This is my first post and I would appreaciate any help that can follow.

I recently purchased a 95 blazer 4wd with a broken heater core... I have been trying to keep up with the anti freeze water mixture in the resovoir, and one day I hopped in the blazer after freezing temperatures- Started it and i noticed antifreeze leaking out. Drove it to the local mechanic and he then told me it was a freeze plug that was popping out. He said there were three ways of getting to it, one was by removing the tire and this was not sucessful.
The other two ways he said he could not do it, due to lack of manpower and tools. These two ways would be by removing the manifold or by removing the engine. He went ahead and called another mechanic for me, and said that they would charge 1600 to replace all the freeze plugs by removing the engine.

Is there an easier way of getting to these freeze plugs without having to spend almost the same amount of what i purchased the car for?
Anyone ever have this problem before and know a easier way to take care of this?
I read there was a hatch on the floorboard on the 99's that you just cut a hole in the carpet open hatch and bam replace the plugs...

Can the same be done with the 95? I dont mind having a hole in the floorboard, I can just throw some plywood on top of it... will that work? Or any other suggestions?

 

I know there is a freeze plug right above the starter. When my starter went bad I noticed that it was leaking so it was an easy fix. There is also one on the front of the block either above or below the water pump almost sure it is underneath the water pump. I'd start there hoping you find a leak.

 

mechanic pointed it out... looks like its on the back end of the motor... only one leaks bad when car is on... when off its drips lightly

 

Oh boy, rear freeze plugs normally mean removing the transmission to access them. There are two behind the motor that are covered up by the bell housing. There are several places you can get your freeze plug set, but having to drop the trany is no fun to replace them. And you can not let this go due to you will over heat or do worse to your engine.

The fenders (when removed) give wonderful access to the engine bay area. But you for sure want to take pictures and label all the wires (there are a mess of them). But if you are dealing with the rear ones, you need to drop the trany or remove the whole motor. Its a real pain if you dont have the right tools and work area to do this.

 

It sounds like it is one of the freeze plugs on the side of the block if he tried to get it through the wheel well and is talking about removing the exhaust manifold. But pulling the engine... Yikes. And $1600... Wow!

 

is it possible to cut a hole in the floorboard of drivers side to access the freeze plugs?

 

The floor boards are no where near the freeze plugs... The freeze plugs on the rear of the engine are in the bellhousing.

Exactly which freeze plug is it leaking from?

 

drivers side in between the front and the back end of motor

Just got off phone with mechanic... says exhaust manifold needs to come off and steering shaft that way we can get to it.

 

The stearing shaft needs to be disconnected and moved out of the way so that you can install the replacement without limited space. The drivers side inner fender does not really have that much attached to it that can not be moved out of the way (pass. side easier due to most are just unblot and set asied). But then that way you can access the bolts for the manifold with little to no problems and even get an air tool in there big enough to give you the torque needed to unbolt things.
Make sure you mark the shaft before pulling it so that you can line it back up right with how it sat before you pulled it. Exhaust is really easy to remove. Whats going to be the pain is dealing with removal and cleaning of the old frost plug. The engine does not need to be REMOVED. That quote saying it does is just yea OUCH.
Main thing to watch out for on the driver side fender is the wire harness to the front is there. Don't want to break any wires. And the ABS is there also, but that can self support, just dont lean on it. You could leave the wheel well attached, just disconnect it from the fender only (its got sharp edges so be careful of that). Pro to removing the wheel well is that then you can use the tire as a seat.