[cozog]

It's supposed to be 1deg. tonight and wind chills in the -5 to -10 range.

LT1 bird is in non-insulated 3-car garage next to external wall.

Radiator removed in October. Water system flushed by running water from the top of the block (t-stat location) and draining out knock sensor and other drain plug. I then let all the water drain and refilled with straight anti-freeze.

Engine has never been turned over since rad was removed, just refilled, so no water pump action to move the coolant around.

What are the odds of the block freezing/cracking? What can I do to prevent it?

TIA!!!

This post has been edited by cozog: Jan 21 2011, 05:23 PM

[GlennCMC70]

Pulled my old car out of the trailer today. It still has my motor and stuff that is going in the new car. Found a popped freeze plug.
Hope it is as simple as popping a new one in. If not, my season ended before it started.

[1meanZ]

Pulled my old car out of the trailer today. It still has my motor and stuff that is going in the new car. Found a popped freeze plug.
Hope it is as simple as popping a new one in. If not, my season ended before it started.

be careful here. "freeze" plugs aren't made for freeze protection. They are present to aid in the manufacturing process. One purpose is to allow the sand to escape after casting, I also think they are used to locate and hold the molds in place during the pour, but I could be wrong about that, I've never worked at a foundry. If you've popped a freeze plug it is very possible you've cracked a head or two and/or cracked the block as well. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[trackbird]

They are present to aid in the manufacturing process. One purpose is to allow the sand to escape after casting, I also think they are used to locate and hold the molds in place during the pour, but I could be wrong about that, I've never worked at a foundry. If you've popped a freeze plug it is very possible you've cracked a head or two and/or cracked the block as well. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

I worked in a foundry for a bit in college. The freeze plugs fill the holes where they connect the inside of the mold to the outside forms of the mold. If they weren't connected the mold could float in the molten metal and that's how you get "core shift" in a casting (or they made the mold wrong). So you make a mold of sand that has the internal shape of the water passages and it's connected to the part that shapes the outside of the engine block through little supports that are later machined to accept freeze plugs. Once it's removed from the mold, they shake the casting to get all the sand out (we had a huge table that had large springs pushing it one direction and a hydraulic or electric "ram" that hit it the other way causing a series of sharp impacts as it sat on the table. This shook the sand out of the castings (though we didn't do anything as large as engine blocks where I worked).