The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Electric Oil Warmer?

Hi.
While starring at the wiring of my truck, and contemplating on whether to attempt a complete wiring replacement job on my 48' 1/2 ton, I noticed something I didn't catch before.

I found a wire coming out of the block behind the generator. I traced it to go in front of my radiator. I put my hand into the grill and pulled out the other end, which was a plug.

Is this an original electric oil heater of sorts? This truck spent it's whole life in Minnesota, until I rescued her, and moved her to balmy Ohio.

Thanks Steve

It's a block heater, warms the water and thermo- circulates.

thanks 78

My engine has one of those, but it's way rustier than yours . You can even read the wattage stamped on yours. They're very common up here in Alaska.

thanks Kevin - Is it intended to be used over night when cold, prior to a day of use?

A word of warning. I had one held in by a butterfly clamp (from the inside), the clamp rusted out and eventually failed....... the coolant does NOT stay in the engine very long!!!!

If you like spending money on electricity, plug it in overnight. I have a block heater in my Diesel, and I use a timer to turn it on about 3 hours before I want to go somewhere, but only when it's cold enough to make your nose hairs freeze (happens below about 0F). A few hours should do it for you. Gas engines are usually pretty easy to start when it's cold out - Diesels not so much.

Do you guys think it came from the factory installed as an option? After cleaning it, it appears the word "Carter" is at the top of the washer. Curious if a guy later just removed a freeze plug at some point and installed...

Looks like there are some NOS ones still out there. This ebay one similar to mine has a cool pic of the original literature.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CARTER-vin...k-heater-400-Watt-115-Volt-/321706353960

They were most likely a dealer installed option. Diesels commonly come factory installed, but gas engines don't usually come with.
That NOS one is cool. A current manufacturer of essentially the same thing (but with grounded plugs) is Kats. [url=http://www.fivestarmanufacturing.com][/url]

They are as common as dirt up here where it gets cold. Soft plug and lower rad hose heaters. When I lived way up north we even put 2 of them in. Take an ohmmeter and check continuity through the 2 prongs on the plug to see if it still works.

My '48 is parked outside and I can put my frost plug heater on a timer. 4 hours even when it's 0 deg is enough for me. If it's -15 to -20 deg, I give it more time but not overnight. The heater is under the intake manifold, right where the heat is needed.

When it gets really cold, I'll put a magnetic heater on the oil pan overnight.

Missoula is in "tropical Montana" so -15 might happen only once a year.

When I lived up way up north, some times we wired in a battery trickle charger along with the heater plug in.

Wally/Montana/David C - I love your part of the country. I was up hunting a few years back in Dec just outside Phillipsburg. Very cold and windy...I could see the benefit of the heater for sure.

Not only do I use a block heater in the winter I also have a small ceramic heater in the car that gets plugged in while I'm at work.....free power. Makes for faster warm up to get the heater working when it's -40ish.