Recent post about how long to let your car warm up in morning got me to thinking. Can a block heater from diesel be put onto non diesel engines ? Or is this just ridiculous idea ? Would it really help for a non diesel ? I am in NJ where it doesn't really get all that cold. However in certain parts of U.S. and Canada, etc. winters can be quite extremely cold. Just a thought.
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' 86 manual sedan nearly 200,000 and ' 87 auto sedan about 120,000

Hello from the frozen North (Canada)
I have installed lots of block heaters in the Volvo red block engines. They are placed in the rear welsh plug on the exhaust side. The factory plug is removed, and the rubber and aluminum plates seal a heating coil, just like the one in your kettle, in the block.
There is no need to avoid the use of them at any temperature. In moderate temps they just establish a higher temp in the engine. Many fire truck engines use them in order to have easy starts and full power available as soon as they drive. Also the interior heater will work far faster.
They cost about $45.00 here, and are easy to install. The kits are specific to the engine type however, so buy the right one for the engine -don't try to swap the diesel one.
Almost all GM cars sold in Canada have them installed at the factory. My 94 Camaro z28 had one ready to go.

If you don't have a block heater, you can do what a neighbor of ours did during the winter of 92 in Columbus Ohio... it was a "rare" -30C/F. His 71 Camaro wouldn't start, but he kept trying until the battery died. The engine was seriously flooded due to the lack of crank speed and spark. He drained the fuel contaminated 20W50 oil out of the engine into a pan and set it on the stove to warm it up. Well, er, uh, once it warmed up, the gasoline fumes were released, they ignited and the house and car burned down! Yes, they survived, but he was seriously injured while trying to push his prized 71 Camaro out of the garage!

In short, if its so dang cold outside, just call into work and don't get creative, if you lose a day of pay, its better than losing your life or dealing with months of recovery! Ma nature is a force we can't overcome, we just have to deal with her and know our limits!

jorrell
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92 245 245K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently in pieces

The Jersey Shore only feels cold in the winter. Block heaters are good for negative 20F and colder. It helps with diesels because the engine oil is thicker than gasoline engines. With 10W30 oil, it is not too thick at 0F to defeat the starter and the engine warms up nicely in a couple of minutes.

Some of the older V8 engines up here in Minnesota have block heaters, but none of the newer cars. Fairbanks, AK, is a different story. They need to shrink wrap their cars and keep a fire going when it gets to -50F. They also need to heat up the tranny fluid. I wonder what 90W differential oil does at -50F?

Klaus
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1975 164 w/174,800mi (Sold) 1995 850T w/91,000mi, 1998 V70R w/129,000mi

"It helps with diesels because the engine oil is thicker than gasoline engines"

It's the diesel FUEL that's the problem in cold weather. It becomes thick and gel-like.


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forums.turbobricks.com

Been there with jelly diesel fuel. That usually results from station owners with 5,000 gal tanks and little business, the summer fuel is still being sold in the winter and at -5F it jells in the car's tank or fuel lines. A block heater wouldn't help.

Also, people who have 20W50 in their sump deserve to not be able to start their cars when it gets cold. My wife's Vega(don't laugh) used to burn 2 quarts of oil every tank full. So one night in Chicago, I tried to pour 2 cans of 20W50 into the car. The cans were kept outside, on a shelf, and it took 5 minutes to pour one can into the filler hole. Kayro sirup would have been faster.

Klaus
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1975 164 w/174,800mi (Sold) 1995 850T w/91,000mi, 1998 V70R w/129,000mi