I have a 1950 ford with a flat head v8 went out to chekhov it this morning and have ice in the Radiator so I assume I've got a frozen or near frozen block. Any thing I can do?

 

Have a small heater available? Wouldn't take much, could tarp the engine bay with some heat from below before it goes solid..

 

Thanks I was going to do a heat lamp, maybe do a heater Instead

 

Could also pick up a oil pan heating pad to help with the block, but the radiator still cold stick depending on outside temps and coolant/anti ratios.. Or 2, one on each.. Cooling system heaters are available as well, but if this is a temp outside situation or a surprise due to low anti freeze content, then just some concentrated heat, extra anti freeze added, and/ or removed from the frosty enviro..

 

This brings back some distant memories of why they were called "freeze out plugs".
They probably served a dual purpose one was to allow the plugs to blow out in the event of a freeze and the other was to allow castings debris to be removed after the foundry was done making the blocks. Not sure how well they worked with a serious freeze.

 

We had a very unusual hard freeze in the SF Bay Area many years ago that did a fair amount of damage to water pipes, un seasoned protected engines too. I had my boat 455 Olds, in a storage facility and thought, no worries. Later on in the week I went and checked it to find the freeze plugs in the bilge.. Many weren't that lucky...

 

Thanks for the info..