Top of my list for FI is getting a reroute done. Better cooling when making more power means a bit more safety which is always good.
However, with all the parts moved to the back of head there is no need for the front neck anymore.
The Skid Nation reroute gives you the core plug to remove the front neck but I've not seen anyone going through the motions here only "I've done this".
I've watched various videos on inserting core plugs and it seems easy enough as long as you don't use a massive hammer or aren't swinging it Thor.

What would be a recommended procedure for doing this however?
Valve cover off, front plastics off, remove neck, core plug, bolt on cover (if available), front plastics on, valve cover on.

As many have done this with the engine out and my instructions are engine in I was wondering if there was any garnered wisdom from the Brain Trust

 

I just made an aluminum plate and bolted it on with RTV to seal it.

 

With no core plug? Just for clarity

 

Yup. No core plug. I just cut it the same shape as the water neck out of 1/8" aluminum.

 

Or you could be totally ----, like I was, and do both.

 

Honestly you want at least a 2.5lb sledge hammer to install them. In my experience, they require quite a lot of force to install. I usually "lube" them with a smear of RTV, and you can make a block off plate as simple as a cut down piece of 1" wide, 1/8" thick bar stock from Home Depot, it's only there to keep the freeze plug from backing out.

 

Since we are getting a little more precise, the RTV is a nice touch, but a metal rod that fits the inside diameter of the plug should be used to insert the plug. Look at it as pulling the major diameter to a position just below the surface of the head.

also; didn't think we would censure the word "----" on this site. Lana spelled backwards.

 

A sledge hammer and a pole equal to the inside diameter sounds like a method to thump it into the block.
Perhaps I should spin down a plate with the diameter of the plug inner, diameter of the plug outer and considerably larger diameter with a depth to stop you thumping it too deep.
A chunk of aluminium on the lathe sounds like a necessity.