Block heaters, anyone here have one? My motor is coming out for a re-build soon, and while it's out I'd like to set it up with a block heater. According to what I've read, the best heaters install into the block, in place of the freeze plugs, and on a v8 engine (mine is a 390, by the way) they heat most effectively with one heater element in each side of the block.

Anyone used that setup before? What did you think of it? Is two heaters too much?

Sam

 

I live in a very cold area of Idaho and have never had any problems just using one. Makes a world of difference.

 

I use one on my 2002 f150 and according to my Edge Evolution it keeps the engine temp around 60 degrees when the actually temp is around 5-10

I plan on putting atleast 1 on my 460

 

I like the oil pan heaters, with the heater hose style a close second.

Oil pan heater heats the oil and radiates upward.

Heater hose style actually circulates the coolant throughout the system as it warms it up.

Josh

 

Josh, you'd recommend the oil heater then? Have you had any issues with it cooking the oil? From what I've heard some of the old ones could get so hot it would roast the oil, but they've probably solved those issues by now.

Something like this looks good, but it might be a bit of a space gobbler: Cooling System Heater engine coolant heater 1000W/ 220V | eBay

The Reverend Floater: were you using the in block type? Did it have a thermostat built in or was it just a plug in and go?

Whichever one I get, some kind of temperature regulator would be a good idea, I'm the type that would forget it was on and leave it going for a while!

Sam

 

The modern oil pan heaters don't cook the oil. Oil can easily live all day at 300+ degrees BTW.

We had two Deere 750C dozers that were notorious for hard starting and both needed to be able to go in temps well below 0. The standard block heaters just weren't enough, so I added oil pan heaters with a GENSET programmed to start at 2am and the oil and coolant was ready to go for 6:30am starts. No longer used the block heater.

We also had a 1986 Ford F700 welding truck with a Detroit 8.2 diesel where I installed a heater hose heater from NAPA. Made cold starts a breeze. Normally the engine needed Ether below 30 degrees and the engine could run all day and barely muster 140 degrees, the heater gave it that "oomph" to crank out heat immediately.

It looks somewhat like the Ebay auction. It wasn't very big, and I don't believe it was a NAPA branded model even though I got it from NAPA. It was red too and didn't cost much.

As for the oil pan heater, it had a nice backing also to direct the heat into the metal pan as well.

Josh

 

I wanted to add that I have no problem with block heaters, the Ford 7.3 and 6.0 work well. From my experience our CAT diesel block/fuel heaters are fantastic and Deere's block heaters on their Graders are excellent too.

Then again, the freeze plugs on Deere engines are 2 times bigger as a gas engine, and the elements are bigger.

The Ford 7.3 element is mounted on the oil filter adaptor, warming the coolant AND the engine oil around the filter.

So really, it's all in the design. A JC Whitney freeze plug block heater has nothing on the well thought out factory designs. Just food for thought.

Josh

 

That gives me some options then! I primarily want one that'll just get the defrost working quick, and secondly to cut down on warm up time. Sounds like almost any of them will do that.

The family doesn't share my appreciate for the sound of 390 with glasspacks warming up at 6:00 am!

By the way, the core plug heaters I was looking at were the NAPA ones.

Thanks!

Sam

 

Thanks for the reminder. I will need to add one of these to my truck for those wonderful Alaskan winters. I have always used the freeze plug style heaters, but am open to other options as well.

 

If you go with a water and leave your dash control on defrost, it'll cut a down on the frost build up. The heater core will have some heat in it and heast rises

Another thing to consider. Block heaters really show on the power bill !!!

 

I live in Alaska and my 76 f250 with a 390 started just fine at -45F I have it set up with ONE block heater, a 60w batter heater, 200w oil pan and 75w transmission pad. It was -40f + for over 2 weeks and it did just fine for that whole time. Also that set up is pretty much what is on all cars and trucks in the area.

 

Sounds like you are up in the interior a bit.

 

Just a bit

 

I run a single 400w block heater in my little 2.2 diesel, dual 400w block heaters in my 390, we hit -40 here on occasion, so it helps.

 

A block heater only heats up the engine... it doesn't help the oil that pools at the bottom or the transmission. For any temp below 0. F I would very strongly recommend doing a oil and transmission heat pad they don't cost hardly anything and they will lengthen the life of both by a lot.

When I was younger, my dad and my uncle had an argument about the transmission heater. My uncle didn't think it was needed and my Dad did. My uncle went through 3 transmissions in his van to my dads 0. I know that there is alot of other variables that could be happening BUT, This was over like 20k miles.

Just my opinion