block heater

thought i would ask and see how easy or difficult it is to install a block heater on the 8.3 litre cummins. putting one on my 5.9 was easy as unscrewing a cap and plugging in a cord and done. any feedback would be appreciated. thanks.

John

I just googled,

block heater on the 8.3 litre cummins

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and the first result was an ebay item. A quick look at it suggests to me that it's as easy as screwing in a heater element.

I did the same. Looks easy enough. Thanks dog.

Is this right though? I googled it as well and saw a screw in type on the side of the block or one that would replace a freeze plug. I would much rather install the screw in type and not have to mess with a freeze plug and have to drain the coolant......has anyone actually used the screw in type with our A2s?? Which One??

Thanks guys!

Joe

Nobody has any input on this?? Which block heater can be used on our 8.3s, freeze plug type or thread in side of block type?

Depends on your block casting. When standing at the passenger wheel look left of the oil filter (towards rear of engine) You should see a frost plug or a plug. All three would require draining coolant. Unless you're really quick

I used a heater from a 2000 5.9 24 valve. I put it in the large freeze plug hole. Needed to have pipe turned down in order to get the depth and the proper diameter to fit. Works great. I'm sure they make something easier but I had it laying around and my neighbor is a machine shop.

Doomsday said:

Nobody has any input on this?? Which block heater can be used on our 8.3s, freeze plug type or thread in side of block type?

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Anybody have a further back picture of where they put this on there 8.3 in a M923A2 So i can get a better idea if I'm in the right ballpark. I bought the screw in type, but the plug to the left of the oil filter looks smaller then the heater plug. I just don't want to drain the coolant in this 0 degree weather unless I know the new plug will fit.

I bought the kats napa block heaater then after reading I went with the kats 500 watt oil pan heater very easy to install just stick it on and your done.

Doomsday said:

Is this right though? I googled it as well and saw a screw in type on the side of the block or one that would replace a freeze plug. I would much rather install the screw in type and not have to mess with a freeze plug and have to drain the coolant......has anyone actually used the screw in type with our A2s?? h Which One??

Thanks guys!

Joe

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The one that goes in the freeze plug hole is a coolant heater and is much better then an oil/block heater

I just put one in my 929a2 a couple weeks ago. Went to Cummins dealer and ordered one. Had to drain coolant and pop out freeze plug. Pretty easy! While your at it you can add the coolant filter while its drained. I drained mine, flushed, installed block heater, coolant filter and base, and refilled with Fleetguard Compleat. Plugged it in awhile back when it was -14 overnight started right up at 5 degrees the next morning. That's with the 2 battery setup too!

Postman515 said:

I just put one in my 929a2 a couple weeks ago. Went to Cummins dealer and ordered one. Had to drain coolant and pop out freeze plug. Pretty easy! While your at it you can add the coolant filter while its drained. I drained mine, flushed, installed block heater, coolant filter and base, and refilled with Fleetguard Compleat. Plugged it in awhile back when it was -14 overnight started right up at 5 degrees the next morning. That's with the 2 battery setup too!

View attachment 474060

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great, thanks, any chance you got a part number for the heater or the coolant filter setup?

Coolant Filter- Napa #4071
Coolant Filter Base- Napa #4019
8.3L -6CTA Block Heater- #ZBL8601860

You will also need copper tee's, nipples, shut off valves etc. for the coolant filter install.

Finally, I can contribute and stop feeling like such a tool. I just did this addition a week ago, so I'll gladly answer your question as best as possible.

I purchased a block heater for my 1991 M925A2 (Cummins 6CTA8.3 engine). The heater type I acquired is a freeze plug type, 1000W, 120V (will pull 8.3 amps). It fits in the 2-1/4" freeze plug located on the passenger side rear of the engine block. Available through any NAPA, Kat's model 30108. Comes with the cord, about $65 if you can get a NAPA discount. NAPA can also reference this part number, or here is the NAPA link: http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...ug-Type-Block-Heater-/_/R-KAT30108_0282404207

The heater is also listed in the Kat's catalog as specified for the Cummins 6CTA8.3 series engines on page 32 of the Kat's catalog (or page 36 of the actual PDF viewer): http://www.fivestarmanufacturing.com/getdoc/2c8a6911-c214-4190-9059-d6aaa10fe527/DC12.aspx

