Can pluging in a motor cause the block to crack? non-53
01-06-2005, 12:41 PM
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Can pluging in a motor cause the block to crack? non-53
Here is a theory......
Radiator leaking...but not bad enough to just top off with water and run. SO you don’t use coolant because that cost money with a leak. (I know, i know....just go with me a min.) You run this way for about 4-5 months. WELL at the end of 5 months, its winter. Granted its a Texas winter...but its going to be a few cold days in a row. SO you plug in the truck (Which the clutch is bad and won’t move anyway) to keep the water from freezing. Cool no prob. Wait 3 days (With it plugged in of coarse!) and get around to moving the truck. You start it and notice ALOT of oil pouring out the bottom of the truck! You stop and pop the hood. You notice the oil spraying from around the oil filter/oil cooler area. HUH? You pull the air box and oil filter only to find a MASIVE crack down the side of the block and also a crack in the oil cooler plate! Also noted the heater plug about 3 inches away from the oil cooler........
Do you think that this could crack the block and cooler?!!? My guess is yes! I’m lookin at it now! haha....not my truck thank the Lord!
SO....true or not...make sure you have good coolant/water level in your motor when using the block heater! And prob not a good idea to leave it plugged in for days at a time! I’m afraid to use mine now! I’m done!
Radiator leaking...but not bad enough to just top off with water and run. SO you don’t use coolant because that cost money with a leak. (I know, i know....just go with me a min.) You run this way for about 4-5 months. WELL at the end of 5 months, its winter. Granted its a Texas winter...but its going to be a few cold days in a row. SO you plug in the truck (Which the clutch is bad and won’t move anyway) to keep the water from freezing. Cool no prob. Wait 3 days (With it plugged in of coarse!) and get around to moving the truck. You start it and notice ALOT of oil pouring out the bottom of the truck! You stop and pop the hood. You notice the oil spraying from around the oil filter/oil cooler area. HUH? You pull the air box and oil filter only to find a MASIVE crack down the side of the block and also a crack in the oil cooler plate! Also noted the heater plug about 3 inches away from the oil cooler........
Do you think that this could crack the block and cooler?!!? My guess is yes! I’m lookin at it now! haha....not my truck thank the Lord!
SO....true or not...make sure you have good coolant/water level in your motor when using the block heater! And prob not a good idea to leave it plugged in for days at a time! I’m afraid to use mine now! I’m done!
01-06-2005, 01:12 PM
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Was he running straight water in the engine...??? I would think its been awhile since he did a rad flush and checked the coolant.
Block heaters can short out or burn out if you leave them plugged in all the time.
Block heaters can short out or burn out if you leave them plugged in all the time.
01-06-2005, 01:21 PM
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That makes sence......well i got the rad out to get fixed...bout to pull the oil cooler and then after all that....we get to figure out why it wont go in any gear, trans or t-case......just let go...no noise....werid....just put a NV4500 in it 3 weeks ago! He was in 4x4 when it happened....
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01-06-2005, 03:39 PM
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I was probably from to much water and getting too cold. We have tractors here and run the block heaters all of the time. Never had any problem with the coolant freezing.
A good question is why didn't the freeze plugs pop out to prevent this? Maybe there was just to much water and it got too cold to quick.
The best thing to have done was just drain the coolant out, or just add antifreeze. Good luck with the problem. Or is it a blessing? Now you can put alot of power upgrades in to it
. I guess it is just how you look at it.
Dave
A good question is why didn't the freeze plugs pop out to prevent this? Maybe there was just to much water and it got too cold to quick.
The best thing to have done was just drain the coolant out, or just add antifreeze. Good luck with the problem. Or is it a blessing? Now you can put alot of power upgrades in to it
. I guess it is just how you look at it.Dave
01-06-2005, 03:52 PM
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Sometimes frost plugs work, sometimes they don't..........
Had a inboard/outboard boat with 4.3 L chevy power and someone did a bad job of winterizing it.
and it pushed all the frost plugs out but never busted anything!
Usually........
They just bust.
Is the block heater on the cummins a circulating heater?? If it don't circulater it would bust it anyway.
Had a inboard/outboard boat with 4.3 L chevy power and someone did a bad job of winterizing it.
and it pushed all the frost plugs out but never busted anything!Usually........
They just bust.
Is the block heater on the cummins a circulating heater?? If it don't circulater it would bust it anyway.
01-06-2005, 04:12 PM
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freeze plugs aren't really freeze plugs...
they are just a cheaper way to plug the holes in the block from the casting process... high performance engines have threaded plugs for those holes...
that's all they do.
they will not prevent splitting your block in half...
if they do somehow, you got really lucky!
Forrest
they are just a cheaper way to plug the holes in the block from the casting process... high performance engines have threaded plugs for those holes...
that's all they do.
they will not prevent splitting your block in half...
if they do somehow, you got really lucky!
Forrest
01-06-2005, 04:24 PM
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WELP...the crack is down low....about 6 inches below the plugs. WHICH tells me the water level was too low for the heater to heat....but wouldnt the water expand upwards? like a coke? O well.....he learned to fix leakey radiators when they start......
01-06-2005, 04:31 PM
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Originally posted by tool
mmmm Ok. I agree with th casting process thing but they are also known as "expansion plugs" which would tell me something.......
mmmm Ok. I agree with th casting process thing but they are also known as "expansion plugs" which would tell me something.......
Forrest
01-06-2005, 04:34 PM
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Originally posted by Mudinford
WELP...the crack is down low....about 6 inches below the plugs. WHICH tells me the water level was too low for the heater to heat....but wouldnt the water expand upwards? like a coke? O well.....he learned to fix leakey radiators when they start......
WELP...the crack is down low....about 6 inches below the plugs. WHICH tells me the water level was too low for the heater to heat....but wouldnt the water expand upwards? like a coke? O well.....he learned to fix leakey radiators when they start......
the water would expand upwards slightly, but in an engine block with metal all around it, the water will just start to freeze at all points... not like a pond where it freezes on top and insulates it... it expands in all directions and breaks stuff
that's an expensive lesson right there... Bishop Engine Parts usually has a few core engines laying around. They're not cheap, but they're local enough to pick up in person.
Forrest