2007-01-12 03:23:50 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Freeze plugs are located on the sides of the engine block. They are designed to pop out when enough pressure (caused by water freezing inside the block) builds up. This is designed to protect the block from catestrophic damage. Sometimes they leak and can be frustrating. The new design of some engines require pulling the engine from the car to replace bad freeze plugs due to the tight fit within the engine compartment.
2007-01-12 03:31:41 · answer #1 · answered by ipnops 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Those holes allow the sand to be removed after the block is cast.
Then the metal plugs are put in to plug the holes.
Freeze plug
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Freeze plugs are a subset of the plugs on a car engine cylinder block or cylinder head. The traditional plug is a thin, domed, disc of metal which fits into a machined hole in the casting and is secured by striking or pressing the centre to expand the disc.
A true Freeze Plug is an expansion plug located in the side of an engine block that is supposed to protect the block against freeze damage. Water expands when it turns to ice, and if the coolant doesn't have enough antifreeze protection it can freeze and crack the engine block. The freeze plugs (there are usually several) are supposed to pop out under such conditions to relieve the pressure on the block.
This widely held belief probably has no basis in fact since when freezing water expands it expands in all directions and all locations in the engine, not just in the location and direction of the core plugs. Understanding the physics of freezing-water expansion, it is immpossible to imagine that several small plugs in the side of the block could protect the block from cracking. The only known function of these holes is for the removal of core-sand after the block has been cast.
Most of the plugs to be found on an engine are actually to plug the holes where sand cores have been held. The sand cores are used in the casting process to form internal cavities in the engine block or cylinder head, for cooling water for example, and so should really be referred to as core plugs.
Freeze/core plugs can often be a source of troublesome leaks as a result of internal cooling system corrosion. Ease of replacement depends on accessibility. In many cases the plug area will be difficult to reach and using a mallet to perform maintenance or replacement will be nearly impossible without special facilities. Expanding rubber plugs are available as replacements when access is a problem.
A variety of block heater called a "freeze plug heater" can be installed, replacing the freeze plugs, to warm the engine before start up.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeze_plug"
2007-01-12 11:33:27 · answer #2 · answered by Trump 2020 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Not really... freeze plugs are there for exactly that (you must live in a warmer state.. kids in Chicago are passed this info via their genes.
When water freezes it expands. Ever put a can of soda in the freezer to chill and then forgot it? Not a pretty sight the next time you opened the door was it?
If the water freezes in an engine block it will actually burst the steel block open. Sooooo freeze plugs are placed on either side of the engine to provide a weak spot in case the water freezes solid. If that happens the plugs will pop out allowing the 'almost frozen water' to escape and relieve the pressure.
59 cent plugs vs. $3k engine
ok??
.
2007-01-12 11:33:55 · answer #3 · answered by ca_surveyor 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The supposed "freeze plugs" are actually core plugs covering holes left from when the engine block was cast. While they can pop out due to expansion from freezing and save a block from cracking, this is pure serendipity, and more valid for chunky old cast iron lumps anyway - a modern alloy block would probably give out before the core plug did. Read this article for more detail: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/cooling/cool_105.htm
I'd certainly never, ever rely on the plugs to stop freezing damage to an engine - keep that anifreeze fresh!
2007-01-12 12:03:51 · answer #4 · answered by InitialDave 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
freeze plugs are put in so if it gets below freezing and you didn't have enough antifreeze in your cooling system and the water in your engine block freezes it will most likely push out one of the freeze plugs instead of cracking you block with the expansion of the frozen water.
2007-01-12 11:34:28 · answer #5 · answered by Frank J 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
they are supposed to be a weak point in the steel block. when water freezes it expands, the freeze plugs will pop out of the block instead of finding the weak point and causing a crack in the block.....I'm not sure about the machining thing...
2007-01-12 11:32:22 · answer #6 · answered by boyd s 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
When the block is pored at foundry, sand is used as part of cast or mold and sand is removed after steel cools,then "freeze block plugs are tapped into openings.
2007-01-12 11:31:22 · answer #7 · answered by section hand 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
they were designed to go first if someone does not use anti freeze and the block gets frozen like a fuse in a electrical system . now they are more of a nuisance
2007-01-12 11:30:19 · answer #8 · answered by D42D 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I order to "Cast " the block
2007-01-12 11:31:41 · answer #9 · answered by south of france 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