Well, the plug removal was a non-event! I must say I am glad I took Charle's and others advice and ordered those 8 point sockets. I do feel however the plug on the block would have come out with just the use of my big crescent wrench. I used my small breaker bar(18") and that plug came out with no effort at all. I barely put any pressure on the breaker and the plug backed out. The plug on the lower radiator hose was a little more stubborn, requiring me to use my breaker for the lug nuts to hold pressure against the pipe while I put pressure on the plug with the same breaker and socket. Again though with not much torquing, the plugs were free. No damage to the threads at all. I installed the valves(was gonna thread a 90 degree fitting onto the block then add a threaded pipe then valave, but nixed that whole idea because of the extra breather pipe my truck has. I simply threaded the valve right onto the block, then attached the hose in that fashion. I actually had more trouble installing the firewall grommets than I did with removing of the plugs. But even those were a non-event.
BTW - if anyone uses those heater install instructions from Olive drab.com, I now have found two mistakes. First, the plugs are 3/8ths pipe thread, not 1/2 in. Secondly, the man mentions drilling 1 1/4 inch holes in the firewall. I'll tell you right now, if anyone uses 1 1/16 ID grommets and drills 1 1/4 holes, the grommets are gonna fall right through. I'm glad I measured and decided to go with a 1 1/8 in hole saw instaead of 1 1/4.. The holes couldn't have matched the grommets better.
Now, I just have to mount heater, install the hoses, and wire up. I should have the thing done just in time for spring at the rate I'm, going
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