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