I know this has come up before on the board, but I haven't been able to find it. I need to remove the rear-most block core plug on the passenger side of my son's 1981/B21F to install a block heater element. I wanted to know if there's any tried and true technique for getting the factory plug out of there without drama? Thanks, all.

The engine overhaul shops remove these plugs by striking them very hard directly in the center until the plug goes completely concave and then comes out. I have not removed them this way, but I have re-set a leaking plug this way. The machine shop that did the engine work for me gave me the instructions to cure the leaing plug, and explained that they removed the plugs by just using more force than they used to set them.

If that process scares you, drill the hole as suggested and use a sliding knock tool (dent puller) to remove the plug.

The 1991 and later blocks use a different type of plug, which is cup shaped and I think would be removed by the drilling and pulling procedure.

I wish that I could help more with the core plug removal, but I have only limited experience... whcih told me:

1. plugs are seated against a shoulder (as you probably know), so you cannot bang on an edge to rotate them

2. Drilling a hole in their center works well... them detmn how you will grip (sheet metal screw?) to extract

3. Volvo suggests, in their plug heater instructions, that you use one particular location. I say "Never again!" Their advice seems based on aesthetics. Pick any stinking plug you can get at. (Then again, I haven' tried every site, to see what clearance lies beneath/inside/around it.)

Report back, eh? And good luck!
--
Gregg in MN

drill hole in center of it.. and pry out... or shoot .45's into it until the hole is correct size ;)

Kevin
--
1980 244DL, 1982 245GL, 1987 744GLE, 1991 245SE, 1996 855GLT, 2001 V70

I'll try drilling a hole and prying it out. If this doesn't work I'm in a pickle! The instructions that came with the block heater are specific to the B21/B23/B230 engines and say to put it in the rearmost core hole on the exhaust side, and to orient the element to the 9:00 position. I checked the one in my other 240 (installed by a Volvo dealer who does them before selling the cars) and it is in the right rear hole, 9:00 position. There's the evidence.