When I first got my TBird, I was driving down the road one day.   I jumped on the gas in first gear.  When I shifted into 2nd, a cloud of smoke came out from under the hood.  I pulled off the road into a parking lot.  The motor was still running.  I popped the hood to see what had happened.  One of the freeze plugs had blown out and was laying on the frame rail looking back at me.   I don't think the material is as important as how you install them.  

I use  papco 1/3/4 part #263-612 expansion plugs. just clean the car plug hole ,install  tighten the bolt to expand the rubber. cheap and easy
i 

I've used those expandable plugs numerous times and find they work quite well. My Hemi engine had three piece stainless plugs with an O ring. ALL of them were leaking! I replace them with the expansion plugs.

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Why be ordinary? I think this is a good avenue for expansion. We haven't seen any improvement in these critters compared with say, spark plug wires.

The heck with steel, or brass. C'mon fellas, think outside the box! Exotic, rare-earth minerals are where it's at. Maybe a Vanadium-Titanium-Neodymium alloy, cryogenically treated and forged in alignment with magnetic North (NOT grid North).

I’d forgotten about those expanding rubber plugs. I used one years ago, worked fine. It was still in the car when I sold it.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Found some stainless steel freeze out plugs I will be using . Thanks for the options

good luck around the starter core plug

The engine is out of the car ,naked block on a stand no trouble to access any opening

Put a little gasket sealer around the holes when you put them in.

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Howdy,

If I had a choice and the engine was out it would be stainless steel and brass in that order.
Now I am partial to those because I have actually had regular steel corrode badly enough to "pop" out on their own!
Aside from the fact you have to SERIOUSLY neglect your cooling system to get that to happen, SS and brass are a little softer and might stay in "better"!

Also understand that they are NOT "Freeze" plugs.    They're CORE plugs necessary to plug the holes required in the casting process.  They're not there to "prevent" freeze damage. 

They ARE a great freeze damage detector in that if they do get pushed out because you either didn't put enough AF for the temp encountered or had regular water in the block (I.E.  your boat has that REALLY COOL 312 marine engine installed) , the block will more than likely be cracked either internally or externally if you didn't bother to drain it  prior to the the winter freeze!



There's nothing cooler than a vintage inboard with a Y-block inside!!

Cheers,

Rick




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1955 F-600/272/E4OD// Disclaimer: No animals were injured while test driving my F-600 except the ones I ran over intentionally!

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