Circulating heater install on 1HDT

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Yes the supplied barb will thread right into that drain port i put a bit of teflon tape on the threads just in case. Just remember you will lose alot of coolant when you take the plug out. With me i took the little one out and then some coolant came out. maybe half a liter or so and when i removed the big sleeve it was threaded into i lost alot more... about two regular coolant jugs were needed to refill.

I have not run my output hose from the zerostart to the other side of the engine yet. I will be going to lordco afterwork to pick up what i need and will most likely attempt it tomorrow night.

You can access the drain plug from the top using a socket. Just have to get the right length extension to allow room for the ratchet because you will be amidst all the throttle cables and such. You probably wont have a problem like i said, i had the steering rod that was in my way, this wouldnt be a problem for you.
 
Just read your reply, yes that is the one i was talking about. Unless they changed thread sizes for different years (which i doubt) it should thread right in there.. (yes i know i didnt think it would either but i guess you get lucky sometimes.)

my engine is out of a 91.
 
Thanks for the info. I will have to wait until it warms up a bit more before I do anything else on this. This weekend is supposed to be warmer.
 
finderscuba said:
Thanks for the info. I will have to wait until it warms up a bit more before I do anything else on this. This weekend is supposed to be warmer.
Click to expand...

No worries, its nice knowing im in the same boat as someone else.

Ill post pictures once i get my system plumbed over.

I have been contemplating wrapping additional insulation over the line that will go across the motor. To reduce heat lose over that length of hose.
 
Rubiclone said:
No worries, its nice knowing im in the same boat as someone else.

Ill post pictures once i get my system plumbed over.

I have been contemplating wrapping additional insulation over the line that will go across the motor. To reduce heat lose over that length of hose.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about this more. If you run from the block drain, through the Zerostart heater and then into the heater return hose, aren't you essentially adding a heater bypass path during normal engine operation? The heater cores would not get the same coolant flow as before since there is another "equal" path. It may yield better pre-heat results, but I'd be worried about reducing cabin heat.

And I just bought some foam pipe insulation to put over the hose running around the back of the engine if I go that route. Works for copper, pvc and pex pipe, should work for rubber hose.
 
now dont quote me on this but what i was thinking was that at normal operation everything will reach the same temperature anyway and your water pump can probably move alot more water than the hoses running to your heater core would allow. So essentially it will just heatup going through both pathes. You could always install a valve in the zerostart heater line that you shut once you unplug the vehicle.
 
Well, it's not working the way I currently have it, so...
 
you are running it across the engine and into the exhaust hose that comes from the heater core? have you tried mounting your zerostart BELOW the cooling drain port?... thats what the landcruiser shop told me.. and they are very experianced.
 
Nope, mine "tee's" into the vertical heater supply hose. Just below the elbow before the water control valve on the US driver's side of the engine.
 
There is another popular manufacturer of this style of heater. I was looking at their installation instructions and noticed that they recommend installing the heater so that the inlet is below the drain on the engine. This is what you mentioned here before. This confirms it.
http://fivestarmanufacturing.com/getdoc/b5c50267-441b-4588-8379-ea44ff788da9/Tank_Heater_Installation_Instructions(English)
http://fivestarmanufacturing.com/getdoc/3a9c7d73-987c-4b45-8ecb-3946ec15588b/Tank_Heater_Installation_Instructions_(Rear_w_diag
 
I had my zerostart mounted high near the tranny dipstick resulting in zero convection current.

I ended up tossing it as it didnt work worth a damn.

Without an in-line pump, these type of heaters need to be mounted as low as possible as they rely solley on the current - more rise = better. Good luck!
 
I still have high hopes for this heater. A similar model on the wife's VW TDI works amazingly well.
 
I installed one last year it works great. Use the block drain as the supply and then use the y to go into the heater supply. If you bypass it over the engine your heater wont work properly because the coolant will take the path of least resistance. I mounted my heater off the shock tower down low. I can post some pictures tomorrow if you'd like. I usually leave it plugged in for 4 hours minimum if it's -10 or below I leave it on all night.
 
I'll just chime in here... I'm using a old 1000w electric inline hose heater, same principle of your thingy.
On a earthmover, huuge engine and about 19L of coolant.
That beeing said, most of the coolant is in the radiator. so lets say 9-liters in the engine.
I tried numerous placements of the heater, felt that it still had no effect.
then i just extended the hoses, and had the oulet of the heater go into a port near the t-stat (high on the engine.
The inlet comes from the return line of the cab-heater. And the heater is located at the bottom of the engine, same height as the top of the oil pan.
Now it really works great, and i think its because that 3ft (60-70cm) of outlet tubing rising from the heater straight up. seems to really get the fluid moving, which also draws cold water into the heater.

i also used zip-ties to push the hot hose against the two fuel filters, do the diesel is not slushy.

