NOT Cracked Engine!

The heating system in the shop where it was failed sometime over the four day weekend. We've had a snowstorm and sub zero weather. Because it was in a heated shop and I didn't have a need for anti-freeze it froze.

The center "freeze" plug worked! What I thought was a crack was water dripping from the partially pushed out freeze plug. I hadn't noticed the plug was pushed out, it was hidden by the coil bracket. The drip I saw was 3-4 inches lower on the engine block and was a tiny stream of water. When I wiped it it immediately reappeared leading me to think it was a crack.

The worse (IDIOT) part is that with 50+ years of major engine work I blew this one BIG TIME!!!

A new freeze plug was installed, the cooling system filled and pressure tested over the 4 day weekend. No leaks!

Onward and Upward!

Where are you located? There are options.

Are you going to part it out or sell the block as a unit. I need a cam bearing...having a hard time coming up with one on the engine I am rebuilding.
Thanks.

Where are you located? There are options.

Eastern Massachusetts

Don't let disappointment rule your choice. I read somewhere that the 220 sd will fit your K. Give yourself some time and you will find an option. Don't overlook Mercedes 240d and 300td engines. They fit and add a big WOW factor. Take the Mercedes star off the valve cover and epoxy an IHC in place.
Craigslist is another source of engines. One of the members of this forum put a GM Quad 4 in his K. My favorite is the Cummins 4bta.
Hang in there for a while.

https://worcester.craigslist.org/pts/d/ ... 27919.html
Don't give up, yet. This is one of two guys selling Mercedes Diesels.

And that Mercedes is a whole lot cheaper than the local to me 4bt with T19 for $3600. There are options, might even be a motor close to you, look at the swap section.

Good GRD motors show up on Craigslist cheep all the time,
Also SD 220 240 264 engines go in with very minimal fabricating,

There is a complete KB 5 restored chassis with 233 for sale right now
Everything rebuilt, some guy bought a restored truck and took the body off to put on something else

High risk, but an option is metal stitching the crack. Down low it could work. Up high, not good. Here's where you need to trust your machine shop. Never tried it, but I have heard of guys buying the kit and doing it themselves.

Too bad it just wasn't a freeze plug.

Too bad it just wasn't a freeze plug.

It is why there is no such thing as a "freeze plug" they are core plugs put there to allow the casting sand to be shaken out of the finished casting.
I know many auto parts stores call them freeze plugs, but they aren't. They can't protect against the expanding ice.
I lost one engine to freezing in my youth, it was an expensive, hard lesson learned, and I have never repeated the mistake.
Metal stitching can work, but it is very labor intensive, and requires the proper techeque "dog bones" (metal struts that keep the crack closed) and stop drilling the ends of the crack.
In most cases it is cheaper and easier to replace the block/engine.