"cordless" engine block heaters.

[digitaldelay]

This thread has reminded me that I bought a battery blanket a few years ago. I never got around to installing it on the van because of the lack of clearance around the battery. I'm going to take another look and see if I can get it in there.

Jason

 

[ssapach]

Block heaters don't warm the oil in the oil pan sump. That's what the magnetic heaters are for, or else an actual element inside the oilpan to heat the oil.

Also, as much as I love the Espar coolant heater (much the same as a Webasto) on my truck, it decided to not want to run very well this winter. First it would throw a "no-fire" code every once in a while and now it has taken to leaking coolant when it will actually run.

When it works it's absolutely worth it's weight in gold when it's -40 out. Just keep in mind that they aren't worry free solutions, as they require attention and can be a little finicky as they age. Mine is now 6 years old, so I shouldn't whine too much. It hasn't given me much trouble until now.

 

[digitaldelay]

Block heaters don't warm the oil in the oil pan sump.

Fair enough, since there are no coolant journals/passageways or whatever in the oil pan.

Jason

 

[IdaSHO]

Do you have more info on that?

I've seen a lot of factory block heaters, and they're all essentially kettle elements that screw into a welsh plug - thus only heating the coolant.
(Unless the oil gets a little warm as a side effect, but at -40, nothing gets warm as a side effect.)

-Dan

The factory block heater on every 7.3 Powerstroke is located within the "oil cooler"

The oil cooler is nothing more than a heat exchanger between the coolant and the oil.

Best picture I can find online in a quick search...

And a better look at the oil cooler assembly off the block. Notice the block heater plug on the right.

 

[Dan Grec]

The heater heats the coolant which, in turn, warms the oil.

I have a big piece of cardboard blocking my entire radiator. I can drive at 60mph for hours, get out and instantly put my hand on the exhaust manifold right where it comes out of the engine block.
I know it's not very cold outside when I can detect some warmth.

Trust me, when it's cold, your block heater is not warming the oil in turn, you need dedicated oil pan heater(s) to do that.

-Dan

 

[digitaldelay]

Trust me, when it's cold, your block heater is not warming the oil in turn, you need dedicated oil pan heater(s) to do that.

-Dan

Why would the engine be so much easier to start if all it does is heat the coolant? Warm coolant just gives you heat in the cabin quicker.

Jason

 

[IdaSHO]

The same could be asked about why a block heater helps a diesel start so much easier.

A cold starting diesel doesnt care much about coolant or oil temps. What it DOES care about is cylinder temps.

The factory block heater is powerful enough to warm the cylinders. That means it is warming the entire block, including the engine oil and coolant in it.


grecy seems to think otherwise.

 

[98dango]

7 pages of good info hear. I live in Montana work in the oil patch. My job is to keep some old beat trucks on the road. We have everything from Kenworth to Autocar and don't for get the 12 300 I6 Ford trucks we have.

This is shutdown procedure for our trucks.
Shut them down plug them in. We run 5_40 syn in everything.
I up size to fine wire cables and good connectors on every thing. Also you need to heat oil and water. If you can only do one go oil. If the oil is to thick your done any way even if you get it running it will toss a rod.

The key for our truck is we plug them in as soon as you can. Don't give it time to cool off and re heat also the block heaters with a circulation pump helps this way your heating.the block evenly not just one area and hoping it radiated threw the block.

We have looked at fueled heating options cost and added failures are not worth it.

 

[Shawn686]

The same could be asked about why a block heater helps a diesel start so much easier.

A cold starting diesel doesnt care much about coolant or oil temps. What it DOES care about is cylinder temps.

The factory block heater is powerful enough to warm the cylinders. That means it is warming the entire block, including the engine oil and coolant in it.


grecy seems to think otherwise.

Your block heater is not adding any meaningful heat to the oil, and neither is heating the coolant via other means, the oil drains from the block back into the oil pan when the engine is not running.

Heating the oil is not mostly about starting the engine easier it is about protecting the engine via the lubrication the oil provides. When the oil is cold it will not be pumped effectively or in the required amount until it reaches an appropriate viscosity that the oil pump can pump it in the required amount to meet the lubrication needs of the engine. Until it reaches this temperature, and in really cold situations it is far worse, your engine is running with little to no oil.

