OldSub, back in '83 or so I had a '66 Fjord 1/2 ton with a big v-8 in it. We're not used to really cold weather down here and one night the temp dropped to the middle or low teens. Everything was shut down because plumbing all over was frozen solid. They don't build down here for really low temps either. I went out to check on my truck as I remembered it didn't have a drop of anti-freeze in it, just straight water. I turned the key and, nothing. I called a freind to give me a jump start. I thought the battery was dead. We jumped it and it turned over but made a terrible screetching noise. The water in the radiator, block & water pump was frozen solid. I took the fan belt off and we got the engine running. I heated some water and started pouring in on/in the radiator. We'd jump the engine & let it run for a few minutes to thaw the block.
I was waiting to see water running out of the radiator or block at any time. When the water pump thawed, I put the belt back on and kept on running the engine every once in a while. Even a freeze plug which I pounded back in after it leaked the summer before never leaked after the thaw. After everything was thawed out, I got some anti-freeze and put it right in. The freeze didn't damage a thing. Dumb luck, I guess!
