Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

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wjw
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Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by wjw »

Anyone got a Block heater or tank style coolant heater in their truck?

Looking at putting one in the cruiser as starting the truck to de-ice in the morning is waking the boys up, even when I part in the road :-(

Need some info about where to get one, don't really want one in the bottom radiator hose and thats all I've found so far
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kbushnz
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by kbushnz »

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rangimotors
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by rangimotors »

kbushnz wrote:Here's one on Tard Me
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 461425.htm

Calvin

would u be thinking of running one of those from an inverter or running a 230 extension lead out to the truck (assuming it's stored outside) An inverter running one of those heaters would suck the poor old battery pretty fast, i think you'd find your radiator nice and warm in the morning but the truck not starting :x
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tweake
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by tweake »

where can you park?

most of the heaters need mains power as the amount of heat required is a lot.
way to hot up north here to ever need them but i know of a few overseas with them. instead of fitting a heater into block or sump, simply put a heater under the motor, it keeps the garage nice and warm to.
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by curly12 »

Isn't it not good to warm up diesels at idle??? I was always told that they can suffer from carboning up if they do not warm up under load.
On the yacht we always run the motor in gear, once started, till running temp is reached
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kbushnz
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by kbushnz »

rangimotors wrote:would u be thinking of running one of those from an inverter or running a 230 extension lead out to the truck (assuming it's stored outside) An inverter running one of those heaters would suck the poor old battery pretty fast, i think you'd find your radiator nice and warm in the morning but the truck not starting :x


Normally engine heaters are run off the mains....

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tweake
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by tweake »

curly12 wrote:Isn't it not good to warm up diesels at idle??? I was always told that they can suffer from carboning up if they do not warm up under load.
On the yacht we always run the motor in gear, once started, till running temp is reached


takes bloody ages to warm up a diesel by idling and its not good for the motor. takes all of a few minutes under load.......if you can see through the frozen windscreen !
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curly12
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by curly12 »

wjw wrote:Anyone got a Block heater or tank style coolant heater in their truck?

Looking at putting one in the cruiser as starting the truck to de-ice in the morning is waking the boys up, even when I part in the road :-(

Need some info about where to get one, don't really want one in the bottom radiator hose and thats all I've found so far


I thought that the heated the oil and not the water??? :? :? :?
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aroma
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by aroma »

we have them at work don't know the pricing i just unpack everthing :? not good when build a fourby!!! should see my work account :roll: :(
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tweake
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by tweake »

curly12 wrote:I thought that the heated the oil and not the water??? :? :? :?

both. some fit in sump. some fit in frost block locations or water pipes.
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by red-devil »

i throught it would be better heatin the water as its all around the block.
were as the oil drains back into the sump so only the sump is warm..

i know over in canada in the big rigs they have a second little motor that runs to keep the water and oil moving around the motor,

well they did 7 years ago when i was over there for a little driving experance. damm hmmmmmm at night
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rangimotors
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by rangimotors »

if the aim of the game is just to have the window de-ice with a warm heater then maybe it is a better idea to look at a really low watt 12v heater to leave inside the cab/under the front window. It might be enough to keep the ice off the screen so you can start driving straight away and let the truck warm up inder load??
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

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wjw
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by wjw »

So answers,

Yes I'll be running it off an extension lead.

Truck lives outside so a normal heater isn't really an option, although I read a dustbin lid and barbecue brickettes work well

Have read up on it, for primarily defrosting, heating the coolant is the best bet.

Also everything I've read says heating the engine before start extends its life

I had a look at that trademe add, thats not really going to work for what I need. One of the reasons for looking for a tank style one is that it can sit high in the engine bay out of the sh*t. I spoke to NZ Transport Spares and they only have inline ones that would sit in the bottom radiator hose, not much use if I want to go off road, looks like the thing would get ripped off in no time.

I'm halfway to work by the time the truck starts to pump out mildly warm air.

And yes in most parts of Canada a coolant heater is the minimum requirement, but in the central parts, they also have battery warmers and block heaters on top of that. At 40 below the oil doesn't do much.
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tweake
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Re: Block Heaters / Tank style coolant heaters

Post by tweake »

another option, if its not to cold down there, is to fit an exhaust brake. a few 4x4's come out with them in some countries but its used to make the engine heat up faster.

the problem i see with a heater is as its outside its going to be very expensive to run the heater all night and to just run it in the morning you wouldn't be able to get a heater powerful enough to heat up all that mass quick enough.
block heaters etc work fine if the vehicle is in the garage.
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