M35a2 block heater

[greenjeepster]

My truck does not have a heater and it starts right up down as low as 9 deg. without any assistance. I think the success of these heaters is because people are putting them on trucks that don't need them. We have a member in upstate NY right now who tried one from West and it does not work.... too cold for it.

here is a picture of what Eastern sells as a deuce thermo.... as you can see it is the fully closed type http://www.easternsurplus.net/images/duece_spares/thermostat.JPG

 

[Farmun]

Test this morning in 14 degree temps. Plugged her in at 7:00 and went back out at 10:00 to put my hands to the motor. The outside temp had risen to about 22 degrees. Lifted the hood, and started laying hands on the beast. The water pump was warm, the top of the radiator a little warmer, the forward portion of the intake even warmer, and the rearmost portion of the intake was kind of on the hot side. Hot enough that I didn't leave my hand there very long. The exhaust side of the block was very, very warm. Jumped in the cab, flipped the switch, hit the start button, and she fired up probably without making a complete rotation. Just like she used to do in Mid-August.

So, for me and my truck, the block heater makes all the difference in the world. Last week I ran the batteries down real low trying to get her started in mid 30 degree weather. Had to get a warm 1000 cca battery from the basement to get it started.

Kat's recirculating heater is the best money I've spent on this truck so far.

 

[66Reo6X6]

Kat's recirculating heater

Greetings, Farmun
Where did you tap in to the cooling system at for the supply and return lines for the heater to circulate properly. I have a White Multi fuel. Thanks, Jeremiah

 

[greenjeepster]

Priced reasonably and sounds like it is working well. Do you have install pics?

 

[tm america]

green jeepster thats not how it works water is different that air. when you heat a cup of water you heat all the water same thing happens in the engine all the water is connected so it all gets heated.even though the thermostat is closed it heats the water in the pump and in the rad though the lower hose and the tube that goes back to the engine from the water pump heats the water in the engine..when i have my block heater i got from westfolk plugged in it heats the whole engine and melts the snow off of my hood from front to back not just where the water pump is .for best results you should run a winter front and point the front away fron the wind if possible

 

[tm america]

i just put mine in the hole just above where the lower heater hose goes.it works great even at -0 it starts right up in less than two turns of the engine

 

[greenjeepster]

TM
If the heat will disperse through the water evenly you would not have a water pump on your truck to move the hotter water out of the block and to the radiator where the heat could be diffused.

Another way to think about it is to feel the water pipe coming out of the water heater in your house... Consider where they place the pipe that takes hot water too the house... At the top of the heater. Move down the pipe and feel it 20 feet away... it will be much cooler.

The waterpump heater will transmit heat backwards to the radiator and that is where it will diffuse to the air. Then the warm air transmits to the hood through convection which is why the snow melts evenly. It will heat the water, but it has got to be the least efficient way to warm an engine and it is low watt to boot. You want the heat in the block and there are many higher watt heaters that do that more efficiently.

I am half tempted to buy all three types, install them on my truck and take a laser thermometer out and show the differences in the way they heat... You want the heat in the block...heating the water pump is a waste of energy and money.

Edit: If you read the directions from the manufacturer the 3/4 NPT block heaters are designed to screw into the drain plug for the cooling system on the block. They even have a diagram showing where to put it. http://www.fivestarmanufacturing.com/PDF/Installation_Instructions_for_Screw_In_Style_Heate

 

[derby]

My "Water Pump Heater" works very well. I find it funny that in My White farm tractor there is a screw in type in the bottom of the water pump 90 deg. to the radiator. This a factory heater that some engineer said would work there. I also know that after about 2 hrs you can feel the heat moving thrugh the whole engine. I guess those lower radiator hose heaters don't work either. I don't like the freeze plug style I just don't trust that metal toggle. My John Deere and Mercedes have a block style but both are threaded into the block. this is just my experience with them. on an added note my old JD does not have a water pump and it cools by a thermo siphon,hot goes to cold. I will get pic's for you all

 

