S Series Engine Block Coolant Plug Specs
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S Series Engine Block Coolant Plug Specs
Looking for a replacement coolant plug and washer from the engine block. Tried looking around for the part (GM 21000800 Plug) but it has been discontinued. And not too many junkyards with Saturn engines in Hawaii. Anyone know if I can find a bolt and washer with similar specs (which I don't know what they are) from a hardware store that can be a viable replacement? Small leak coming directly from the drainage hole, no cracks in the block.
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From: Slightly off center
Pull the plug out, catch the coolant. Do it while cold unless you like 2nd degree burns.
Take it to home Depot or Lowe's and try it on their size determination board. It is most certainly metric and I'm going to guess is something like an M16 though that is truly a guess. Anyway, you need to know which size it is M whatever, the thread pitch, something like 1.0, and the length. Find somebody that is experienced with fasteners. Also the material I believe with matter. Since the block is aluminum, you'll want an aluminum plug. Anything else and they expand at different rates which may cause a leak from the very start meaning start of the engine.
Your other alternative is to contact yards in the Continental 48. Looks like a $6 part. The plugs for the ions are still readily available for sale, not so for the S Series engines. I can't seem to find the specifications for the S Series coolant plug. But it's amazing the cross references they have for just about anything. If you have a tap and die set, you can also find the appropriate sized die that it freely spins through. Do not force it or you will start to rethread it and then it is a big old mess.
And he knows a place that he always calls / communicates with to land impossible to find parts. Hopefully he will see this and chime in.
The yards down south and out west still have some S-Series models as the vehicles don't rust there. All of the blocks, 1991 to 2002 are supposedly identical but don't quote me on that. I should say they are interchangeable not identical, so still go to home Depot or Lowe's and determine exactly what you need.
Take it to home Depot or Lowe's and try it on their size determination board. It is most certainly metric and I'm going to guess is something like an M16 though that is truly a guess. Anyway, you need to know which size it is M whatever, the thread pitch, something like 1.0, and the length. Find somebody that is experienced with fasteners. Also the material I believe with matter. Since the block is aluminum, you'll want an aluminum plug. Anything else and they expand at different rates which may cause a leak from the very start meaning start of the engine.
Your other alternative is to contact yards in the Continental 48. Looks like a $6 part. The plugs for the ions are still readily available for sale, not so for the S Series engines. I can't seem to find the specifications for the S Series coolant plug. But it's amazing the cross references they have for just about anything. If you have a tap and die set, you can also find the appropriate sized die that it freely spins through. Do not force it or you will start to rethread it and then it is a big old mess.
And he knows a place that he always calls / communicates with to land impossible to find parts. Hopefully he will see this and chime in.
The yards down south and out west still have some S-Series models as the vehicles don't rust there. All of the blocks, 1991 to 2002 are supposedly identical but don't quote me on that. I should say they are interchangeable not identical, so still go to home Depot or Lowe's and determine exactly what you need.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,316
From: Slightly off center
Greg,
.just for yucks( AND a sticky), could you please pull yours and figure out the bolt head size, which M applies to it along with the thread pitch and length. With an aluminum block, washer indeed should be aluminum so it doesn't expand differently and ,cause the opening to leak. I was one of the real people who bought a 97 SC2 off the lot and my fuel pump lasted for 270,000 miles, even with the pressure bleed off problem
I'll even reimburse you for the amount of coolant lost in the process. No joke, we can sort that out later. Plus I have a 1997 only fuel pump. I can't remember if it's OEM, I haven't touched the box in probably 10 years but if it's not it's a decent brand. I would think it would work for an sohc but I'll look that up. You can have it for cheap. I have some other 97 only parts which I guess works for 98 but is irrelevant to you unless you're hiding another Saturn somewhere. Wandering post ended
.just for yucks( AND a sticky), could you please pull yours and figure out the bolt head size, which M applies to it along with the thread pitch and length. With an aluminum block, washer indeed should be aluminum so it doesn't expand differently and ,cause the opening to leak. I was one of the real people who bought a 97 SC2 off the lot and my fuel pump lasted for 270,000 miles, even with the pressure bleed off problem
I'll even reimburse you for the amount of coolant lost in the process. No joke, we can sort that out later. Plus I have a 1997 only fuel pump. I can't remember if it's OEM, I haven't touched the box in probably 10 years but if it's not it's a decent brand. I would think it would work for an sohc but I'll look that up. You can have it for cheap. I have some other 97 only parts which I guess works for 98 but is irrelevant to you unless you're hiding another Saturn somewhere. Wandering post ended
Last edited by derf; Oct 5, 2025 at 08:15 AM.
