all; there is one problem that i see with the listserver; its too democratic; dirty old scientific fact and pretty, beribboned and bowed hogwash are given the exact same airing and you are asked to pick, as if it were some sort of popularity contest, whic you happen to believe. trust me; hogwash remains hogwash. brass compression plugs [freeze plugs] outlast steel plugs 10 or 20 to one, no,, they dont seem to galvanize away, yes they are easier to put in, brass is softer and compresses easier to fit. steel plugs tend to rust blister and go away in a couple of years, brass doesnt seem to deteriorate at all. on installation; ; these compression plugs are NOT meant to have a pointed shape installing them [such as a hammer] the perfect tool is a large 1 1/4 ish socket that just fits inside after compression into the block. JEFF tucson az.