The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Getting ready for next winter - installed a block heater

Attended the Antique Auto Mushers Fur Rondezvous Car show this past weekend and decided I needed a block heater for attending next year and participating in the parade as well (this year it was minus 15F and some of the guys and gals drove open top vehicles ) Which also reminds me I need to get my heater painted and installed, too.

Anyway I bought a Kat's 600W core plug heater and got it installed today. The same heater should fit any stovebolt 6 cyl engine.

That heats up the coolant?

Yes, the heater replaces a freeze plug and the heating coil is in direct contact with the coolant. The coolant slowly circulates by gravity and the entire engine will eventually warm up if given some time.

Just like a tea kettle

I didn't take a picture of the heater before I installed it, but here's one swiped from the web. It seals with an o-ring and the bolt thru the center spreads the piece behind the core plug hole to hold it in place.
Plugging this in for a couple hours will get the engine to a fairly toasty temperature (at least above freezing.)

A good timer is nice so you don't have to be heating all night, just a few hours before you plan to start engine.

Got the timer thing covered. That's a must to keep from paying more than you need to for electricity.

I think you mean convection? I had a Datsun 240Z many many years ago that I bought in the summer. When winter came I could not start the car because it was turning over very slowly. Realized the previous owner was running 20w-50 and it was like molasse in winter. The car had a lower radiator hose heater, so I plugged it in, waited a couple hours and got the car started. Then, I change the oil to 10w-30 and never used the heater again.

Yes, convection is the engineering term for circulation by gravity. Warm coolant is lighter than cold coolant so it rises and is replaced by cooler coolant.

Our school bus fleet at work all have heaters on them, we plug in about 150 buses everyday that it's below 20* outside. We have found over the years extension cord quality plays a big role in how the heaters work and how long the cords last. Some cords have only two small contact points in the female end, the better cords have full length contact of the receiver cord prongs. The standard 14g or 12g cords from the home center use the small contacts, while the electrical supply house had the better full contact cords. Once we switched to full contact cords, we haven't had the need to replace them after two years of service, the Home depot cords were lasting one season or less. We had a couple of the cheap cords catch fire, the side of the bus from the socket up was black from the plastic fire of the cords! Use only the clear end cords so you can see the connectors, and use the heaviest cord you can. We use nothing but 12 gauge, granted our heaters for the diesel engines are much larger, 1400w I believe, but its best to be on the safe side when it comes to outlets, cords and heaters. Double check you breaker box, and outlet before next winter.
I started cutting cords apart to figure out why some burnt up and some didn't. Once you see how the cheap ones work, you will never use them again!

When my dad was in the Army stationed in Alaska, all the vehicles in the motor pool were kept idling 24 hours a day in the winter.

Otto, Your dad must have been stationed up at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks. There wasn't a need for idling 24 hours down near Anchorage when I was in the Army. Some of the trucks had diesel-fired engine coolant heaters that got used when it got really cold, so they didn't have to idle 24/7.

He was in an Army unit attached to Eielson Air Force Base which is also near Fairbanks.

All the officers drove VW Beetles because they wouldn't freeze up and they skimmed over the snow like sleds.

Kevin, I split about half of a cord of wood for next winter with a sledge and a very old wedge. Does that count for getting ready?

Jon, only if you start your fire under your oil pan to preheat the engine.

Could double as a fire pit and a go to jail immediately card here in Ruidoso.