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Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2024
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Sorry for the late reply...
Aw man! I was hoping you wouldn't say that. I guess I'll have to do it that way then. Good thing I have a couple of bottles of extra coolant from my last flush. If I get the specs I'll let you know. I was also thinking of applying high temp thread sealer, but that will be a last resort.
Aw man! I was hoping you wouldn't say that. I guess I'll have to do it that way then. Good thing I have a couple of bottles of extra coolant from my last flush. If I get the specs I'll let you know. I was also thinking of applying high temp thread sealer, but that will be a last resort.
Thread Starter
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Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 8
Pull the plug out, catch the coolant. Do it while cold unless you like 2nd degree burns.
Take it to home Depot or Lowe's and try it on their size determination board. It is most certainly metric and I'm going to guess is something like an M16 though that is truly a guess. Anyway, you need to know which size it is M whatever, the thread pitch, something like 1.0, and the length. Find somebody that is experienced with fasteners. Also the material I believe with matter. Since the block is aluminum, you'll want an aluminum plug. Anything else and they expand at different rates which may cause a leak from the very start meaning start of the engine.
Your other alternative is to contact yards in the Continental 48. Looks like a $6 part. The plugs for the ions are still readily available for sale, not so for the S Series engines. I can't seem to find the specifications for the S Series coolant plug. But it's amazing the cross references they have for just about anything. If you have a tap and die set, you can also find the appropriate sized die that it freely spins through. Do not force it or you will start to rethread it and then it is a big old mess.
And he knows a place that he always calls / communicates with to land impossible to find parts. Hopefully he will see this and chime in.
The yards down south and out west still have some S-Series models as the vehicles don't rust there. All of the blocks, 1991 to 2002 are supposedly identical but don't quote me on that. I should say they are interchangeable not identical, so still go to home Depot or Lowe's and determine exactly what you need.
Take it to home Depot or Lowe's and try it on their size determination board. It is most certainly metric and I'm going to guess is something like an M16 though that is truly a guess. Anyway, you need to know which size it is M whatever, the thread pitch, something like 1.0, and the length. Find somebody that is experienced with fasteners. Also the material I believe with matter. Since the block is aluminum, you'll want an aluminum plug. Anything else and they expand at different rates which may cause a leak from the very start meaning start of the engine.
Your other alternative is to contact yards in the Continental 48. Looks like a $6 part. The plugs for the ions are still readily available for sale, not so for the S Series engines. I can't seem to find the specifications for the S Series coolant plug. But it's amazing the cross references they have for just about anything. If you have a tap and die set, you can also find the appropriate sized die that it freely spins through. Do not force it or you will start to rethread it and then it is a big old mess.
And he knows a place that he always calls / communicates with to land impossible to find parts. Hopefully he will see this and chime in.
The yards down south and out west still have some S-Series models as the vehicles don't rust there. All of the blocks, 1991 to 2002 are supposedly identical but don't quote me on that. I should say they are interchangeable not identical, so still go to home Depot or Lowe's and determine exactly what you need.
The bolt is an M8, 1.25 pitch, 20 mm. Went to City Mill, a local hardware store, and they had a demo display of the various sizes and found the fit I needed. Only the head was 13 mm but still did the trick. No leak. I would take up your suggestion to go around the mainland 48 to look for the part but I have a feeling they'd sell the block along with it. Like some of them did when I was looking for a front passenger door checker, rather than waste time with the part, they'd sell me the door. No thanks.
Much Mahalo's for the suggestion. It worked out well.
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