On top of it can also have a large impact on starting itself, depending on whether or not your oil pump is electrical or mechanical. With a mechanical pump it will slow you cranking speed significantly trying to pump very cold oil, thus not giving you the required compression to fire the truck up.

Shawn

 

[IdaSHO]

Your block heater is not adding any meaningful heat to the oil, and neither is heating the coolant via other means, the oil drains from the block back into the oil pan when the engine is not running.

Sure it is. The block heater is installed right at the oil filter base, heating the oil that matters, the oil that hits the main and connecting rod bearings first.

Heating the oil is not mostly about starting the engine easier it is about protecting the engine via the lubrication the oil provides.

See above.

On top of it can also have a large impact on starting itself, depending on whether or not your oil pump is electrical or mechanical. With a mechanical pump it will slow you cranking speed significantly trying to pump very cold oil, thus not giving you the required compression to fire the truck up.

Shawn

All mechanical pumps on this motor.

Crank speed in serious cold is MUCH faster when plugged in, proving your point about the factory block heater not heating the oil false.

 

[HINO SG]

I knew a junk-yard operator who used to start his loader by slipping a brazier full of glowing charcoal under the oil pan. He said he figured it was safer than using an open flame.

Like this?

http://www.startribune.com/local/239125761.html

 

[Shawn686]

Sure it is. The block heater is installed right at the oil filter base, heating the oil that matters, the oil that hits the main and connecting rod bearings first.

Which is great, for the first little bit of oil. So what exactly happens once the engine is running?

Oh yeah, the pump is trying to pump cold oil from the pan which the block heater provided zero heat to and we are back to pumping cold oil.

See above.

Ditto

Crank speed in serious cold is MUCH faster when plugged in, proving your point about the factory block heater not heating the oil false.

Nope.

All it proves is that you have started the engine with the tiny amount of oil that received some heat, that was in/near the oil filter. You are still doing damage to your engine, trying to pump cold thicker oil and running it with less lubricate than it requires.

Shawn

 

[IdaSHO]

Infrared gun and oil temp gauges show a solid 40 degree difference between ambient temps and oil temps when plugged in for two hours. This is a fact. Furthermore, the 7.3 Powerstroke drains very little oil back into the pan. It has multiple oil pumps with anti-drainback valves, and holds a great deal of oil (more than a gallon) on the topside of the motor, in the HPOP res., in the oil cooler, and in the oil filter.

Everything is relative. All the way to the point of being a non-issue like your suggestion than the block heater does not provide enough heat to properly heat the oil prior to starting.

You yourself noted that

With a mechanical pump it will slow you cranking speed significantly trying to pump very cold oil

So which is it? You are talking in circles just to argue a non-point.

Is the oil being heated by the block heater or not?

The primary engine lubrication pump sure as **** isnt in the oil cooler where the block heater is. Its a gear pump drived right off the crank, on the front of the motor. If crank speed is any indication as to oil temp (your suggestion, not mine) then the block heater IS heating the oil. And not just the oil near the block heater. The low pressure oil pump pulls oil straight from the oil pan.



BTW, T6 Rotella has a pour point of -41 degrees F, and excellent flow at -30 F.

In other words, at 20 below or warmer (relative to this discussion) is not a problem. Block heater usage as intended by Ford, is nothing more than a starting aid. Not a requirement.

 

[IdaSHO]

Here is an interesting bit I found in a quick google search...

All in regards to the factory block heater. This particular thread is specific to the 6.0 Powerstroke. Though the two motors utilize the same 1000Watt heater.

This morning I plugged the block heater in. My Scangauge read 39 degrees.

1 hour later it was 80 degrees.

2 hours later was 94 degrees.

3 hours later it was 103 degrees.

4 hours later it was 110 degrees.

5 hours later it was 116 degrees.

Yes, 39 isn't that cold to start, but was interesting to see that it went from 39 to 80 in an hour.

Currently my oil temp in hour 3 is 77 degrees. It was 40 at starting point.

Oil temp after 4 hours was 91 degrees.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1121292-how-cold-before-plugging-in-block-heater.html