What Kind of Engine Heater For Cold Weather?

[subsince77]

Hi all,

 

I have always used a simple oil pan heater in the winter here. We have many starts at more than 20 - 25 below zero every year, and usually a few at more than 30 below. I have just used the glue-on oil pan heaters because they are easy to put on, and pretty effective.

 

In a few weeks my OBW will be getting a "new" rebuilt engine from CCR. I am thinking that this is the time to have a better heater installed while the engine is on a bench. I have never really researched the other ones, the freeze plug models, or the ones that heat the water. Can anyone make a recommendation on type and even model?

 

Thanks

[subiemech85]

SOA heater kit

[subsince77]

SOA heater kit

Hmmm, didn't know they made one. Guess I'll check that out. Thanks.

[porcupine73]

Yes Subaru OEM heater kit is good value too. It's maybe $25 and installs with just a 14mm hex male socket (impact works best), and a 1-1/16" socket I think it was to tigten in the heater. I believe it is a 400 watt element. Can give more details if desired. You can also get a soob oem battery heater.

[zrbrat]

My Ford F-250 diesel has an engine block heater and so does my Ford Ranger. They are the freeze plug/ heats the engine coolant type. It works great during the winters here in Maine and is a must on any diesel. There is another type I've heard about that replaces your oil dipstick and heats the engine oil, but I haven't used that type. Both are 110v and you can buy a cheap timer to plug them into so you don't have to wake up 2 hours early to plug them in or have plugged in all night.

 

BTW I have never had one on my Subarus but its a very good idea in these cold states.

[subsince77]

Great! I found the subaru block heater on one of the online sites, subarupartsforyou I think. Looks good, does this thing go into a freeze plug hole?

 

Haven't needed a battery heater. The car always starts just fine. But at these temps I think the wear reduction over the years is huge.

[porcupine73]

Yep, she goes in the freeze plug hole nearest the water pump. 14mm hex is the size of the freeze plug. On my '96 legacy it took about 60 seconds of impact beating at maximum power to get the plug out. Ditto on the wear, I don't really need the block heater in Buffalo but I also like that I get heat a little faster with it. I use a timer for two hours before departure time.

[subsince77]

I use a timer also for our two oil pan heaters most of the time. Last week, when we were having overnight temps between -33 and -38, and daytime highs around -15, I just let them run all night. They are only 150 watts, and they don't seem to get hot enough to harm the oil at all at those temps.

 

I am going to see if CCR will just install a block heater for me when they build the engine.

 

Thanks

[jon38iowa]

Yep, she goes in the freeze plug hole nearest the water pump. 14mm hex is the size of the freeze plug. On my '96 legacy it took about 60 seconds of impact beating at maximum power to get the plug out. Ditto on the wear, I don't really need the block heater in Buffalo but I also like that I get heat a little faster with it. I use a timer for two hours before departure time.

 

I have this one as well. It performs great and saves gas on warm ups.

[EVOthis]

just to jump on board here.....I had no idea that block heaters were that easy to install.....def. no need for one here in PA...but wow i always thought they were pretty complicated....

[subsince77]

just to jump on board here.....I had no idea that block heaters were that easy to install.....def. no need for one here in PA...but wow i always thought they were pretty complicated....

I had always been told that it is pretty hard to get the plug out, and that there was a danger of ending up with it inside the engine. But looking at these pictures, I can't see how that would happen. I don't have any impact tools, but other than that, it really does look easy.

[BoostedBalls]

I lived in Montana for 5 years and drove my car in -45F, and I have used both.

 

Go with the pan heater! if not both

 

The block heater is nice but the main issue here is OIL! Your cold, thick molasses oil can push the filter element right out of the filter and into your bearings. The block heater does NOTHING for the oil that is sitting way down in the pan.

 

The convection from the warm oil will help to warm the rest of the engine also. You must make sure your antifreeze is up to par, obviously.

 

PS: stay away from FRAM filters, especially in the cold weather.

