I have a 2005 F350 6.0l diesel.

I want something in it to heat up the truck better than the block heater when plugged in. Truck stays out side for winter. In previous gas engines I have installed heater hose heaters with a little pump in them that heats and pump water through the block. More recently, I have installed the bottom rad hose heater that heats the water and the water just naturally convects up through the engine bock. Works great.

I prefer the bottom rad hose heater as there is no pump. A set of dual battery blankets and starting in cold weather is easy.

I went down to buy a lower rad hose heater for my 6.0L at the local automotive shop. Now I know these thing are very generic but they did not have a part number in their reference manuals for the lower rad hose heater in their manuals for a 6.0L.

I figured, just grab me one of the shelf that fits the hose and I will be off. They told me that it was strange that it did not have a number and there was probably a reason for that. Like maybe is shouldn't have a lower rad hose heater installed on the 6.0L.

So my question is,

does that make sense? Seems strange.
should a 6.0L not have a bottom rad hose heater installed?
if not, why?

Or, can I just grab one off of the shelf that fits the lower rad hose and install it?

If I cannot install a lower rad hose heater, what are my next best options, without installing a second block heater? Or is the simple answer to install the second block heater and have dual block heaters.

I would rather just install the lower rad hose heater. Much simpler in my mind.

Thoughts?

 

The existing heater is about 1000 watts. I put a 250 watt oil pan heater on for really cold mornings and last winter I had nice easy starts. Even without a block heater, the truck started fine at 0 degree's in Wendover, UT one morning.

I'm not sure there is really any benefit to adding more heater. I also don't see much reason that you can't add one of the lower radiator hose heaters, as long as there is a straight spot in the hose long enough. Just get one that is the right diameter and won't restrict water flow any.

 

How hot do you want your truck to get? The engine block heater gets them pretty warm buy it's self.

Some add a heater to the oil pan. And keep the oil hot.

Here are temps. I recorded one day last winter.

This morning I plugged the block heater in. My Scangauge read 39 degrees.

1 hour later it was 80 degrees.

2 hours later was 94 degrees.

3 hours later it was 103 degrees.

4 hours later it was 110 degrees.

5 hours later it was 116 degrees.

Yes, 39 isn't that cold to start, but was interesting to see that it went from 39 to 80 in an hour.

Currently my oil temp in hour 3 is 77 degrees. It was 40 at starting point.

Oil temp after 4 hours is 91 degrees.

 

I would like to get some additional heat in the engine for starting and morning heat. Our winter temperatures drop to -30 F to -35 F range on a regular basis during winter.

I often find block heaters are kinda week in those temperatures. For that reason on all my gas vehicles I have installed a bottom rad hose heater and battery blankets. Then use only the rad hose heater and blanket and do not plug in the block heater anymore.

The rad hose heater seem way more affective.

I have one battery blanket installed and am going to replace it and install two new ones, one for each battery. That will help as well.

I like the idea of the oil pan heater. That is simple to install.

Last winter I had a heck of a time starting and going. I could start it, but i could not get it to move until is warmed up. This summer I found out my injector rings were shot and draining down. Guess that had a lot to do with it as well. Since then I have replaced one injector and all the injector rings, oils cooler and EGR tube. So I am expecting it to run or cold start and move way better this winter. So maybe its over kill now, I guess I will find out. But I would rather have the stuff installed and be able to unplug it vs. trying to installing any of it out side in the cold of winter.

I just have to watch the overall amperage of everything that I plug in or I will blow the breakers constantly. The other thing I have to install is an interior car warmer. Have one in the wife's gas Expedition and it takes the frost off of the windows before she even get in there. It is all on timers that come on about 3 hours before we need to start them in the morning. Her gas Expedition is toasty with defrosted windows. My 6.0L, I am still scraping frost and warming the truck up for ever to get it to more. Got to change that.

So, interior car warmer and battery blankets will be installed asap. I have a 110V, 15amp circuit for my 6.0L plug in. Will be getting up there on amps with a bottom rad hose and an oil pan heater. Will need to add those up and see what I have.

Kinda want the bottom rad hose heater for that instant heat in the morning and like the oil pan heater idea. Will look at watts and maybe unplug the block heater if the rad hose heater is in the similar watt range.

Does any one know what the watts of the block heater is? Looks like 1000w @ 9amp.

Guess I need to do some electrical calculations as well.

Still some thinking to do.

 

Sorry missed the note above regarding 1000W. Thanks.

It is also very interesting that amdriven2liv recorded his block heater temps. That is a good idea. I now have a set of digital gauges in the truck that I can experiment with as well. Plug in the block heater and see what temp I actually have then its really cold out.

I can put a few of these things in and see what is the most effective.

I did not think of using the gauges to watch electrical pre-heat temps. I am going to watch that this winter. See what is best.