No problem heating the engine up in -30degrees. Can actually SEE the hose heating up, and when it start flowing the hoses are shaking.
Now the old heater is on for two hours, it starts shutting off on the t-stat. Before i figured this setup, the heater switched on and off every 5-10 minutes, most likely due to the lack of circulation.

hijack over... ;)
 
alder4x4 said:
I installed one last year it works great. Use the block drain as the supply and then use the y to go into the heater supply. If you bypass it over the engine your heater wont work properly because the coolant will take the path of least resistance. I mounted my heater off the shock tower down low. I can post some pictures tomorrow if you'd like. I usually leave it plugged in for 4 hours minimum if it's -10 or below I leave it on all night.
Click to expand...

Some pictures of this would be great!
 
alder4x4 said:
I installed one last year it works great. Use the block drain as the supply and then use the y to go into the heater supply. If you bypass it over the engine your heater wont work properly because the coolant will take the path of least resistance. I mounted my heater off the shock tower down low. I can post some pictures tomorrow if you'd like. I usually leave it plugged in for 4 hours minimum if it's -10 or below I leave it on all night.
Click to expand...

This confirms my suspicion. I think mounting it really low is key. I'm going to move mine down and extend the outlet hose and try it again.

BTW: -10°C is pretty warm by our standards. I don't even plug in my truck unless it's below -20°C. :p

TLC Norway said:
I'll just chime in here... I'm using a old 1000w electric inline hose heater, same principle of your thingy.
On a earthmover, huuge engine and about 19L of coolant.
That beeing said, most of the coolant is in the radiator. so lets say 9-liters in the engine.
I tried numerous placements of the heater, felt that it still had no effect.
then i just extended the hoses, and had the oulet of the heater go into a port near the t-stat (high on the engine.
The inlet comes from the return line of the cab-heater. And the heater is located at the bottom of the engine, same height as the top of the oil pan.
Now it really works great, and i think its because that 3ft (60-70cm) of outlet tubing rising from the heater straight up. seems to really get the fluid moving, which also draws cold water into the heater.

i also used zip-ties to push the hot hose against the two fuel filters, do the diesel is not slushy.

No problem heating the engine up in -30degrees. Can actually SEE the hose heating up, and when it start flowing the hoses are shaking.
Now the old heater is on for two hours, it starts shutting off on the t-stat. Before i figured this setup, the heater switched on and off every 5-10 minutes, most likely due to the lack of circulation.

hijack over... ;)
Click to expand...

This is good information. Obviously the higher the rise, the better the circulation. And I like your idea of running the hot hoses against the fuel filter. Unfortunately, my filter is mounted too high to do that. But now I'm thinking about running another much smaller line to "coil" around the fuel filter and then back to the bottom of the circ heater. Hmmmm......

Rubiclone said:
Some pictures of this would be great!
Click to expand...
I second that. This information is helping and I'm sure others will benefit.
 
TLC Norway said:
I'll just chime in here... I'm using a old 1000w electric inline hose heater, same principle of your thingy.
On a earthmover, huuge engine and about 19L of coolant.
That beeing said, most of the coolant is in the radiator. so lets say 9-liters in the engine.
I tried numerous placements of the heater, felt that it still had no effect.
then i just extended the hoses, and had the oulet of the heater go into a port near the t-stat (high on the engine.
The inlet comes from the return line of the cab-heater. And the heater is located at the bottom of the engine, same height as the top of the oil pan.
Now it really works great, and i think its because that 3ft (60-70cm) of outlet tubing rising from the heater straight up. seems to really get the fluid moving, which also draws cold water into the heater.

i also used zip-ties to push the hot hose against the two fuel filters, do the diesel is not slushy.

No problem heating the engine up in -30degrees. Can actually SEE the hose heating up, and when it start flowing the hoses are shaking.
Now the old heater is on for two hours, it starts shutting off on the t-stat. Before i figured this setup, the heater switched on and off every 5-10 minutes, most likely due to the lack of circulation.

hijack over... ;)
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, you are running the outlet of the zerostart to the outlet of the heater core? or are you running the outlet of the heatercore into the intake of the zerostart and then the outlet of the zerostart into the block by the t-stat?
 
ForealBoreal said:
Does someone have a photo of the block drain on a 1hd-t?
The newer 1hz have it to the right of the oil pressure sensor
Click to expand...

It's to the left of the oil filter. It's on the oil cooler cover. I included a diagram in an earlier post from the FSM. Sorry, no photo.
 
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