I was just thinking about this subject
& the 'core-plugs' (for casting the blocks)/layman's term Freeze Plugs
I had trouble with a 1974 Plymouth Trail Duster w/400 BB
when I lived in Alaska
in the mid 80's, we had a few good winters, 'cold' lots of snow...
I had a place in Palmer Alaska, right behind Polar Raceway
had a very well insulated garage, it had radiant heat,
(water circulation from a boiler vessel 200 gals, popane gas, or wood to heat it)
floor baseboards, like lil' radiators, copper pipes with fins
& Teflon piping in, under the floors, & under the concrete slabs...
We had wood stoves too, for when it got really cold...
Garage with;
2 racecars 2 trucks & my sisters new 84 Chrysler Laser
it kept it above 40*f-ish on the coldest days, when 0* or below outside
& a place in Anchorage, Northern Lights Apt Complex,
w/no inside parking, just out in the elements...
I was in Anchorage fixing a bunch of stuff at the apartments
had my truck plugged in outside, almost all cars/trucks
up there have block heaters, usually 110vt plug in deal,
in a core-plug hole, with like a 12'-20' cord on them,
stored somewhere in the front...
All the houses, all had 110vt plugs (for this purpose) somewhere
close to the garage or driveways or outside the apt's for the tenant to plug into
so the windows & doors didn't freeze shut,
& you kept the lever heater/defrost valve wide open
on high heat side (water flow) on the dash controls...
Anyway, I stayed overnight at the apt's in Jan. like 1985,
it got down to like -5*f...
The power went out, that night...
I didn't think anything about my Trail Duster outside
always had antifreeze in it, 50/50% water, it just wasn't very fresh at that time...
Went out the next morning it was still cold, like 20*-25*f...
But not like the previous night was...
Saw an icicle hanging down from under my engine, pass side,
the power was back on so the block heater was on, but it was still cold enough
to freeze whatever water/mixture was present, pouring out...
Crawled around under it, "the middle core-plug was sideways in the hole"
something made it pop that way, it was NOT like that when parked
& what water/anti-freeze mix was in it, was forming an icicle from it draining out...
I got a gas heater & pointed it under the rig, get it warmed up thawed out...
I didn't have to jack it up had a lift kit & Q78 snow tires 35"...
I'm pretty sure the core plug popped out sideways during the power outage/cold spell...
I couldn't justify anything else doing it...
Because it was fine prior...
Unless someone else got under it, to mess with it... ?
After an hr or so the engine was warm enough to drain
the old water/anti-freeze mixture left in it, most was on the parking lot now
motor turned over fine water pump fine etc., didn't see an ice in the rad.
I walked over to the local parts store, complex a few hundred feet away,
the next parking lot over...
I got another brass core plug, & anti-freeze to replace it,
I bought & put a like Permatex 'make a gasket' around the plug
& hammered it in with a big socket, refilled the rad.
with 2 new gals of anti-freeze & the rest water
best I could do without the proper tools...
Never did have a problem again...
I know, they are not "so called freeze plugs", but in this case
I suspected that it acted, as like it was a freeze plug...
I know, it's not normal, but that's my story & I'm sticking to it...
