block heater revamp
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 31
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block heater revamp
Hello everyone. Iam looking to get rid of the unsightly plug for the block heater. It just looks like a cheap way of plugging in my investment. I would like to install a 3 prong male ac plug with a weather tight metal cover in the front bumper somewhere. My only delimea at this point is where to find the
plug with cover. Any help and pics. would be appreciated. Thanks.
plug with cover. Any help and pics. would be appreciated. Thanks.
Got Diesel?
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,345
Likes: 21
Originally Posted by burntdiesel
Hello everyone. Iam looking to get rid of the unsightly plug for the block heater. It just looks like a cheap way of plugging in my investment. I would like to install a 3 prong male ac plug with a weather tight metal cover in the front bumper somewhere. My only delimea at this point is where to find the
plug with cover. Any help and pics. would be appreciated. Thanks.
plug with cover. Any help and pics. would be appreciated. Thanks.
Here is what you will need...
1) Marinco AC plug - Model #BB150
2) Length of power cord (extra heavy duty gauge for wattage requirements).
3) Female plug (connects into stock plug).
4) Roll of black electrical tape (some are made for cold weather - less brittle).
5) Drill & hole cutter - to drill/cut large circle for Marinco plug
6) Zip strips to secure new wire.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I bought from:
www.boatfix.com
Here is page link for item (bottom right of page):
http://www.boatfix.com/catalog/122.pdf
God luck and have fun... it is a low cost mod that really works and is very practicle.
Jeff
Last edited by Beachbumcook; Nov 4, 2006 at 07:45 PM.
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
thank you beachbumcook, for the great write up on the marinco ac plug. Your gallery pics. show your install to be very clean. I am looking forward to performing mod before snow flies. Thanks again to everyone all replies.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,550
Likes: 5
From: Lancaster County PA
I just put one in my truck on Sunday. Kinda hated to drill a hole in a perfectly good bumper, but did it and it looks great.
I bought my Marinco at a boat shop. I think it was about 30 bucks. I didn't use any extra wire. I just identified the wires already in the plug, cut the plug off, Soldered the ends of the stranded wires to make them rigid and installed the wire into the Marinco male receptacle. It came with a nice rubber boot to cover the wires and the rear of the unit. A short piece of heat shrink tubing sealed the wire/boot interface nicely.
It looks 100 times better than the end of the block heater plug hanging out through the grill.
I bought my Marinco at a boat shop. I think it was about 30 bucks. I didn't use any extra wire. I just identified the wires already in the plug, cut the plug off, Soldered the ends of the stranded wires to make them rigid and installed the wire into the Marinco male receptacle. It came with a nice rubber boot to cover the wires and the rear of the unit. A short piece of heat shrink tubing sealed the wire/boot interface nicely.
It looks 100 times better than the end of the block heater plug hanging out through the grill.
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Got Diesel?
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,345
Likes: 21
Originally Posted by ckal704
I just put one in my truck on Sunday. Kinda hated to drill a hole in a perfectly good bumper, but did it and it looks great.
I bought my Marinco at a boat shop. I think it was about 30 bucks. I didn't use any extra wire. I just identified the wires already in the plug, cut the plug off, Soldered the ends of the stranded wires to make them rigid and installed the wire into the Marinco male receptacle. It came with a nice rubber boot to cover the wires and the rear of the unit. A short piece of heat shrink tubing sealed the wire/boot interface nicely.
It looks 100 times better than the end of the block heater plug hanging out through the grill.
I bought my Marinco at a boat shop. I think it was about 30 bucks. I didn't use any extra wire. I just identified the wires already in the plug, cut the plug off, Soldered the ends of the stranded wires to make them rigid and installed the wire into the Marinco male receptacle. It came with a nice rubber boot to cover the wires and the rear of the unit. A short piece of heat shrink tubing sealed the wire/boot interface nicely.
It looks 100 times better than the end of the block heater plug hanging out through the grill.
Good luck and I know you will enjoy... I do!!!
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,550
Likes: 5
From: Lancaster County PA
Mine is a '97 and the block heater cable exits the engine compartment from the drivers side of the grill. The cord was plenty long enough to move it even further towards the drivers side of the bumper. Actually, I might have preferred to have it come out of the passenger side of the vehicle as that is where the closest outlet is where I park.
Had I been super-ambitious I could have split the wire and put 2 in so I could plug it in from either side no matter where I parked it!
I don't use it all that often here in SE PA, but we do get pretty chilly for several weeks at a time in the winter and warming the block in the morning makes me feel better about the engine getting to operating temp faster on my relatively short drive to work.
Aside from the aesthetic improvement, my other complaint about the heater cord was that the rubber cap would invariably fill with snow or ice when it was removed so that the heater could be connected to power. Then when I'd disconnect the power, I couldn't put the protective cap back over the plug.
This should stop that problem as well.
Had I been super-ambitious I could have split the wire and put 2 in so I could plug it in from either side no matter where I parked it!
I don't use it all that often here in SE PA, but we do get pretty chilly for several weeks at a time in the winter and warming the block in the morning makes me feel better about the engine getting to operating temp faster on my relatively short drive to work.
Aside from the aesthetic improvement, my other complaint about the heater cord was that the rubber cap would invariably fill with snow or ice when it was removed so that the heater could be connected to power. Then when I'd disconnect the power, I couldn't put the protective cap back over the plug.
This should stop that problem as well.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 990
Likes: 1
From: North Pole Alaska
here is a better idea. I have had this thing on my truck for 3 years and it works great.
http://www.arcticleash.com/
http://www.arcticleash.com/
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 909
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by mnmwhit
here is a better idea. I have had this thing on my truck for 3 years and it works great.
http://www.arcticleash.com/
http://www.arcticleash.com/
here is a link for the auto eject sales...
http://firesafetyusa.com/cart/shop/i...=242&catid=102
They run about $150 and seem pretty cool
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,795
Likes: 1
From: Rogue River, OR
Originally Posted by burntdiesel
Hello everyone. Iam looking to get rid of the unsightly plug for the block heater. It just looks like a cheap way of plugging in my investment. I would like to install a 3 prong male ac plug with a weather tight metal cover in the front bumper somewhere. My only delimea at this point is where to find the
plug with cover. Any help and pics. would be appreciated. Thanks.
plug with cover. Any help and pics. would be appreciated. Thanks.
kawa
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