[tm america]

yes in a house it is different as you are talking about 20 ft not 20 inches and it is a 3/4 inch pipe not a 2.5 inch hose that .it.s more comparable to a bath tub.any water that goes into the tub levels out at a temp.if you add hot water it warms it all .the waterpump has a tube that goes right to the block it doesnt go through a tube that is any lenght that would allow air to disapait the heat.i will get my infered thermometer out this weekend and get the temps for you .remember the water pump is feed from the water coming from the engine . it also is almost a dirrect link to the intake which is just as if not more important to heat as the block .there probably is a little loose in effeciency but it works very nicely and is cheap and easy to install. screw in block heaters are the most reliable type of block heater as there are no moving parts to go bad and no chance of them blowing out causing a major problem .the fact that they dont make more things to go bad is very important to me .i wheel and work the heck out of my truck last thing i need it to blow a block heater out and loose all my coolant on the ground. most of the times you are plugging your truck in you are using a 50-100 ft extention cord .block heaters that have high draws can overload the cord and blow the breaker . 1000watts is alot to a 50 ft cord with a 15-20 amp breaker .all block heater will do the job for most of us in the u.s. if you are in alaska or canada you might need the high watt ones but not around here.i doupt most wont ever see lower temps than -30

 

[tm america]

the water pump is used to force water to go through the rad at a certain flow it is regulated ,to much flow or to little and it will not disapait heat properly.the heat from the block heater being in the water pump is sent two different ways .most of it is sent back to the block as the tube that feeds the water pump comes straight from the block and it also goes to the rad .water has to travel less distance to get to the block than it does to get to the rad .so it more effectively heats the block than it does the rad. if you look at where the tube that feeds the water pump from the block is you will see it is to the back of the water pump and uses a gasket to seal the water pump housing to the block it is a straight shot to the block the feed tubes from the water pump go to the top to the tube that feeds the driver side of the block and to the intake and to the top of the rad .there are two inlets to the wayer pump one is at the back of the water pump housing the other is the lower rad hose .it's easy to forget about the one at the back of the water pump as you cant see it with the water pump housing bolted to the block . but it is still there and is a dirrect link from the water pump to the water in the block

 

[greenjeepster]

Sounds like one for Myth Busters... They can afford multiple trucks with multiple heaters.

Who in Ky wants a coolant heater on their truck? Bring them by and I will buy and install them and when I am done testing you can have the truck back and the heater. I will keep my truck without a heater as a control... I don't like plug in heaters anyway.

TM: I see your point about the freeze plug heaters blowing out, but they are replacing a part that is designed to do exactly that under pressure....so you sort of have to expect them to preform the same way.

 

[derby]

As You will see (pic 3-4)the Mercedes and the John Deere are block style but are screw in. the White (pic 1)which is very much the same as the multifuel is in the lower portion of the water pump 90 the blue hose is the heater hose. and the thermo siphon on the old JD. If they made a threaded block heater for a reasonable price for the Multi I would say go that way. but it is up to you,if it pops out.. sitting sucks! I also feel that the fella in the other thread has some other problems with his truck than the screw in heater issue.

 

[Farmun]

Greetings, Farmun
Where did you tap in to the cooling system at for the supply and return lines for the heater to circulate properly. I have a White Multi fuel. Thanks, Jeremiah

I removed the drain valve from the back passenger's side of the engine block. Screwed the supplied fitting in. Ran 5/8 radiator hose down to the Kat's heater which is mounted down behind the primary fuel filter off the frame rail. From there, ran radiator hose up to a "T" connector into the heater hose (bottom line that runs off the water pump.

 

[Farmun]

Priced reasonably and sounds like it is working well. Do you have install pics?

No pictures while it was being installed - too cold. I'll try to get some later this week.

 

[Superdave]

I added a zero start 1000 watt block heater to the block and it works great. I had to do a little grinding on the inside of the block at the 6 O'Clock position and bend the element a little to fit in the block properly but a couple hours plugged in at -28 Celsius at strats great.

 

[Divemaster920]

Superdave..why did you not use part#3500025? That is what zerostart calls for.
And you do not have to bend it.
Just my thought.

 

[greenjeepster]

-28 C, that is what, about 18 below zero F. ?

 

[greenjeepster]

no i think its more like -40 below

F= C( 1.8 ) + 32

-28 (1.8 ) +32 = -18.4 F

I am a nurse... we do these calculations all the time

 

[TIGERFANS2]

-28 C, that is what, about 18 below zero F. ?

I'm not sure, ask greenjeepster

 

[greenjeepster]

I'm not sure, ask greenjeepster

I posted for the benefit of those who do not know how to do the calculations...like TM