Installation is as follows, and less than 10 minutes after you have the coolant drained:
1. Drain radiator coolant via petcock at lower right of radiator. Expect about 6 gallons to come out.
2. Remove right wheel well splash shield.
3. Start engine briefly to turn wheels full left, then engine off.
4. Using a long pry bar, place the tip inside the cup portion of the freeze plug at the outer edge. Hit the pry par with a hammer 1-2 times firmly, and the freeze plug will flip 90 degrees in the block hole. Reach in, and pull the plug out with pliers. This plug is steel, and will likely not be damaged at all during removal, and hence can be reused if need be. Mine came out unscathed.
5. Using a drill with a small wire wheel attachment, run the drill at high speed around the inside diameter of the now open block freeze plug hole. This will remove all of the sealant which is used from the factory to seal the freeze plug in. Be picky here, and make sure you run the wire wheel until this bore ID feels as smooth as a mirror. Any edges of sealant left may cause the heater seal to leak. This hole on my block had enough hardened sealant in it to prevent the heater from even seating fully in the block.
6. Remove "O" ring seal from new heater.
7. Test fit heater element into open block freeze plug hole. The element will only fit 2 ways, with the cord connector rear or front most toward the engine, due to the protrusion of the actual heating element making contact inside the block. Take not of this for actual assembly, and remove heater.
8. Apply grease, silicone, or assembly lube to the heater "O" ring, and reinstall it to the heater.
9. Insert the heater into the block hole. when you push firmly and squarely, it should seat with a firm action. Snug tight the hex head bolt, you don't need to kill it, as it is simply keeping the heater from blowing out when the cooling system is under pressure.
10. Connect the cord, and zip tie it out of the way of the exhaust manifold, route the cord end to a place you desire to store/connect it when needed.
11. Refill with coolant. You may need to go for a short drive and refill again as it burps out air. My heater blew cold yet engine temp was 160F at first, indicating air. A second refill of coolant brought everything back to normal.

Attached is a picture of this unit, as installed, to help display the location and orientation. It is just above the starter solenoid in this photo:




It took longer to write this than it did to actually install this heater.

Great info and installs. Thanks for the details. As I feared, the screw in type I got does not fit my motor. My other problem is that with the freeze plug install is that I have to drain the coolant and run the motor to burp out the out air before using the block heater. This is a problem because its been between -10 and 5 degrees and I can't get it started without a block heater and my 2 battery setup was drain pretty quick trying to fire her up cold.

I decided to roll the dice and give this style a try. Kat's 13150 1500 Watt Aluminum Circulating Tank Heater

To install, I just put a pair of vice grips high and low on the heater hose that goes to the cab heater to the lower front part of the motor. I cut the hose about 8 inches from the front and mouthed the heater low so coolant in gravity fed from the engine side and reattached the upper hose to the top. You do have to mount this vertical for it work. I then attached the mooting strap to the engine as I did not have a good location near the fire wall. The heater sits very close to some of the lower metal radiator hoses, so I wrapped those in some old pieces of heater hose to keep the engine vibration from rubbing a hole in one of the hoses and zip tied them on.

Now the manufacturer says you need to start the motor and bleed to the system before using, but like I said, I had to roll the dice here. I had only lost about 12 inches of 5/8 ID hose worth of coolant and I could hear coolant flow into the heater as i released the vice grips. I squeezed the hose to try and move some coolant around but I doubt it did much. I turned the engine over for about 3-5 seconds to possible move any coolant around, but I doubt that did much either.

I plugged in the heater and I could immediately see the hose shake as the coolant quickly heated and moved via convection through the system. after just a couple minutes, the outlet hose was warm and so was the return hose form the cab heater letting me know that the coolant was able to push upward through the cab heater core and flow back down to the engine.

It took me about 25 minutes to do the install outside in 5 degree weather.

Since my batteries were pretty drained and I don't have a 24v charger, I let the heater run over night. I went out this morning unplugged it and the truck fired right up with less than a second of turning over, even with my tired and drained 2 battery setup at 7 degrees.

DISCLAIMER****** this is not the proper way to install a block heater by not bleeding air in the system. It may work in a pinch or you might blow up the heating element in the heater and be out 50 buck.

I got one of the frost plug style heaters a few weeks ago, but have yet to install it, so thank you for the install info! I wish it would stop snowing so I could get it put in!

I am doing this today, which me luck!

I wish you better luck than the last couple of weeks of posts where two of us have had two Kats fail completely and melt down. (4 Total)

I've done 4 of these heaters in my trucks with no failures so far.

swbradley1 said:

I wish you better luck than the last couple of weeks of posts where two of us have had two Kats fail completely and melt down. (4 Total)

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Which one? Seems that the higher wattage heating element, the more susceptible to air lock it is. They use the engine coolant for coil/pump coolant. If it's all air bound, it will melt.

I will do mine tomorrow. Didn't get to it today, the truck fired right over with 4 new commercial batteries and the kids all wanted rides. Didn't even get to do my back lights/alert.

I have a 2000w one on my Kenworth W900 that's been there for 8 years now. Works great if you isolate from vibration and air pockets.