I have a very nice Sprite Racer with a VERY Expensive JSR 1275 racing engine installed. The car is currently sitting in my race trailer up in Michigan, in a suburb located just outside of Detroit. Since it is a race car there is no anti-freeze in the cooling system (Racing Regulation: No Anti-freeze Allowed; because they don't want a slippery race track if there is a leak).
Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, I am currently located in another state and I didn't have a chance to drain the cooling system before I left Michigan. & Unfortunately, last week the temps unexpectedly (yeah, I know, it IS Michigan!!) dipped below freezing on 6 occasions (Oct28:high54low31; Oct29:high58low29; Nov1:high51low31; Nov2:high54low27; Nov3:high58low28; Nov4:high54low31), and a couple of additional dips are now forecast for this coming week (high43low30 on Tues & Wed).
So, I fear that the water in my engine might have already experienced some freezing, or that it might freeze this week. & I don't have anyone there who can go drain the motor for me... besides, the damage might already be done.... :-(
Now I am HOPING that the enclosed trailer & the car absorbed enough heat during the warm part of the day to prevent the engine block from getting cold enough to freeze at night. IF it did freeze, I am hoping that the freeze plug did what it is designed to do and relieved any pressure build-up before anything was damaged.
Q: Does anyone have past experience with how long a water-only Sprite engine needs to soak in sub-freezing temps for the block to freeze?
Q: Does anyone have past experience with a freeze up, and did the freeze plug prevent any damage?
I'm gonna be losing lots of sleep about this one until I get the chance to go check the car next week.... Hopefully there won't be a big puddle under it when I open the trailer door....... (& IF there is, I hope it is coming from the freeze-plug.)
This COULD be another good reason to move out of Michigan..... Damage/Repair could get expensive........ :-(
-Bear-