[subsince77]

I lived in Montana for 5 years and drove my car in -45F, and I have used both.

 

Go with the pan heater! if not both

 

The block heater is nice but the main issue here is OIL! Your cold, thick molasses oil can push the filter element right out of the filter and into your bearings. The block heater does NOTHING for the oil that is sitting way down in the pan.

 

The convection from the warm oil will help to warm the rest of the engine also. You must make sure your antifreeze is up to par, obviously.

 

PS: stay away from FRAM filters, especially in the cold weather.

OK, now that's interesting. I guess I thought that the block heater would warm the water in the block causing it to circulate a bit maybe, and in turn warm everything including the oil. Even as I'm typing that, it sounds highly optimistic. Yeah, I want the oil to move cause at more than about 25 below even synthetic is like molasses.

 

Any other opinions on this, 'cause you can't trust anybody from Montana! (Just kidding I have friends and family there.) Oh, and I never use Fram filters.

[jib]

OK, now that's interesting. I guess I thought that the block heater would warm the water in the block causing it to circulate a bit maybe, and in turn warm everything including the oil.

 

The water does not get down to the bottom of the oil pan level. Cold oil is a real issue and the reason why many folk who live in cold areas use synthetic. It's a lot thinner at cold tems.

 

Also, keep the revs down until everything warms up.

 

Jack, now living in temperate Seattle, but coming from Maine, Vermont and Quebec.

[subsince77]

Like I said, I've always used a pan heater. Nearly everyone here uses some type of heater, but for some reason I had always had it in my head that a block heater was simply superior. After thinking it through, obviously I want the oil warm, that's why I've always used a pan heater. And obviously a block heater is not going to accomplish that. I had already decided to stick with what has been working at -35 for the last 12 years. I do run synthetic too.

 

I am just going to pick up another pad and stick it on my new clean oil pan.

 

Thanks

[bulwnkl]

OK, so, decision made. For posterity's sake:

 

Most of the generic stick-on pad heaters on the oil pan put out far less heat than a block heater. Subaru block heaters are 400 Watts, and the generic pan heaters are normally ~150 Watts. You'll get a degree of heating to the whole area from each, but neither will heat anything other than what it's designed to very well. IOW, the block heater will get a little heat into the oil, but not too much, and the pan heater will get a trifling amount of heat into the block, but not much.

 

Clearly, running both would be best. If I had only 1 to run, it'd be the block heater for several reasons:

 

One, it will help make sure the engine fires (not that I've ever had a problem),

 

Two, a huge amount of wear occurs simply from the engine being cold and the parts not fitting properly until it gets warm. The block heater will mitigate that tremendously, the pan heater will not.

 

Three, you'll get heat out of the heater faster without a long warm-up cycle, thus reducing fuel dilution.

 

Four, whatever amount of oil you get up into the oil pump will warm enough to flow reasonably well very, very quickly once it contacts the warm engine.

 

That's if I only could/would run one of the two. If it was that cold routinely, I think I'd find a way to run both.

[subsince77]

OK, so, decision made. For posterity's sake:

That's if I only could/would run one of the two. If it was that cold routinely, I think I'd find a way to run both.

 

Yeah, both would probably be ideal. We generally only have three or four nights that are -30 or colder (sometimes as low as -39). We have between 5 and 25 nights that are -20 or colder. This winter has been exceptionally cold. The car always starts just fine, and doesn't make much noise even without the heater, but you can tell a big difference with it. The only reason I was thinking about getting the block heater was that right now the engine will be out making it much easier to install. It turns out that what I have been told about having to "punch the plug out" is not true. Since the plug is actually removable by a normal human, I may install one before next winter. But for now, pan heater.

 

A warm garage would really be nice.

[porcupine73]

Right on, you just need a 14mm hex/allen drive to get the plug out. An impact wrench really helps, I don't know if I would have gotten the plug out without it. Even on the highest setting it took a good minute of beating to get it out.