Cracked Block Probability
 

I won't remember the details clearly by my '70 chevy lost a "freeze plug" in the winter 'cuz my antifreeze measure was faulty. I do remember desperately pouring water in, that had ice in it. The miracle was somebody telling of a shop that would fix it. I drove, stopping every mile or so when it overheated and poured more water in. they fixed it just fine and I got to use it for some years after.

Now, "freeze plug" is not what it was designed as, it was a lucky accident from the block casting process.

Nils K. Hammer

Cracked Block Probability
 

On 07/09/2020 05:38 AM, wrote:
> I won't remember the details clearly by my '70 chevy lost a "freeze
> plug" in the winter 'cuz my antifreeze measure was faulty. I do
> remember desperately pouring water in, that had ice in it. The
> miracle was somebody telling of a shop that would fix it. I drove,
> stopping every mile or so when it overheated and poured more water
> in. they fixed it just fine and I got to use it for some years
> after.
>
> Now, "freeze plug" is not what it was designed as, it was a lucky
> accident from the block casting process.

Takes me back...

Four months pregnant and one of mine blew. Yeah, like we need those in
SoCal. For a while I could use the car by filling it up at home,
driving to work, filling it up at work and driving home. Ultimately I
crawled under the 1950 Chevy and replaced the STEEL freeze plug with a
brass one. Fortunately only one went bad.

It would have killed GM to use brass in the first place? Do they still
use them at all?

--
Cheers, Bev
"By the time they had diminished from 50 to 8, the other
dwarves began to suspect 'Hungry.'" -Gary Larson

Cracked Block Probability
 

The Real Bev wrote:
> On 07/09/2020 05:38 AM, wrote:
>> I won't remember the details clearly by my '70 chevy lost a "freeze
>> plug" in the winter 'cuz my antifreeze measure was faulty. I do
>> remember desperately pouring water in, that had ice in it. The
>> miracle was somebody telling of a shop that would fix it. I drove,
>> stopping every mile or so when it overheated and poured more water
>> in. they fixed it just fine and I got to use it for some years
>> after.
>>
>> Now, "freeze plug" is not what it was designed as, it was a lucky
>> accident from the block casting process.
>
> Takes me back...
>
> Four months pregnant and one of mine blew. Yeah, like we need those in
> SoCal. For a while I could use the car by filling it up at home,
> driving to work, filling it up at work and driving home. Ultimately I
> crawled under the 1950 Chevy and replaced the STEEL freeze plug with a
> brass one. Fortunately only one went bad.
>
> It would have killed GM to use brass in the first place? Do they still
> use them at all?
>

Yep, pretty much every engine still has core plugs in the block and
head(s). The only easy way to get the sand out of the water jacket
areas. The ones that don't have them are normally engines that use wet
sleeves like diesels and large engines that have hatches into the block.

--
Steve W.

Cracked Block Probability
 

On 07/09/2020 12:30 PM, Steve W. wrote:
> The Real Bev wrote:
>> On 07/09/2020 05:38 AM, wrote:
>>> I won't remember the details clearly by my '70 chevy lost a "freeze
>>> plug" in the winter 'cuz my antifreeze measure was faulty. I do
>>> remember desperately pouring water in, that had ice in it. The
>>> miracle was somebody telling of a shop that would fix it. I drove,
>>> stopping every mile or so when it overheated and poured more water
>>> in. they fixed it just fine and I got to use it for some years
>>> after.
>>>
>>> Now, "freeze plug" is not what it was designed as, it was a lucky
>>> accident from the block casting process.
>>
>> Takes me back...
>>
>> Four months pregnant and one of mine blew. Yeah, like we need those in
>> SoCal. For a while I could use the car by filling it up at home,
>> driving to work, filling it up at work and driving home. Ultimately I
>> crawled under the 1950 Chevy and replaced the STEEL freeze plug with a
>> brass one. Fortunately only one went bad.

I am informed that SOME cars have plugs at the other end of the block
such that you have to lift the engine to replace them. How evil is that?

>> It would have killed GM to use brass in the first place? Do they still
>> use them at all?
>
> Yep, pretty much every engine still has core plugs in the block and
> head(s). The only easy way to get the sand out of the water jacket
> areas. The ones that don't have them are normally engines that use wet
> sleeves like diesels and large engines that have hatches into the block.

For extremely difficult and time-consuming values of 'easy'. Where does
the sand come from and what does it do? We've been driving old cars
(1968-70) for a long time and if we have sand we sure don't know it!

