I know most of us have experienced that old adage; one step forward, two steps backward. It's usually accompanied by murphy's law in whole or part. If this were an Olympic sport, I believe I would rein supreme this year, hands down. Case in point; my '54 Customline. Over the last two/three years, I've tackled the wiring, replaced the fuel system, upgraded the brakes, added all new rubber (tires and underhood) and a host of little things. The engine, a 223/6, ran like a sewing machine and was in great shape. I had got it to the point where I could tackle the drip rail replacement (no small task) and start getting some paint on the old girl so she wasn't so ugly. Paint is not my forte' so thats why it always gets left for last on the to-do list. Well, last year when I replaced the hoses and flushed the radiator, I dumped in new anti-freeze. I figured I'd be good for a couple of years at least with the minimum usage it's currently getting. The car hasn't had many miles put on her in the last year because I have the seats out in preparation for drip rail/floor/rocker replacement. No worries about low temps or freezing. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. My home here in the sunshine state got some extended freezing temps. Didn't think a thing about it. I don't have a garage big enough to park it in so it's home is in the driveway. I walked out the back door one morning and happened to notice something under the car. As I got closer to it, I notice it's a pile of ice....directly below the engine. A few expletives and the hood flew open and there it was, a cascade of ice down the side of the block. Not from a freeze plug mind you, NOPE, from under the manifold. I popped off the radiator cap and nothing, dry as a bone. A few more expletives and my heart sank. I pulled the dip-stick and sure enough, it registers two quarts more than it should. More expletives followed. So, always trying to be positive, I head back in to look up a rebuild kit in the hopes that I find a decent core to rebuild. I found a few kits and the price was followed by yet, more expletives. I resign to the fact that it's probably time to do a V8 swap anyway. It's certainly going to be cheaper than a rebuild. I just didn't plan on it quite so soon because I was completely content with the mileage maker 6. The part that's really getting to me is that it was fairly fresh anti-freeze, but the ice on the ground and on the side of the engine wasn't green, it was a brownish yellow. I know the engine had good fluid circulation and flow, I checked that. I'm stumped! So now, in addition to all the suspension parts I've got squirreled away for it, I'm going to have to get a decent 302 and related parts. One step forward....two steps back
I cant imagine how 1 year old antifreeze could freeze, was it mixed with water? If that 223 is shot, maybe you could find a decent running original.
man that ****S! you can pretty much guarantee a crack somewhere. I have a 223 in our 55 wagon and I'm buying another 223 this weekend from a 61 f100. if you lived in PA I'd help you out with it, but you'll be really happy with 302. parts for it are everywhere and they are really easy to install in our fords
Did you post a wanted ad on the FordBarn for a 223? Someone replied to that ad saying there was a free 223 here on the HAMB.
Mark T, no, it was a pre-mix. That's what really has me stumped about it. No, the Ford Barn post isn't mine.
Thanks Jeff, thats not a bad price. It's a little far to drive from where I'm at tho. My train of thought is this; since I have to rebuild a motor anyway, I'm going to look for a decent roller motor from a mid '90s explorer and go from there. If I come across a decent running 223, I'll ****** it up. But, the truth is (from what I've found) I can get a decent 302 core and rebuild it cheaper than just the rebuild kit for the 223.
Thanks Rockabilly! That '61 sounds like a decent score. I've come across a few later model 223's but all were pretty much trashed. One actually had plants growing out of it.
That '89 302 is a roller motor same as the Explorer and that is a newer style 600 CFM Holley on that Edelbrock intake,it might be worth the road trip, also check out the MSD cap and Ford Racing wires and K&N Filter there is a minimum of $300+ in bolt on parts.Also the Explorer heads have several reasons NOT to be a good choice because of spark plug placement the headers we use in our Ford swaps are a no fit also they have bad valve springs that limit cam choice you really should read all of this:http://www.fiveohinfo.com/performance/gt40-gt40p.html Also if he has the matching AOD transmission that is the preferred one for a swap 1988-93 AOD's do not require a computer and also have the improved valve body and lubrication upgrades.
Thanks Jeff, I'll check out that web site. That motor on CL isn't a bad deal at all but it's about a 5 hour ride from here, 10 hour+ round trip. Getting the time to go is my issue.
Wow Chopd top, you make me feel progressive. I often take two steps forward and one step back! Fortunately my challenge has not been broken parts, but finding parts that will work together in a customization and having to send parts back and find others. Also fortunately, my "baby" was inside when we had that bad night freeze. Anyway, I am also in FL (JAX) and 302's are often on CL here or nearby (Gainsville/Ocala) and reasonably priced. Always just a matter of timing and being the "early bird" when posted. Maybe something will pop nearby on your day off!
Well, I got a chance to look the old girl over today. It's not pretty! This pic is looking from the bottom upward toward the intake. The black trails are where the ice flow was at.
But wait, there's more!! Under that big chunk of ice stuck on the side of the block, this beauty! The upper ice flow ran down over this guy and I never gave it a second thought that there might be a crack under it as well.
I feel your pain. I had a 302 crack at the rear of the block in addition to the all the freeze plugs popping. The thing that really pissed me off is that the 302 has no freeze plugs in the rear of the block. Looks like freeze plugs don't mean squat on a Ford block.
Over the years, I've had a half dozen engines freeze up, various brands, Ford 302 included. The ONLY block that the freeze plugs worked like they were intended was on a Ford 289. Every plug on that motor popped out and I thought for certain it was trashed. In the end, it was just fine. On this thing, I'm thinking it's a matter of a blocked p***age. As I mentioned, it had relatively new anti-freeze in it but all the ice was a brownish yellow. The upside to this, I might be able to get enough out of the gl*** bowl carb to buy the replacement motor!
Well, they are not really freeze plugs like a lot of people think. They are core plugs that are used during the sand casting process of the block and are not designed to save the block. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug
Well, I'm not one to get into internet ******* contests. But to be truthful, that article states in the myth portion that ~citation needed~ meaning it needs verification. So as it's written, it's merely an opinion and not necessarily fact. I personally don't know, and frankly, don't really care. They've always been referred to as "freeze plugs" to me and that's how they were explained to me when I was growing up. My father, who worked for FoMoCo for a little over 35 years as a parts manager always referred to them as such. Now, I've always known they were a core plug from the casting process but I would like to think that the engineers at Ford might have worked in a secondary purpose for them as stress or pressure relief from freezing when they designed their engines. Crazy, I know! But who knows, I could most certainly be wrong! (usually am)
where I live it is normal to see temps well below zero for days if not weeks at a time.I usually use non premix mixing my own with proper amounts of water.having said that last few years have used premix in several of our daily drivers never had any problems.I dont want to get in ******* match with you like freeze plug matter.but you did not put premix in either you used an old jug that you thought contained it.as very little anti freeze in a jug when mixed with water will look by colour to be anti freeze.as you said fairly fresh NOT freshly opened.I have a 30+ year old jug in ba*****t that I could use today it does not go bad.
54vicky, I think you're confused. I didn't say that I used an old jug of anything. I said that it was new antifreeze when installed and referred to it fairly fresh in the present tense because it is now a year old. I believe the problem was most likely a blockage in the p***ageway. In any event, the engine is toast. Moving forward, I got a donor car today. '78 Granada with a low mileage 302/automatic and an 8" rear. Out with the old and in with the new. With a little luck, I might be able to get two steps forward this time!
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