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bad engine? missing freeze plug

Old Aug 16, 2006 | 02:44 PM
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Unhappy bad engine? missing freeze plug

Hello

I am from denmark, so I may slip in some wrong words;-)

I am going to buy a boat with a 460cu 500HP engine, but one freeze plug has left the engine, even when most of the fresh water was dranied, is it possible the engine is damaged then?

Best regards
Kasper
 
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 02:47 PM
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That alone won't cause damage, unless it was run without any water running through it. I have seen some cases where the core plug has been blown out, but notheing particularly wrong with it. Had the heater in my diesel, which replaces the core plug, blow out once when I was trying to get going onapacked snow/ice... may be a similar situation.
 
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 03:06 PM
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Thanks for the quick reply, lets say I am unlucky and a crack is located in the cyliender is it then possible to hear it when I start the engine? On the (bad) picture of the engine could someone maybe see the type of the caburator?
 
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 04:52 PM
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It looks like a holley 650 or 750 double pumper on top of an edelbrock intake.

Check the engine oil for signs of water such as bubles on the dipstick.
 
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 04:57 PM
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Do a good inspection. Check compression on all the cylinders. See how dirty and sludgy the oil is.

I would say put one of the rubber screw plug and fill it with water. If it starts and runs without smoke and clanging I would say it is ok.

At least you would know if you had a buildable or usable engine.
 
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 07:32 PM
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Welcome to FTE Kabers

I've moved your question to a more appropriate forum for you.
 
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Old Aug 17, 2006 | 03:35 AM
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If I am going to check the compression on the cylinders, how many psi should I have? Is it possible for a crack to be half way through the enginge block towards the cylinders, or would it allways go all the way through?
 
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Old Aug 17, 2006 | 11:10 AM
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Kabers welcome to FTE.
don't worry so much about what the PSI is on a compression check but rather that they are even. No more than 5% I prefer to see them within 3psi highest to lowest, but a little more than that is ok.
As to the block it's actually pretty unusual for a freeze situation to crack the cylinder walls much more likely to crack the outside of the block usually right next to the core plug that is blown out. (block cracks opening up just enough to allow the plug to fall out)
 
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Old Aug 18, 2006 | 07:38 PM
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Welcome to FTE Kabers.
Core plugs are commenley called freze plugs because it was comenley believed there functon was to pop out when a freze condition happend to prevent damage to the block. I have seen a block with ice extruding out the holes and after it warmed up we put new core plugs back in and drove that old car anouther year before I went into the milatarey.
Botem lin is there is a good chance the block wasen't dameged. I would put a ruber corplug in and do a preshur test, I have used a simple radiator preshure tester and if it holds well it's good
Good luck
Bill
 
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