I manually shift trans to keep RPM's up until engine is warm to warm it up faster. It works good for me anyway's. you know, same theory as rubbing your hands together, the faster you go the more heat you create.

 

Well there is one way to get near instant heat that has already been mentioned... plug in a block heater overnight.

 

Didn't have time after work, so hopefully I'll get to it by the weekend to change the thermostat, check out the heater core, and heater box.

A block heater would be my last resort since I would rather fix whatever is not working right. And the nearest outlet to plug in a heater from where I park is about 250ft....lol

Thanks for the info, now I have an idea what mine "should" do.

 

Driving home I remembered why I've never used max AC in the winter. It only puts the air out the dash vents. I never want the air coming out there in the winter. I either want it on the windshield if I need it cleared, or on the floor where it can rise from and warm all of me up instead of just my hands and face. Not to say others shouldn't use max AC, or that it doesn't help get hotter air sooner, just that it doesn't do what I want.

And as far as not condensing on the windows once the windows are above the dew point, sure. But you'll never get the inside of the windows above the dew point except possibly right where the hot air is hitting them. Glass doesn't insulate well enough for that. So you still need to get rid of the moisture. The AC will do that, even on max AC. But it'll do it faster drawing dry air in (at least in places like Minnesota).

But do whatever works for you. I'm certainly not saying that anyone else's choices are wrong.

 

Bob,
I didn't realize that your '97 controls were that different than ones of my era.
Do you have a setting for fresh air/recirculate?

My defrost will definitely get the inside of the windshield above the dew point down to zero or so.
Being in waders and having a freezing wet dog in the cab is really putting the defroster to the test!

I understand Minnesota can get much colder than that.
Worst I've seen is -19 and my truck did take a -l o n g- time to warm up.

 

Blocking the radiator WILL provide heat faster. Even if no coolant flows to the heater core until the thermostat hits temp, it will heat your engine up faster....... And as a result..... Provide heat to the core faster.

I do this to my truck and the wifes car every winter. The truck gets a piece of custom cut R5 foamboard i wrapped with black marine grade boat seat plether, so it actually looks decent.

To the OP, do you have a heavy duty fan clutch??? That will pull lots of air all the time, and delay your engines warm up. A worn out fan clutch also might do this. Blocking the radiator will also help this situation, but changing it out would be better. Also consider a block heater or Katz lower hose heater if you can somehow power it.

 

I honestly do not know if it has a heavy duty clutch fan.

Hopefully I don't have to, but if all else fails I might install some kind of heater.

 

There's no flow in the radiator until the thermostat opens anyhow.
How is a stupid piece of cardboard or foam going to do a thing?
Maybe you don't understand the coolant flow in a 460?
Maybe you don't have a good grasp of automotive cooling systems in general???

Coolant ALWAYS flows through the heater core!
LONG before the thermostat even begins to open.

I did a little observation this morning.
It was 20*, so keep in mind there was nothing extreme.

I started the truck and it was on fast idle (1,250-1,300rpm)
Drove it within 30 seconds.
3 1/2 minutes later the fast idle was still on and I had noticible warmth.
9 minutes of driving and the fast idle had come off, the cab was warm, and the needle was up in the 'normal' range between n and o where it usually sits.
These gauges work by varying the ground resistance, and as such every one will be unique depending on the ICVR and how good a ground the sender has to the block.

 

Fastback,
Does your fan turn by hand with only some resistance, with the engine off and cold?
Does your fan roar all the time, varying only with engine speed?

If the clutch is locked up it is going to take out your water pump in short order.
Even if this is the case, you should still be getting full heat before the thermostat opens.

 

The '97 has three dials on the HVAC controls. The left one is fan speed, the center one temp (controls the blend door), and the right controls the setting. Going from memory (I haven't looked at the dial in almost 4 hours!), the settings are max AC, AC, vent, off, floor, mix, defrost. The first three just blow air out the dash vents, floor and defrost are pretty obvious, and mix is part to the floor, part to the windshied. There is no separate fresh air - recirc selection, so the only way to get recirc is to use the max AC setting.

Regarding not getting the windows above the dew point, a while after I posted that I realized that I was only addressing half of the equation. The inside of the windows is going to be pretty cold all of the time (with the exception of right where the hot air is hitting). But as I did say toward the end of my last post (and as others have said) any time the AC is running it will be drying out the air. That lowers the dew point, so the inside of the windows don't have to be as warm to be below the dew point.

I did try using max AC on my way to work this morning (temp was a balmy +10 F). I couldn't really tell that it was any warmer on max AC than on regular AC (trying to compare apples to apples), but I didn't like my legs getting cold. So I don't think I'll be using it. But again, use whatever works for you, and for those who haven't tried it, trying the max AC / recirc setting might be a good way for you to go.

And even in Minnesota we think -19 is COLD! We'll get below that most years, but not very often.

 

I can turn the fan easily by hand, with just a little resistance. It is pretty quiet, I don't even notice it most of the time.

Drove it for the first time in 3 days. I felt both hoses after I got home, which was about a 20 min drive. The upper hose was too hot to hold on to for more than 2 seconds, and the lower hose was just a little warm.

 

I think he was talking about the hoses going to tbe heater core.

 

That would make more sense .

I have a really bad cold at the moment so my head is kind of in a fog right now....lol

 

Your radiator is cooling well.

Yes, I meant to check flow through the heater core.

How long did it take to feel heat in the cab?

 

well have you thought about one of those plug in electric heaters to get you warmth until the engine warms up?