What kind of heater, It's cold outside

I've seen freeze plug heaters, oil dipstick heaters, fuel line heaters, even big magnetic heaters that stick to your oil pan underneath to warm the oil....any thoughts?

A block heater thats quality is all you really need. No nothing about a dipstick heater, guess thats to keep your fingers warm when checking the oil. But the freeze plug heaters work very well, are cheap and imo heat the coolant alot better than a typical hose heater. They are easy to install, and you can put 2 in the block one on each side for the extra cold nights. I recommend in your area dont go under a 600w heater I would suggest 800 to 1000

ya know, as cold as it is I could use a built in hand warmer....so far almost everyday i've had this truck the hood has been up

The Kentucky boys might know about cool weather, like a nice balmy 20 degrees but I see you are in Idaho. For the really cold weather, like way below zero, there is nothing like a stick-on mat oil pan heater. Get the biggest you can- in fact, I've seen one that has 2 mats, which would be great for the double sump pan. Warm oil builds oil pressure quickly and the engine will crank a lot easier and start easier.

Of course combining a pan heater with a coolant heater would be even better. I have both on my Cummins-powered Durango, and I only use the pan heater now. I've started it at -38 with just the pan heater plugged in.

With both heaters, it will start quickly AND warm quickly.

Of course once started, you need to maintain heat, so block that radiator! I have the stock 5.9 V-8 radiator in front of the 3.9 Cummins and even completely blocked I have a hard time building heat. It usually runs around 130 deg. in the winter. I may try adding a cross hose that tees into the radiator hoses and bypasses the radiator completely, maybe put a valve inline so I can control how much bypasses the radiator. I get plenty of heat to keep warm inside, but I'd be happier if the engine was closer to full temp. It would be more efficient.

Jim

Jim

I might be residing in kentucky but i spent 15 years of my life living in alaska. but you can base your opinions on my cold weather knowledge simply off a location on a forum. And a oil pan heater is great and does wonderful job heating the oil, but is not recomended without a coolant heater. Your coolant is thru out the block, oil will settle in the pan. A block heater will do just that spreading more heat over the engine. And keeping parts at a closer temp thru out the engine. Where a stick on pan heater will simply heat the oil pan and oil.

And a block heater when properly sized and in good working condition will heat the block and thus warms the oil. This way you get easier starting(not having to turn over thick heavy oil) your block is not expanded in those extreme temps and your not dealing with a cracked block due to it being brittle. Syn oil will help also.

My cummins powered trucks never hesitated starting with nothing more than the factory block heaters in the coldest of enviroments.

Pan heaters are great additons for added peace of mind, but I would not recomend running just a pan heater without a block heater or in line coolant heater(preferably with a pump). just a warm weathed kentucky boys opinion.

Thanks for the tips!
This winter is here I think...I am new to diesels, (the 6.2 doesn't get good cold weather reviews) and I dont want to get caught tring to figure out how to warm the coolant/oil at 2:00 AM when i'm suppost to be hitting my snow plow route

I have to say that this site is bitchin'....someone should start a similar one dedicated to civilian trucks like these, it may lower the need for throw away cars and trucks like they build now

Sorry 12vctd, didn't realize you had some cold-weather experience. I was just razzing you...the reason for the wink in my first post.

Coolant heaters will warm the block well, but I have to disagree about warming the oil- there is no coolant anywhere near the oil, it only circulates a bit higher in the block. I've heard plenty of vehicles that use just a coolant heater, and a gas engine will sound like my Cummins until the oil has circulated and warmed up. I've used both here, and if I used on over the other (and do...like I said, my Durango has the factory Cummins coolant heater AND a large stick-on), I'd rather use the pan heater. I get very quick oil pressure, no hammering of the block while the honey-thick oil warms and thins out. I would, however, like to stop procrastinating and wire up both of my heaters together so I can run both off 1 plug. I just never got around to it yet.

Jim

Where's the best place to buy good, quality freeze plug heaters ? My local carquest only has the crap from mexico that burnsout in about a month.

haven't bought a freeze plug heater in many years, but napa was were I got mine.

Napa for freeze plug heater...or Big R for pan heater and plug heater

I guess I could be called a KY boy too, but I am going to put in my 2 cents too. I am anti-plug in heaters because I had a truck burned to the ground by one that shorted out. My preferred method in really cold weather is to aim a salamander heater under the block for about a half hr before starting. No leaving any block heaters plugged in over night for me

Anyone have a napa number for the duece freeze plug?

4bogginchevys said:

Napa for freeze plug heater...or Big R for pan heater and plug heater

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Hey I see your from rathdrum, I'm up north in metaline falls washington. I never plug my m1009 in and it starts up everytime. were you just selling a muncie 4 speed on craigslist?

rhyne6262 said:

Anyone have a napa number for the duece freeze plug?

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Try lookin or posting in the deuce forum, this is the cucv forum.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/28382-engine-heaters.html

the zerostart part number is 3100057 for the 600W heater and 3100059 for the 1000W

http://www.zerostart.com/UserFiles/File/2009_Zerostart_Application_Guide_and_Product_catalog.pdf

Not sure who carries them now, but I am sure the mfg can direct help if you wanted the bigger one.

I have a stick on oil pan heater and it works well. I still had some problems getting started in the really cold weather cause the batteries, both new NAPA golds, would go dead from cycling the glow plugs and cranking on it of it didnt start right away. I ended up buying a 24 volt battery charger/maintaner and keeping both plugged in so that way it would crank over great and have warm oil. No problems since.

Heres the deal

Does anyone have any experience with Wolverine heaters. I do not want to burn my truck to the ground.

Wolverine Engine Oil Heaters

bushhawg73 said:

Does anyone have any experience with Wolverine heaters. I do not want to burn my truck to the ground.

Wolverine Engine Oil Heaters

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Well the peal and stick application would concern me, nothing like gluing your hard earned to the bottom of the oil pan just to have it fall off and get run over.

Though if I lived in Florida I would not even spend my hard earned on any motor oil heater.... actually pretty much anywhere south of about New Jersey and I think they are totally un-necessary.

Any electrical heater is going to have the potential to short out and catch your truck on fire. That aside, If I were going to use one in a climate that does not get temps that drop below zero regularly, I would just get the magnet oil pan type heater.

I kinda dig the standard winterization kit that I have. Other than that I have intstalled one of those silicon heater pads to the bottom of the fuel tank and a katz heater like this one:
Kats Car Heater — 900 Watt, Model# 37100 | Heaters | Northern Tool + Equipment

They are awesome, I have one in my Cherokee also. you can plug it and the block heater in and not blow a 15 amp breaker. The best thing is that when it snows it all melts off and you get into a warm rig. well warmer than the outside temp around 40-50 in the cab.