldn't fail. But I have, on occasion, tapped them for a threaded-plug, to dismiss the possibility.
Is it an expansion plug? Was the motor exposed to some extreme temperatures? Especially freezing?
If it's a casting-plug, then the only likely source of failure is faulty installation.

That's what I know.... as far as I know it. YMMV, I guess.

I thought it was freeze plug but I have never seen a freeze on the inside of an engine, but I have never seen the inside of a Porsche either.

Thanks for all of the replys.

It did not have the -04 coolant cap but it had the original. It has the -04 now.

Old Post but want to add to the statistics of this problem. My 1997 Boxster had a freeze plug let go. Supposedly Porsche used Non-aluminum freeze plugs in the 1997 engine block where it can corrode and rust away.

I do auto cross so I run straight water. Not knowing the freeze plug can corrode. The plug corroded and I would lose coolant with no external leaks. Only symptoms the loosing of coolant was very slow. Occasionally start to get hot when sitting in traffic.

One day on the freeway the plug let go. I get the coolant warning light. Pulled over and noticed the entire coolant tank was emptied. Thinking the expansion tank might have burped all the coolant out I added water to the tank, looked under the car for leaks, but there was none and I continue to drive. In less than a minute the coolant light was on again.

I was completely puzzled, did the coolant tank burp all the coolant out again? I added more water, but this time the water completely vanishes right away. Pulled the dip stick and its milk shake.

Completely destroyed this engine thanks to internal freeze plug by the cam shaft that corroded away.

Had less than 70,000 miles.

When you thought the IMS was a concern, this unsuspecting corroding freeze plug is catastrophic failure.

Sadly my 986 Boxster has been sitting in my garage since 2019. Contemplating on Tesla Large Unit conversion ~$65,000 or just rebuilding the 2.5L. Currently getting my fix with 981 Boxster S


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You were using distilled/steam distilled water... correct?