Hi all,
I have been tossing an idea around in my head. I hate how the truck runs when it is cold. I have always wished I had some way of warming the engine oil so it would run smoother and faster with shorter warm-up time. So, I thought, has anyone ever tapped a hole in the oil pan and installed some sort of small heater element that could be tied into the block heater cord. Then I stumbled across this: Amazon.com: Kats 15200 90 Watt, 120 Volt Dipstick Style Oil Heater: Automotive
Do they work? Is it worth it?

 

Y not just go with a regular Kats oil pan set up. Attach it to the pan permanently? U will need to change out the already existing OEM plug and U can slpice both heaters into one plug in. It just needs to be a bigger gauge wiring to handle the load

 

I can honestly say, I never seen anything like those gadgets in my life, do they work, problably, but I'll just plug mine in, the plugs already there to keep the motor and oil warm.

 

i would think twice, but that is just my 2 cents.

 

Jack, I would waste your time and money your truck should start fine at 0° F if your GPR and glow plugs are in working order. It will start with less stress and odd noises if you just plug in the block heater.

 

with friends in alaska they tell me that alot of people use external oil, and tranny heaters for winter. not sure brands but that is best bet, attach external heater and tie into existing heater cord

 

Interesting, but it dose not look long enough.

 

Just do the pan heater, works alot better.

 

Considering the "bang for the buck" I think an oil pan heater is one of the "best investments" you can make because having the oil warmed up before starting the engine even after only "mildly cold" overnight temperatures of 50*F saves a considerable amount of wear and tear on the engine compared to starting it cold and warm oil is especially helpful for an engine with a HEUI fuel system like the 7.3L PSD and my 7.2L CAT! I can't find the "value of X" just now but somewhere I saw an estimate that each cold start causes the same amount of engine wear as "X miles" of normal driving.

On my Freightliner I've got a common plug for both the coolant heater element and the oil pan heater element and if you install a permanent heater element in your oil pan you could easily splice it into the existing plug for the coolant heater element. When I recently rewired my plug I measured the resistance of both heater elements. The coolant heater element is 17 ohms and oil heater element is 97 ohms and at 120 volts this implies about 850 Watts for the coolant heater and 150 Watts for the oil heater for a total of 1,000 Watts which requires an 8.3 Amp total current so a single extension cord can easily handle both heaters!

Since I'm a fulltime RVer I always have a "free 20A outlet" handy and I routinely plug my truck in for about an hour before starting it even for mildly cold overnight temperatures because when both the coolant and oil are warm the engine starts immediately and my AIH doesn't activate and this saves wear and tear on the AIH element and on the batteries as well as on the engine itself!

 

I like what Eugene has to say. My truck fires right up every time, but runs like a slug for the first few miles, and I just hate the idea of the oil being thick and viscous instead of it's optimal consistancy. Anyone have a link to a good pan heater?

 

Engine Heater Oil Pan Tank Heater 125 Watt 2.25x4 110V:eBay Motors (item 370110049532 end time Jan-02-10 19:50:56 PST)

 

Thanks, Fire Rooster. I'll check these out.

 

May sound like a dumb question... but didnt all of the ford diesels come with an OEM heater? I found my plug tucked up and kind of hidden when I bought the truck.

 

Yes, but that's for coolant only. Doesn't do too much for the oil sitting down in the pan, hence the pan heater.

 

AHHHH!!!! OK! Wierd. And I thought it did the oil too. My truck starts ALOT easier when plugged in so I thought it heated the block, which heats the cylinders hence easier starts with cold fuel.

Ya learn something new every day.