Engine heaters

I live up in the frozen state known as Wisconsin, what I'd like to know is what the best type of engine heater for my 59 Fairlane and 59 F100 would be (both have the 3.6L I6). A freeze plug heating element, a tank style heater, or a dipstick heater? I'd also like any advice on whether or not to get battery tray heaters for them as well (does it make a difference?)


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When I lived in Wisconsin I tried all of the above. What worked the best was a cheapie magnetic heater that I stuck to the oil pan. Don't forget to pull it off before driving or you will be buying a new heater and extension cord. Ask me how I know.

 

Tank heaters and lower rad hose heaters are easy to install and work great. I have several of each. The magnetic ones are fine, but basically just warm the oil.
Never liked the freeze plug style.....a pain to install and don't seem to last.
My 2 cents.

 

When I worked on the motor line at Ford, we put in single and double block heaters. The good ones last forever if installed right, and you change your anti-freeze every two years. They were 600 watts if I remember correctly. I had a 58 Chev with a six and a 1500 watt tank heater. I didnt have to pay the electric bill for that one, but the car was warm when I turned on the key. Another thing that helps really a lot is synthetic engine oil, and trans oil too if its a stick.

 

I've found the freeze plug ones work the best, I live in idaho and have tried the hose style ones too. Freeze plugs are a pain to put in sometimes but I've had good luck with them.

 

X2 on the freeze plug heaters, grew up in Minnesota, and now live in Wisconsin so I have tried them all. The dip stick heaters are not worth the time it takes to put them in.

 

being its a long 6 a in block is best ( buy a KAT/5 star heater without the replaceable cord as the contacts on the block corrode over time ) , one thing that kills them quick is running the engine with them plugged in ( they cool off quick and try to reheat and go full max and thats what burns them up) , unplug it then start it or shut down the motor then plug in ,it will last for years .
as for battery heaters they help the battery give you more amps to start by keeping the acid warm and allow a quicker reaction to make juice , I used on on my semi with excellent results and a 15 litre Cat full electric motor (efi ) is not easy to pull over when its 0* out with 15w 40 oil as the electronics need 9 v min to fire . with the battery warm it cranked over like it was 50 * out .
one thing to note , pay attention to the size of the extension cords , you want 14 or 12 gauge cords and good ends as they will pull current and heat up and the ends will melt ( I made mine from good stuff I bought at Home depot ) . and make a flag or loop the cord over your mirrors to remind you to unplug it so you don't drag it down the street !!!

 

I've used the radiator hose one with good success, the dipstick one less so. It was nice to start the car when it's 20 out and have the heater all ready to go.

 

The core plug units were standard around here. Are you planning on driving your Ford every day? In the winter?

For occasional use I have a one burner hot plate I slide under the oil pan. I use some part sheets of plywood to create a wind break around the the front of the car and cover the hood with old blankets. In a few hours the whole motor is toasty warm and easy to start.

Friend of mine bought an electric frying pan at a thrift store and strapped it to the oil pan of his diesel tractor. Never had a problem starting again.

 

years ago I used the tank type . had good luck. Ended up running it off a timer so it powered up about 2-3 hrs before I started the car. Cut down on the electric bill!

 

Grandpa used to toss a couple lumps of coal in a bedpan and slide it under his Ford. Traditional but maybe not practical.


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LOL If you set up off the ground far enough maybe just the plug is all you'll have to replace.

I have seen some disasters with dip stick heaters so for me they are out. I do like a water jacket heater. I pulled one out of my old C-10 because I didn't need it and it went in an I-6 (235) that didn't like to start when it was cold.

Here is something that I have done that I cannot recommend but it worked for me one winter. I had an old econoline with a 200" 6 in it. I would dig my wood stove out every morning and put the bucket of hot ashes and coals under the pan then get dressed and have coffee. by the time I was ready to leave for work it would have warmed everything up enough to fire the engine off.

Like I said I cannot recommend the hot ash bucket but it worked for me one winter.

 

I have an old NOS Allstate that was used in the old days. I think it hung under the hood to warm the engine? Not that it gets cold here anyway. More of a display thing.

 

I have had success with a combination of tank heater and silicone pad heater for the oil pan.i also use a pad heater for the battery.I usually throw an old sleeping bag over the hood too.

I make sure it covers the windshield wipers and over the joints between the hood and fenders.This keeps the heat under the hood instead of escaping.

when things start to warm up in spring ,I start to lessen the amount of stuff I use.Starting by not using the sleeping bag.Then unplugging the battery heater.When temperatures get colder than zero consistently ,I can't afford not to have the vehicle start.It may seem expensive,but when it super cold I keep it plugged in from the time I shut it off.One never knows when you might have to get up in the middle of the night for a hospital run or help someone else.So,putting it on a timer is unwise.

