For those of you who have seen a Chevy 350 (1992 vintage) crack from freezing,
is it common for the heads to crack and not the block? Does the block usually
crack without cracking the heads or is the entire engine usually trash (block
and heads cracked)? Can it freeze and take months for the cracks to get big
enough to cause a problem? When a chevy 350 block freezes, where does it
usually crack? (in the lifter valley, in lower end or to the outside).

The story (been mostly posted before)

I've been trying to figure out what happened to the boat motor. Both heads
cracked. Both cracked to ourside and 1 had cracks in 2 of the combustion
chambers. The 2 different guys who inspected the heads both said "looks like
it froze". The 2 combustion chamber cracks were on the same side on the low
end so water would drain from there last. The problem showed up (water in oil,
hydrolocked with water in pistons 5 & 7) in late July in Texas after putting
many hours on it since "winter" (we had a mild winter last year and even if I
forgot to drain it, I don't think it got cold enough to freeze under the boat
cover, under the padded motor cover). I did overheat it last summer and
warped heads (water in oil and hydrolocked). No cracks found in heads then.
Had them planed and rebuilt. No problems the end of last summer nor beginning
of this summer.

Anyway, new heads appears to have fixed it but still wondering how I messed up
and broke it. Just wondering if I should be concerned about a crack opening up
on the block.

Thanks again for any insight.
Bob
bbusselman at hotmail dot com

"bob" wrote in message
...

The problem showed up (water in oil,
hydrolocked with water in pistons 5 & 7) in late July in Texas after
putting
many hours on it since "winter" (we had a mild winter last year and even
if I
forgot to drain it, I don't think it got cold enough to freeze under the
boat
cover, under the padded motor cover).

Being covered or under a padded box will only slightly slow the ambient
temperature from reaching the block.

If it was 30 degrees out for any length of time, your block was 30
degrees...period.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/

Netsock wrote:

"bob" wrote in message
...

The problem showed up (water in oil,
hydrolocked with water in pistons 5 & 7) in late July in Texas after
putting
many hours on it since "winter" (we had a mild winter last year and even
if I
forgot to drain it, I don't think it got cold enough to freeze under the
boat
cover, under the padded motor cover).

Being covered or under a padded box will only slightly slow the ambient
temperature from reaching the block.

If it was 30 degrees out for any length of time, your block was 30
degrees...period.

--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/

I have to agree but not sure about "any length of time" based on the water
spigot in the yard. Wrap a rag around it and it doesn't freeze. Throw a sheet
over the plants and they don't freeze. The boat motor is much better insulated
than these things. I understand the plant gets some radiative heat from the
ground but the pipes with rags on them don't.

"bob" wrote in message
...
I have to agree but not sure about "any length of time" based on the water
spigot in the yard. Wrap a rag around it and it doesn't freeze. Throw a
sheet
over the plants and they don't freeze. The boat motor is much better
insulated
than these things. I understand the plant gets some radiative heat from
the
ground but the pipes with rags on them don't.

The plants survive by what you said...radiant heat. The sheet/cloth traps
the ground heat in.

The spigot survives (keeps from freezing) by conductive heat. It conducts
the heat up, and the rag helps keep it in.

But this only "buys" so many degree points.

A boat...or any other non-heat generating object, not associated with ground
heat, will become the ambient temperature eventually.

Wind could speed the process up, but remember, "wind chill effect" has no
effect on inanimate objects. If its 33 degrees out, and there is a 50 mph
wind against the side of your engine, the engine temp would never go below
33 degrees.

That is, providing its dry. If you wet something, and push air across it,
you can further cool something thru evaporation, but that's the only
exception.

So in a nut shell, if you leave your covered boat out over night, you better
believe the most internal parts will reflect the low temperature for that
night.


--
-Netsock

"It's just about going fast...that's all..."
http://home.insight.rr.com/cgreen/

In article ,
"Netsock" wrote:


Wind could speed the process up, but remember, "wind chill effect" has no
effect on inanimate objects. If its 33 degrees out, and there is a 50 mph
wind against the side of your engine, the engine temp would never go below
33 degrees.


Close, but not completely true. Wind chill is not confined to living or
animate objects. It is related to evaporative cooling. Animals
radiate heat and moisture, as the moisture evaporates, temperature is
reduced. The wind hastens this process resulting in lower than ambient
temperatures.

If any object has moisture on its surface, it will be impacted by wind
chill.

I'd love to see any documents that prove this!


"Bob Dimond" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Netsock" wrote:


Wind could speed the process up, but remember, "wind chill effect" has no
effect on inanimate objects. If its 33 degrees out, and there is a 50 mph
wind against the side of your engine, the engine temp would never go
below
33 degrees.


Close, but not completely true. Wind chill is not confined to living or
animate objects. It is related to evaporative cooling. Animals
radiate heat and moisture, as the moisture evaporates, temperature is
reduced. The wind hastens this process resulting in lower than ambient
temperatures.

If any object has moisture on its surface, it will be impacted by wind
chill.

I've seen them crack in the heads or block or both. Inside and out. Boat
motors have pretty low water pressure so it might take a while to notice. A
small leak could just get evaporated by the engine oil heat. If it gets
below freezing and you keep your boat outside you need to drain it. Is not
worth the risk not to.

"bob" wrote in message
...
For those of you who have seen a Chevy 350 (1992 vintage) crack from
freezing,
is it common for the heads to crack and not the block? Does the block
usually
crack without cracking the heads or is the entire engine usually trash
(block
and heads cracked)? Can it freeze and take months for the cracks to get
big
enough to cause a problem? When a chevy 350 block freezes, where does it
usually crack? (in the lifter valley, in lower end or to the outside).

The story (been mostly posted before)

I've been trying to figure out what happened to the boat motor. Both
heads
cracked. Both cracked to ourside and 1 had cracks in 2 of the combustion
chambers. The 2 different guys who inspected the heads both said "looks
like
it froze". The 2 combustion chamber cracks were on the same side on the
low
end so water would drain from there last. The problem showed up (water in
oil,
hydrolocked with water in pistons 5 & 7) in late July in Texas after
putting
many hours on it since "winter" (we had a mild winter last year and even
if I
forgot to drain it, I don't think it got cold enough to freeze under the
boat
cover, under the padded motor cover). I did overheat it last summer and
warped heads (water in oil and hydrolocked). No cracks found in heads
then.
Had them planed and rebuilt. No problems the end of last summer nor
beginning
of this summer.

Anyway, new heads appears to have fixed it but still wondering how I
messed up
and broke it. Just wondering if I should be concerned about a crack
opening up
on the block.

Thanks again for any insight.
Bob
bbusselman at hotmail dot com