NO you do not. Just remove whatever is in the way so you can get to it. Then drive it in sideways and pull it out. Then drive the new one in it's place. No big deal.
Freeze plugs are located in numerous places on the engine block and cylinder head assemblies. Replacement of freeze plugs is usually beyond the skill level of most amateur mechanics.
Locate the bad freeze plug and remove parts that impede the facilitation of reaching the plug. Take a screwdriver and hammer out the old plug. Replace the plug with either a regular plug (a socket that fits the inside of the freeze plug helps) or a rubber expanding freeze plug.
There are actually no freeze plugs located in the block. The only freeze plugs are located in the cyl. heads front and rear.
Northstar engines have freeze plugs in the heads! Two are in the right head and one in the left. They can be found on the exhaust side of the head and therefore difficult to see.
There are multiple freeze plugs but mostly down both sides of the block. If you have a leaky freeze plug, you need to find out which one. Some are easy to get to and some are impossible without removing the engine.
a freeze plug hole is where the sand is removed from your engine block or head when they were cast in a sand form. then the freeze plug itself is installed to seal those holes that are where liquid coolants now pass through the engine block and head .
In most cases its plugged into the passenger side lower rear freeze plug
Did you remove the head?.....If so, the head gasket is probably incorrect or incorrectly installed, or possibly a cracked head or block.....Why did the freeze plug need replacing?....
You have to remove the engine and get freeze plugs pressed in. If you use a rubber plug which have a brass face and bolt in. Remember that they are a temporary fix and will come out if your engine over pressureizes.
i have a 98 Cherokee with the 6 cylinder that was leaking at the back of the engine right below the valve cover..there is a rubber freeze plug and it had come loose..from the right side of the vehicle feel the back of the head for bolt head,that is what expands the rubber plug..
Pressure in the motor building up, using straight water instead of anti freeze, or having a blown head gasket or cracked head would cause a freeze plug to blow out. Better take it to a mechanic and have them look at it.
Could be a freeze plug or hose routed behind the engine