detailed lower rad hose heater install

[everbret]

That's great, I've been looking for a way out of the rough cold starts I've had since getting mine. Did you drain the radiator before doing this, or did you just use the clamps on the hoses? How much coolant did you lose and need to replace? Final question, what did you use to cut the hose?

Thanks

 

[crushers]

exacto knife (sp?)
you shoudl change the fluid anyway to be safe.
might want to change the thermostate as well and any hoses that show soft or wear.
a manual glow makes a huge difference to the starting as well.

make sure the cooling system is cold, large flatish tray to catch the coolant, drain rad and remove the hose.
mark for alignment later, cut, install heater and plug in the direction you wish to have the cord heading but make sure you are clearing all obstacles. clamp securely, reinstall, check for clearences. fill with 50/50 mix. before starting each morning check the level of the coolant. these are a bitch for trapped air pockets.

good luck.

 

[Squash]

HD-T 81 only removed the four bolts from the skid plate around the steering dampner, this leaves lots of room to work from under the truck.

From memory: 12mm socket, srewdriver, and knife, takes about as much time as an olive oil foreplay session...

Follow Wayne's advice about checking fluid levels and leaks from your clamps, the great thing about winter is that red coolant is highly visible in snow...

 

[Clint79]

so what exactly does this lower rad heater do mate?

 

[SimonInAustralia]

so what exactly does this lower rad heater do mate?

Not much for you in Western Australia!

Where it gets real cold and snows a lot, you plug it into mains power and it keeps the engine warm, so it starts easy.

What sort of lower temps do you start using it at, as in when is the temp low enough for it to be useful?

 

[crushers]

anything below -5 C.

i only use it when it is -20C or lower...

does Oz ever get below -15C?

 

[SimonInAustralia]

Most of Oz doesn't get that cold.

Where I am the lowest has been about -10C, it usually gets down to a lowest of between -5C and -9C on the coldest nights/mornings during winter. It might make starting a little smoother for me in winter, but not sure if it is worth the hassle for the few days it might make a difference.

It often gets down to around -12C/-13C on the coldest nights in our very small mountain ranges on the mainland, and not very often down to between -15C and -19C. If you worked up in the mountains regularly through the winter, it might be worth using it.

Not sure how cold it gets down in Tasmania, they are further away from the equator, and exposed to the Southern oceans, so it might get colder.

 

[crushers]

honestly?
i wouldn't bother unless you are into the -20s...

 

[SimonInAustralia]

Yeah, not worth the trouble down here.

 

[kallehzj78]

Great "how to install"

Here in sweden we usually use 230v engineblock heaters, they are more effective than the radiatorhose heaters.
we only use hoseheaters when you can not fitt blockheaters.

I have blockheater on KZJ and Webasto dieselheater on HZJ.
I like dieselheater a lot better,you can remote start it or with timer.

And you do not need 230v!

Obviously they are more expensive and difficult to install...

 

[everbret]

Just thought I'd say that I installed one this morning and now it's working great. No more black cloud starts in the cool cool winter.

Thanks for the info!

 

[crushers]

glad the info was useful...

230V, how come the rest of the world is so far advanced over NA?

 

[EspressoKiller]

i installed them in at least a dozen LJ78/71 series with very good results.
starting down to -32C in Calgary.

Hey there, new guy on the forum living in (the very cold) upstate New York. I've got a 1990 Hilux Surf with a 2L-TE. Is the install fairly similar to the HZJ77? Any major differences I should watch out for?