--
Cheers, Bev
"The last thing you want is for somebody to commit suicide
before executing them."
-Gary Deland, former Utah director for corrections

Cracked Block Probability
 

The Real Bev > wrote:
>On 07/09/2020 12:30 PM, Steve W. wrote:
>> Yep, pretty much every engine still has core plugs in the block and
>> head(s). The only easy way to get the sand out of the water jacket
>> areas. The ones that don't have them are normally engines that use wet
>> sleeves like diesels and large engines that have hatches into the block.
>
>For extremely difficult and time-consuming values of 'easy'. Where does
>the sand come from and what does it do? We've been driving old cars
>(1968-70) for a long time and if we have sand we sure don't know it!

The block is sandcast, then some stuff on it is precision machined. It is
not just machined out of a solid billet. When you pop off the head cover,
you can see the rough surfaces that result from unfinished sand casting.

And when you sandcast, you have to get all the sand out because it is
abrasive. Even with pretty aggressive removal, there's usually still some
left that comes out during the break-in process.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Cracked Block Probability
 

> For extremely difficult and time-consuming values of 'easy'.* Where does
> the sand come from and what does it do?* We've been driving old cars
> (1968-70) for a long time and if we have sand we sure don't know it!

This is a good video on engine block mfg:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=211Xkut0VGI

It looks like Goggle/youtube has found a way past all my ad blockers and
user agents. Hit Refresh one or more times to get past the ads.

Cracked Block Probability
 

On 7/9/2020 10:31 AM, The Real Bev wrote:
> On 07/09/2020 05:38 AM, wrote:
>> I won't remember the details clearly by my '70 chevy lost
>> a "freeze
>> plug" in the winter 'cuz my antifreeze measure was faulty.
>> I do
>> remember desperately pouring water in, that had ice in it.
>> The
>> miracle was somebody telling of a shop that would fix it.
>> I drove,
>> stopping every mile or so when it overheated and poured
>> more water
>> in. they fixed it just fine and I got to use it for some
>> years
>> after.
>>
>> Now, "freeze plug" is not what it was designed as, it was
>> a lucky
>> accident from the block casting process.
>
> Takes me back...
>
> Four months pregnant and one of mine blew. Yeah, like we
> need those in SoCal. For a while I could use the car by
> filling it up at home, driving to work, filling it up at
> work and driving home. Ultimately I crawled under the 1950
> Chevy and replaced the STEEL freeze plug with a brass one.
> Fortunately only one went bad.
>
> It would have killed GM to use brass in the first place? Do
> they still use them at all?
>

Yep, pointless in SoCal but significant up nort'.

They're a necessary foible of the sandcasting process (my GM
aluminum engine doesn't have them) and do indeed prevent
total block loss if the operator neglects coolant mixture in
severe cold. I'm not at all sure that brass or steel plugs
would function or fail differently.

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Cracked Block Probability
 

On 10/7/20 10:41 am, AMuzi wrote:
> On 7/9/2020 10:31 AM, The Real Bev wrote:
>> On 07/09/2020 05:38 AM, wrote:
>>> I won't remember the details clearly by my '70 chevy lost
>>> a "freeze
>>> plug" in the winter 'cuz my antifreeze measure was faulty.
>>> I do
>>> remember desperately pouring water in, that had ice in it.
>>> The
>>> miracle was somebody telling of a shop that would fix it.
>>> I drove,
>>> stopping every mile or so when it overheated and poured
>>> more water
>>> in. they fixed it just fine and I got to use it for some
>>> years
>>> after.
>>>
>>> Now, "freeze plug" is not what it was designed as, it was
>>> a lucky
>>> accident from the block casting process.
>>
>> Takes me back...
>>
>> Four months pregnant and one of mine blew.Â* Yeah, like we
>> need those in SoCal.Â* For a while I could use the car by
>> filling it up at home, driving to work, filling it up at
>> work and driving home.Â* Ultimately I crawled under the 1950
>> Chevy and replaced the STEEL freeze plug with a brass one.
>> Fortunately only one went bad.
>>
>> It would have killed GM to use brass in the first place?Â* Do
>> they still use them at all?
>>
>
> Yep, pointless in SoCal but significant up nort'.
>
> They're a necessary foible of the sandcasting process (my GM aluminum
> engine doesn't have them) and do indeed prevent total block loss if the
> operator neglects coolant mixture in severe cold. I'm not at all sure
> that brass or steel plugs would function or fail differently.
>
I have worked on very large engines that have screwed in brass casting
plugs. They generally don't fail in terms of leakage or corrosion but
cost a lot more in the manufacturing process. They also won't
conveniently pop out in the case of the coolant freezing.

In general however, the standard variety welch plugs come in two forms,
dished and domed. They are made of plated steel but can be had in brass
at a higher cost. Use an appropriate coolant and the factory OEM units
should last out the engine at least until rebuild time where it would be
prudent to replace them.

--

Xeno


Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)