installing block heater in 85bj60 ?

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north bay, ontario
merry x-mas!


i've purchased a 1500w inline self propelled block heater with 5/8" inlet & outlet. it has to be installed at the lowest part of the engine block and the return line back to the top of the engine block. i'm not to sure exactly where to install it and was wondering if anyone is using one of these. i need to know where it worked best for you.
tia,
ivanhoe
 
i have tried those in the past and wasn't ipressed so now i use the lower rad hose heaters...
get an adapter for hte block drain right above the starter and then go from there to the inlet for hte heater core...
HTHS
cheers
 
crushers said:
i have tried those in the past and wasn't ipressed so now i use the lower rad hose heaters...
HTHS
cheers

Hi Wayne:

I just bought a lower rad hose heater from Crappy Tire...was on sale for $32 CAD. I bought the 1.5" diameter one from measuring a hose that was lying around in the shop...is this the right size for the 13B-T? Thanks!

Stone
 
crushers said:
i have tried those in the past and wasn't ipressed so now i use the lower rad hose heaters...
get an adapter for hte block drain right above the starter and then go from there to the inlet for hte heater core...
HTHS
cheers


hi wayne,
i still have my lower rad hose heater and it stop working. it looks like it's the sensor on the cord that prevents it from coming on(i know, cheap fix). i taught i try the tank type heater to eliminate using the two heaters that i'm using at the moment and keep them as spares. it's a little more complicated than i anticipated. do you know the block drain size off hand? there's one in the kit, 1/4" NPT.
thx,
ivanhoe
 
ivanhoe said:
merry x-mas!


i've purchased a 1500w inline self propelled block heater with 5/8" inlet & outlet. it has to be installed at the lowest part of the engine block and the return line back to the top of the engine block. i'm not to sure exactly where to install it and was wondering if anyone is using one of these. i need to know where it worked best for you.
tia,
ivanhoe

I had a 1500W one in my BJ42. It worked well from what I recall, even the few times I had it in Calgary. Trick is to ensure it is low enough to get a good convection current going. I had it mounted to the frame, so the feed had to head downhill a little. Will look later to see where it was ties in.

All that said, the lower rad hose will be my next one...easier install, no tank to mount, and no hoses running around.

hth's

gb
 
Stone said:
Hi Wayne:

I just bought a lower rad hose heater from Crappy Tire...was on sale for $32 CAD. I bought the 1.5" diameter one from measuring a hose that was lying around in the shop...is this the right size for the 13B-T? Thanks!

Stone

You gonna be around the shop at all? We have scads of used 3/13BT lower hoses in the hose box. You can scoop one and cut it up, where you are going to mount the heater. Measure and buy to suit!

gb
 
Greg_B said:
I had a 1500W one in my BJ42. It worked well from what I recall, even the few times I had it in Calgary. Trick is to ensure it is low enough to get a good convection current going. I had it mounted to the frame, so the feed had to head downhill a little. Will look later to see where it was ties in.

All that said, the lower rad hose will be my next one...easier install, no tank to mount, and no hoses running around.

hth's

gb

by jolly, we are back in business!:beer: i'm gonna return the 1500w heater 'cause i got the lower rad hose one working again. a bad connection was preventing having 120vac juicing it! now for the next option, right now i have a 1 3/8" 300 watt. if i go to a 1½" i'll have 600 watts! :idea: i'm sure the 1½" should fit:cheers:
thx everyone and have a safe holiday,
ivanhoe
 
I just finished installing the lower rad hose engine heater in my BJ74 tonight. It turned out to be an easy install that ended very clean looking. The heater unit fit perfectly just under the spring clip that holds the lower rad hose against the fan shroud. This area also has the required 3" straight section and is angled upwards towards the engine block.

I'm heading to Kelowna next week for a few days. It's fairly warm there right now, but if it cools off siginificantly while I'm there and I get to use the engine heater, I'll let you guys know how it works.

The brand of my heater is Zerostart, a Canadian made product retailed at places like Canadian Tire. Mine is the 1.5" 600W model, and it regularly retails at Canadian Tire for around $39.99. I bought mine on sale last week for $32.

:beer:
 
I may get a zerostart heater for my 81BJ60 tomorrow.
Any special tips for install? It sounds easy enough....
Anyone had leaking problems, that is what I am concerned about.
Work the same as block heater? By that I mean does it take less time to heat up?
From what I have read it seems to.
J
 
i have never had a leak as long as it is installed correctly.
i also find they heat up better than a block heater but others will disagree.
 
How about some pics fellas?? ;)
 
I've had the tank type heater and gave up on that years ago. I think there is not enough circulation to get the heat to the block before it cools off. I've got a block heater and battery blankets on the trucks and they started yesterday just fine at -22 C (even the FJ55/3B with a single warm climate battery started fine after the block heater and battery blanket were installed).
 
Over 20 years ago I went for the toyota block heater on my 3B. (cdn BJ60)( you can still get these for about $30 from Lordco)
I believe they say to mount them in the aftermost casting plug (under the EDIC) but I put mine in the one just behind and to the rear of the fuel pump diaphram. Move the edic arm and it can be installed relatively easily. It sure has worked well over the last 20 years in that location!!!
 
The tank-circulation heater works great if you have a thermosiphon circulation pattern such as a lower block coolant plug to head coolant plug connections with the tank heater oriented correctly. They don't do much of a job when inserted in the heater hose. I have one on a farm tractor with it being far superior to another tractor with only a lower hose heater (not my install). It is incredibly fast as well as easily checked by hand every time it is plugged in.

My BJ has a block heater in a frost plug behind the fuel pump under the intake manifold which is just about the best place to put the heat. It is fast and simple with the benefit of being able to hear it under quiet conditions as a check that all is working.
 
Wow 20 years is not bad, that is what I was hoping for when I put one in from Toyota about 2.5 years ago.
I am going to try one more. Must be my bad luck or something. I know my coolant level was good for the last few years.
 

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