I can't believe it took 69 posts before someone made this joke. :lol:

I know you guys want to talk about my bung more.

I've decided that whoever suggested that I just go to the next size plug was right. (Dean?)

I've got a 1/4-19 Pipe tap and a 1/4-18 Pipe tap. I just hope that the material that the plug is made of can withstand the temps. The plug I saw at true value for the existing hole size appeared to be solid, so that's good at least. Any plug that's not copper should withstand the temps right?

PS: Dean, good idea. Rebooting the BBQ fixed it. I think I need to be sure to open the valve on the tank before opening the valve on the BBQ to avoid it in the future.

A steel or iron plug will be fine in a tapered pipe thread joint.

A straight threaded hole using a regular bolt needs a sealing washer between the part's outer surface and the bolt head. If that washer softens up because of the temperatures involved, then the joint loses preload and will eventually leak and loosen up. All this depends on the specific temperatures involved. Copper crush washers are used routinely on cast iron brake calipers that obviously can get very hot during operation, but a hot caliper is probably still quite a bit cooler than an exhaust manifold. So, I dunno. Might work, might not. Hard to be more specific over the internet.

Yah, that's the issue. The "casting button" (raised bump on the manifold that is thicker than the rest of the pipe) where I tapped the original hole years ago is not wide enough to provide a flat seating surface around the larger hole I had planned to tap for the straight bolt. So by the time I tapped the larger hole, the casting button would be almost gone and I'd probably have to grind it off completely to create a flatish surface for the washer[s] to seal.

Obviously the tapered pipe thread is an effective way to seal or EGT probes wouldn't have been designed to utilize one. I figure I just need to secure a plug that won't melt, and I'm in business.

Thanks ALM I'll call True Value to see if they have a plug made of iron or steel on my break since they're on my way home from work and open in the evening. I'd rather not take another long lunch to go to R&E.

All Pipe plugs you will get at any "hardware" store will be steel and be fine at those temps. Brass would also work as that is what the EGT compression fitting is made of.

Yes, that is why they use pipe thread. the thread itself is the seal due to the taper.

Ahh. Yeah, a crush washer will not work. They are used in conjunction with a smooth, flat surface perpendicular to the hole's axis. You would not be able to create one smooth enough with a grinder, they are normally milled out.

That's what I figured, plus I wouldn't want to grind away at the pipe. :eek:

So True Value has a 1/4 NPT plug for 79 cents (:lol:) and all the guy could tell me is that it's "black pipe". He was actually a real asshole over the phone to me. I asked him what the thread pitch on it was and he said, "I dunno. I don't know what thead you're using." I said, "Well, it's NPT right?" and he said it was so as long as "black pipe" metal is okay, I'll grab it on the way home and FINALLY plug my bung!

Black pipe is fine. It is probably damn close to the steel the header is cast from.

Pick up one for your current size as well for $.79. You never know, the taper on it might go further out than your egt. Depending on the head on it, you might drill a cross hole in it and put a piece of safety/baling wire through and around the header for a while.

Don't over tighten a tapered thread. It it has enough bite, it might split that button in half.

Hmmm, redneck safety wire, I like it. :lol:

I certainly won't be overtightening it. That's what got me in this mess in the first place.

That's when you say "eeeeeehhhhhhehehehehehehehhheeeeehhhhhhheheheh... ..I need NPT for my bungholio!"

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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

HEY! You just got 1995 all over my 2009!

:brill:

Think a brass plug would be okay (lower melting point but less thermal expansion) or should I drive further for a black pipe plug? Afterwork plans changed so now brass at home depot is closer.

OMG, you lazy SOB...

Brass might be a better choice if you plan to put the EGT back, steel if not. The former will not rust, the later will.

LOL, brass will save me 12 miles and 20 minutes of driving.

Ace, 5 minutes from here, has galvanized and brass. They're like twice as expensive as True Value though! :o

Is galvanized okay better than brass?

Dude, your bung hole is high maintenance.

My mom used to go to a bar called The Brass Ass when I was a kid.

Galv = steel, just like the black only coated differently.

Which one is on your way to the meet? :P

Ace is, but unfortunately I have to get my hairs cut and then get home and plug my bung and pack my travel bag. :lol:

I'm going to friggen close this thread and make Cody PM me when he finally has his bung plugged and then I'll re-open it so he can write 40 posts on how he finally figured out how to put a screw in a hole.

Righty-tighty right?

Jesus, I'm looking forward to Cody's nine page oil change thread

You mean the one where I removed the Fumoto oil valve and cut a groove into it and then measured how much oil it still held back? We talked about Royal Purple and all sorts of stuff. Good find.