Engine block heater, your thoughts please. (1 Viewer)

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1phrogguy

1phrogguy

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Thinking about an eng block heater, this morining (20*F) it took almost the entire drive to work (15 min.) plus 10 min warm up to register any heat on the gauge. No hwy time at all.

If you have an eng block heater, your thoughts please. Thinking about the one offered at SOR.
 
20* isn't so bad. I don't mean to change the subject but if it's taking that long to build heat it sounds like something else is going on. Open thermostat perhaps.

Back to your question ... just be careful about power ratings. There are some block heaters rated for over 600 Watts. That's not too expensive if you plug it in for 30 minutes before cranking but if you leave them on overnight that adds up (comes to about $0.50 for each 8 hours of use).

I used the type that replace a freeze plug and heat the water. I will confess, cranking up and having instant is very nice and it is better for the longevity of your engine (i.e. warm oil easily flowing to bearings).
 
I hope its not the t-stat, I just replaced it about 2 weeks ago. I dont drive it real hard, not past 2000 rpms the entire way to work. It does usually take a while for it to warm up. This is the coldest its been run here in a while.
 
I use one

My truck does not drive in the winter but I do have a block heater. Just last week I went to start the truck the temp was 5F, I pluged teh block heater in for 15min. and the truck started within 10sec. and heated right up. They do help the start up a lot but in SC how many time would you use it.
MJM
 
1phrogguy said:
I hope its not the t-stat, I just replaced it about 2 weeks ago. I dont drive it real hard, not past 2000 rpms the entire way to work. It does usually take a while for it to warm up. This is the coldest its been run here in a while.
Click to expand...

Hmm, isn't there a rubber ring that goes around the t-stat? Did you get that on as well?

I agree, something does sound fishy. 20 degrees F is not very cold...
 
My 2F is warm at -40 within 15 minutes. There's something definately wrong there.

20* is where they start advising you plug vehicles in. Not that many people actually do when it's that warm out...

Almost all the good a block heater is going to do, it's going to do within the first 30 minutes. In extreme temperatures (think well below 0*F) an hour would probably be good. No need to plug in overnight.
 
If you're in NC and it's 20F out for more that a couple hours I'll be amazed (unless in mtns)

However, I had a block heater, oil pan heater, and battery blankets in my 40 when I was living in Fairbanks AK.... temps <-40F and only had some starting problems. There were just some days when the 40 with <-55 would prettty much tell mt to:flipoff2: off and ride the snowmachine to work:doh:

Yours should get warm in 15 minutes easy... with OAT of only 20F

My recommendation is:

Figure out whats wrong w/ your system (thermostat, heater valve, temp guage, etc)

or

Keep it in the garage

or

Buy a jacket and pray for spring.....

Cheers
 
PabloCruise said:
Hmm, isn't there a rubber ring that goes around the t-stat? Did you get that on as well?

I agree, something does sound fishy. 20 degrees F is not very cold...
Click to expand...


Your right, no top gasket. Ordered one today, hopefully this will solve the problem. Good call Pablo and thanks for the help.
 
Glad you figured it out!




FYI-


A block heater will not warm the oil in the sump....where it is cold, and hard to get to flow to the bearings.

If you were concerned about cold start up, and the lack of lubrication to vital engine components, (As was discussed to some length in your oil thread by those stating that a 15-40 or 20-50 oil is too think for a 2F) then I would figure out a decent oil pan heater so that your oil is warm and that you are not starving your bearings and other engine components.


Good luck!


-Steve.....who had a block heater at one time....and uses the one in the Cummins when it gets below 0 degrees Fahrenheit....and a pan heater when it gets lower than that. :)


:beer:
 
Magnetic oil pan heaters are pretty cheap, very easy to install and warm the engine from the bottom up!

I have a jacket heater (goes in the frost plug hole) starts fine at -25C and is warm withing 3 minutes of driving.

If you were really concerned, you can get coolant circulating heaters, such as those made by Kim Hotstart (I think?) , they circuilate the coolant to an external heater. (we install them in boats at work - warranty says the engine must be up to full operating temperature before going full throttle, since these are fire rescue boats, they want to go full throttle right away - this allows them to do that)
 
Poser said:
Glad you figured it out!




FYI-


A block heater will not warm the oil in the sump....where it is cold, and hard to get to flow to the bearings.

If you were concerned about cold start up, and the lack of lubrication to vital engine components, (As was discussed to some length in your oil thread by those stating that a 15-40 or 20-50 oil is too think for a 2F) then I would figure out a decent oil pan heater so that your oil is warm and that you are not starving your bearings and other engine components.


Good luck!


-Steve.....who had a block heater at one time....and uses the one in the Cummins when it gets below 0 degrees Fahrenheit....and a pan heater when it gets lower than that. :)


:beer:
Click to expand...


Steve,

Your comments strike a chord with my thoughts... I would rather have warm oil on start-up than warm coolant and cold, thick oil.

It doesn't get too cold here, (not like MN), but what is the best pan/oil heater you have found?

TIA,
 
granted they might not be widely available but i got one called a Yukon/Alaska pad, it's a little rubbr pad with a cord coming out of it, red silicone it to the bottom of the oil pan, use duct tape to hold it on and take it for a nice long drive until the silicone cures, then remove duct tape, and don't worry about it anymore. or, if you're like me, just wait for a year or two until the duct tape removes itself. with a battery jacket, oil pan and block heater my cruiser will start at -40. and with just the oilpan heater my old (84) honda went at -52 (C) and I had to drive the neighbors to work, his 3 year old dodge van threw a serpentine belt, and her jeep just coughed and died, my $250 car got us all to work on time!
(whitehorse yukon)
 
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