My girlfriend has an 89 GTA Convertable with a 5.7 350 motor. Is it possible if there was only water "no antifreeze" in the engine during a hard freeze "8 degrees for 4 days" for ice to blow a head gasket? She tried to start it and the unibelt melted under the water pump. I figured it was frozen. Now that it warmed up a bit I replaced the belt but when I started to add antifreeze I saw it pouring out from the right side around the middle of the engine. Figured the freeze plug blew but its fine. I could'nt see where it was coming from so I got a 3'' telescoping mirror and it seems to be coming from the seam between the block and the head. When I pour a little water in the radiator it pours out. Could a head gasket have water pour out with no pressure on the system and with no water mixed in the oil?

 

Yes. Being it's coming from the center location (between plugs 4&6 or 3&5) accually, your lucky! usually when the cooling system freezes, it cracks the block on the side or the lifter galley.
When water freezes in your engine it will find the weakest spot when it expands. when you get the head gaskets replaced, you need to get the heads checked for cracks and warpage.
Who ran straight water in it anyway? (shame-shame!)

 

i run straight water with a rust inhibitor in the summer - cools 5x better than coolant, plus the tracks get a little PO'd if ya blow any coolant out on it!

i do however do a flush in the fall and switch it back to antifreeze!

i would definately pull the intake off that motor to check for damage!

 

it just had to a 5.7...

 

I had a 350 block crack abt an inch below and parallel with the head gasket. Guy at the machine shop said that was a common place for them to crack due to freezing.