block heater
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Baileyton, TN
block heater
What do I need to make my truck survive the frozen north this winter? What types are there, and where to get them.
Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhaust,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch
Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhaust,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch
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From: Western Colorado USA
block heater
From what I understand, you already have one. It was standard on the PSD between 94-96 and an option in 97. On mine, it was a bear to find the cord, it was tucked way up under between the left battery and the radiator. You can also look up behind the oil filter and see if it's actually there, then trace the plug cord back to the front.
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: mpls Usa
block heater
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 23-Aug-02 AT 11:57 PM (EST)]I once knew a guy who had his block heater go out on the diesel powered truck he "HAD"
he lit a pan of charcoal and after it got going he slid it under his engine and went back into the house. The engine had a significant oil leak and when he looked outside a little later his truck was REALLY warm you might say
dont forget to plug in at night. I plan to use a timer to cut down on energy costs. I think about 4 hours before a morning start should be sufficient on most winter nights. more on the really cold ones.
Good luck,
Craterjoe
he lit a pan of charcoal and after it got going he slid it under his engine and went back into the house. The engine had a significant oil leak and when he looked outside a little later his truck was REALLY warm you might say
dont forget to plug in at night. I plan to use a timer to cut down on energy costs. I think about 4 hours before a morning start should be sufficient on most winter nights. more on the really cold ones.
Good luck,
Craterjoe
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From: Paola, KS
block heater
I never thought about that diesels almost always have a block heater as standard equipment. All of the ones I've been around had one so I just took it for granted.
The block heater that goes in a freeze plug hole is probaly the best. I have seen one in a magazine somewhere that actually goes inline with the heater core hose and warms the coolant and has a small pump the circulates the coolant.
BTW, I thought that I had read somewhere that the PS engines where suppose to start on there own down to -20F with having to plug it in?
Down here in Kansas if it is supposed to get that cold me and several other people have just left our trucks running overnight, but I understand that wouldn't be possible somewhere where it would get that could every night.
Brian:-)
The block heater that goes in a freeze plug hole is probaly the best. I have seen one in a magazine somewhere that actually goes inline with the heater core hose and warms the coolant and has a small pump the circulates the coolant.
BTW, I thought that I had read somewhere that the PS engines where suppose to start on there own down to -20F with having to plug it in?
Down here in Kansas if it is supposed to get that cold me and several other people have just left our trucks running overnight, but I understand that wouldn't be possible somewhere where it would get that could every night.
Brian:-)
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From: Western Colorado USA
block heater
>dont forget to plug in at night. I plan to use a timer to
>cut down on energy costs. I think about 4 hours before a
>morning start should be sufficient on most winter nights.
>more on the really cold ones.
>
>Good luck,
>
>Craterjoe
I use the timer thing on mine, be sure to get one rated high enough. The first one was a light weight unit for x-mas trees etc and I melted it. Oops. I give it just 3 hours and that has worked good down to about 10 below. It's enough that the EBP valve doesn't kick in. I do park it out of the wind, so I don't know how much that would cool it down.
>cut down on energy costs. I think about 4 hours before a
>morning start should be sufficient on most winter nights.
>more on the really cold ones.
>
>Good luck,
>
>Craterjoe
I use the timer thing on mine, be sure to get one rated high enough. The first one was a light weight unit for x-mas trees etc and I melted it. Oops. I give it just 3 hours and that has worked good down to about 10 below. It's enough that the EBP valve doesn't kick in. I do park it out of the wind, so I don't know how much that would cool it down.
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block heater
Your truck should already have a "block" heater in it. My favorite setup is to use the "pump" type heater that circulates coolant in the engine, then leave your heater set to the defrost position and in the morning usually your windshield will be already cleaned, with the pump type heater your heater core will get warm water and heat rises, thus keeping the window ice free.
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Postmaster
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From: Baileyton, TN
block heater
THANK YOU!! Guys.. After a partial strip down of the engine compartment (not really) We located a black wire that stuck out of the engine.. It was tucked down between the battery and the radiator, tied in such a way as to be unrecognizable. But we found it.. 
Now I will not be stuck when in the frozen north. The pump heater sounds like a really good idea too - who sells such a thing? and are there better versions or are they all the same?
Two and a half years membership and still learning. Cool!
Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhaust,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch
Now I will not be stuck when in the frozen north. The pump heater sounds like a really good idea too - who sells such a thing? and are there better versions or are they all the same?
Two and a half years membership and still learning. Cool!
Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhaust,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch
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Thread Starter
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Baileyton, TN
block heater
It probably would be a waste of time trying to find such a thing here in Memphis, I will wait until I get to ND. They are more used to using things like that. Here, I asked one guy in a auto parts store, and he asked what would such a thing be used for.
Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhaust,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch
Wm
'96 F450 White with Grey interior Crew Cab. Banks Turbo, Intercooler and Exhaust,
Power pack Chip, shift kit, Auxiliary transmission, electronic enhanced transmission control,
16 forward and 4 reverse ratios. 340hp 660ft lb 4 wheel drive, 4.10 gears, 12,ooo# winch
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 234
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From: mpls Usa
block heater
>I do park it out of the
>wind, so I don't know how much that would cool it down.
this is a recurring argument that gets rehashed every year up here in the land of blonde hair and blue ears..
The wind (or windchill) will only cool an object down to ambient temperature not below it, ie; if the air temp is -10 degrees and the weather geek is calling for -30 windchills, the object will get no colder than -10 degrees. What windchill does affect is how FAST the object will cool down to ambient temp. think of it in terms of a radiator and a 10 mph wind and the same radiator and a 25 mph breeze,
more air over the coils, more heat energy removed...
Craterjoe.