wires inside block and head

[tdaver]

I am rebuilding a 1966 Mopar 440. I just got the block and heads back from the machine shop. In the process of cleaning out the cooling passages, I found a wire, about 6 inches long inside the block. I was able to get it out. Terrible looking and confusing why it is in there. Then upon inspecting the heads, I found a long wire inside one of the cooling passages in the heads. Has anyone ever heard of this before? It looks like the wire in the block had been there for many years. Very rusted.

[BigBlockDude]

I can remember seeing a piece of what looked like a coat hanger in a head of an engine, its been so long that I cannot remember what engine it was but I wondered what the hell it was doing in there. I think it was in a 383 that was one of my dads engines. It was too long to pull it out so as far as I know it still in there.

[Rust collector]

The coathangers are in there when they cast the engines, and not all of them get ripped out when it is done.

[451Mopar]

The wire may have been from the lower radiator hose, that rused, broke off and got sent into the engine with the radiator fluid.

[perfmachst]

hello, those are support wires used when the heads are cast from the foundry
usually they are removed. some stay. casting is done with sand, plus heads are cast in two sections. If you look at any block and head, you will see casting lines on them.

[Ray Bell]

Yes, that's what they are... reinforcing the positioning of the sand cores during the casting process...

I've found them in Poly head water passages too.