I've been out in it as cold as -71.It's a serious business for me.

 

And they will too.

My wife owns a late model and when I have a car it is always old ( some would say cl***ic?). We use liquid salt here most of the time, sometimes they use rock salt and sand. Doesn't matter what I own it gets driven year around. I have lived here or in places like this enough to know that a few quarters at the car wash or a pressure washer at home makes all the difference in the world.

None of that makes me "cool" so no one should take it that way, I drive what I can afford when I can afford it.

 

I feel your pain since I once spent a Winter in New England but it's another reason I live in Texas. When it gets hot you can always sit down in the shade and cool off but when it's below zero it's below zero all the way through.

 

But what about us guys with bangers ? I have a couple of old greenhouse heat mats that I d**** over my engine and plug in. They're designed to keep the root zone of young plants at an even 65 degrees. So far in my sub zero garage I can go out and fire the banger right up. The only other thing I do is to keep a battery maintainer plugged in.

 

a little off topic here but my International with a flat 6 in it has a head bolt that is also a block heater, it has the two prongs that you can plug an extension cord to. tried it once and works fine. I don't know if they are sold in sizes that would fit a banger motor.

 

I'll just about bet that whenever that company was in business they had several different options.

If you ever pull that motor down I would like to get a look at the bolt, maybe it is something that is easily duplicated.

 

I will add that if you choose to go with an element style Heater (in Block, Rad hose, etc.), please be certain to use a Timer-set it for about 2 Hours before you go to work-why? The Elements work like your Hot water Heater (convection), and will burn out prematurely if left on all the time (plus, it will save you money on your electric bill)-

 

You can take an old car that is pretty rust free, use it in winter for a couple of years and it will dissolve before your eyes. I don't know why, but they rust out faster than new cars, and they rust out faster than they did when they were new.

 

Back in the early 1960's I had a unit that mounted in the heater hose and another piece that replaced the soft plug. This soft plug replacment piece had a hose connection built into it. When it was all hooked up it woud circulate water through the Heater core and the block. The Hot water would expand and push back through the heating element. A check valve in the line feeding the heating canister would keep it all moving one direction. It worked very well. You didn't get hot air out of the heating system on start-up but it didn't take long. I think I have discribed this correct. That was 50 years ago on a 59 Impala/283.

 

I've had good luck with the magnetic oil pan heaters if the engine has a steel pan but on a car or truck it can be a pain to put them on every night. We use Proheat stick on silicone heating pads on heavy equipment with aluminum oil pans or low clearance. The pads were originally developed for air cooled airplane engines Heat rises so when the oil in the pan gets warm, the heat rises into the block and especially the pistons which warms the combustion chamber. We also use 2 of the 1000 watt pads on the bottom of the 110 gallon hydraulic tanks and a smaller pad on the hydraulic pump so the engine can crank easier. We even used them on the fuel tank on one machine with a Deutz engine that flows fuel through the head to cool it. On extremely cold windy days [-20 and lower] we wrap the machine with insulating blankets normally used to cover concrete. It keeps the wind from cooling them.


Below is a link to these heaters.
http://proheatproducts.com/index.php?main_page=products_all

 

A frost plug block heater is standard on Canadian cars. I had an old Ford PU that had a pair of block heaters. Like Ole Don said they are reliable and they last. Occasionally the cord gives out but they are easy to replace.

The best investment is to get a strong battery with the most cranking amps possible. Forget using a battery blanket and put that money towards the battery. The battery blanket will help a weaker battery start a car but if the truck is out where it cannot be plugged in then it may let you down. Its not good to nurse a small or weak battery. Measure the battery box and stick the biggest and strongest battery in you can find. My trucks have always started unplugged at -35 F with no worries. I was in Northern Alberta for work where I could not plug in and my battery started the truck when it was around 40 below. One of my coldest starts was -44F w/o being plugged in. The reason that I remember that day was because I got cut off and hit a car near home. It was so cold that we walked back to my place to wait for the police to show up. The other driver's hurry was that he lost a fan belt on his furnace and was in a panic to get a new one. I was only allowed one plug in where we rented & the wife used the plug.

You cannot beat a really strong battery combined with a good block heater. The warm oil circulates to be kinder to the engine. If electrical costs are an issue then put a timer on it as a 1 to 1-1/2 hours is lots.
Another option is a stick-on oil pan heat pad and they are found on some airplane engines as well. This will give you an idea of what the stick-on heater looks like.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/search-results.html?searchByTerm=true&q=engine+heater
Engines used to use 10W-30 oil. 5W-30 is standard to make it easier to start in the cold plus the oil circulates quicker.

Glenn