the common term freeze plugs are not what most people think they are for... if you are going to have an extreme system pressure build up it will blow a radiator hose or something else.. these plugs are used during the casting process to remove any excess sand that was use in the process. each engine is cast in a one time use hard packed sand. the plugs are then driven in place to cover the hole. high performance blocks offer threaded core plug holes for a threaded pipe fitting to be installed as well.
Correct. I have seen blocks freeze and crack before any plugs come out.
Correct. I have seen blocks freeze and crack before any plugs come out.
call me lucky..my freeze plug popped
Correct. The only reason the Boss 302 and the 427's got threaded core plugs was to prevent their popping out in long races such as Lemans, Trans-Am and Nascar. To thread all production blocks would have been nice for us, but cost prohibitive for Ford.i am not saying that they do not pop out but they are not designed for that feature. added benefit yes. as for the design its cheap to install a stamped steel peice of metal instead of a threaded hole and plug.