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Block heater - - Tank Style

jag7720

jag7720

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Has anyone used this style of block heater?

http://www.ssdieselsupply.com/product_141_Engine_Block_Heater_kit_Tank_Style.html

I'm incline to do this route for the ease of install but there in lies my question...

If you look at the heater hoses that go to the heater core, one comes from the water pump and one goes into the radiator.

With this kind of block heater where would you connect it to a 6.2 and get it to circulate through the block?
 
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Fred431

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I have a Zerostart 1500 watt one on my Blazer the instructions say use the one that goes to the block and thats what I did. Havnt had to use it yet but when I installed it I plugged it in to test it. The top of the engine got hot near the water pump but I didnt leave on long enough to see how it circulates through the block
 
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madsam

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2cents

I have had a lot of problems with getting the tank heater to work. You have to place it in the middle of where the engine is and have the hoses in just the right place. It seems to always have air bubble in it and then not work.

I have a had a lot better luck with the lower radiator hose type. That is always below the engine, and then the heat floats up. That is real easy to put in.

If you can get a freeze plug heater, it works good, but a lot harder to put in.

The Circulation heater in the pic is a tank heater.
 

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JohnFire

JohnFire

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Another problem with this type heater is you just can't plug it in whenever you want. The engine has to be hot enough for the thermostat to be open for it to work correctly. I have one that is a Katz 2000W heater just like the one you have in the pic. I am currently having a zerostart 1000W freeze plug heater installed.
 
JohnFire

JohnFire

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After having that ZeroStart in block heater installed I don't think I will ever use anything different. Right now if I have it plugged in and turn the key, the glow plug light flashes on for a second. I then turn the key and the truck fires up immediately. Doesn't even sound rough at all like when the truck is cold. Instant starting is great for when i need to take off for fire calls, cause it sucked waiting the 20-25 extra seconds not knowing if I would make the truck cause if the extra time it would take me to get started. Plus when I go home from the firehouse at night I don't have to run around town heating my truck back up just so I could plug it in for the circulation block heater. My next thing I am going to do is insulate the hood, and as much of the firewall as possible. Hope it helps with some of the noise too. It would be nice to talk to the person next to you not yell at them. LOL
 
rosco

rosco

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They work good, if placed correctly. Mount it as low as possible, with output going into the block. It can't be on the radiator side of the thermostat. Insulate the upper part of the hose with that formed foam pipe insulation.

Freeze plug heaters, are most direct & the cleanest application. Put two of them in - one on each end of the block.

The heater that goes in the lower radiator hose is not reliable.

Lee in Alaska
 
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madsam

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rosco said:
The heater that goes in the lower radiator hose is not reliable.

Lee in Alaska
Click to expand...

Maybe it depends on the brand. No one makes a freeze plug for my 6cyl jeep engine that I could find, so I installed the lower radiator hose ones. My wifes block heater is 4 years old now and she uses it at least 3 times a week in the winter. I think that one is a katz..
 
jwaller

jwaller

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I have a freeze plug heater for the 6.2L if anybody needs it. zerostart if I remember right. 600 watt and free shipping. pm me if you are price is $35.
 
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m109guy

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rosco said:
The heater that goes in the lower radiator hose is not reliable.
Click to expand...
I would have to agree. Both types of heaters with a pump are unreliable. You never know if they will just stop working in the middle of the night. I know, as it has happened on another of my vehicles when it was -35F and was screwed the next morning when the truck wouldn't start.

Freeze plug type is the best and you can get them at a lot of places like NAPA for most any vehicle. Sadly, I can't find one for a deuce though ;)
 
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topo

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I have a tank heater on my m52a2 it is mounted to the frame on the passangers side and the coolant comes from the 1/4 inch drain plug and then it heats the coolant and pushes it up to one of the heater hoses it works very good . the lower the tank heater is mounted the better it works it needs a unrestricted supply . it will push coolant but it won't pull coolant to it .
 
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m109guy

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jwaller said:
sure you can. just go to carquest and get the 78266 and it fits like it should.
Click to expand...
Yeah I have seen the thread on that freeze plug heater, but you need to install two of them to get things up to the proper heat. That one is made for a small 4cyl jeep and not a big truck engine. Maybe in warmer weather it works just fine, but I only need to plug in my truck when it hits the -15F and colder as it starts just fine without any other help the rest of the time. Thanks for the info though ;)
 
rwelker

rwelker

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I have a thermo-syphion zero-start on my duece. So far it works fine; it's 1500 watt. It seems faster to heat the engine than the freeze plug ones I have in my backhoe and my 5000 ford tractor. The backhoe and 5000 are dealer items from the manufacturer so I'm assuming they are sized right. I always thought though that the freeze plug type are better for leaving plugged in all night or for extended periods, whereas the thermo-syphion are more for quicker heat-up (like 3 hrs or so). My duece will start like it's summer after about 3 hrs plug in where the backhoe (580 w/288 diesel) takes all day to get up to temp. I'm putting a clock timer in the shed so as to I can set the heaters to come on a few hours before I need to use them so that they are warmed up and ready when I am. My 800 series has a freeze plug plate type heater on it; it will start up fine after about 2-3 hours. This is all in temps of 0-20F not the deep cold some are talking about. By the way, the case 288 and the multifuel are some of the easiest cold starting diesels out there but the 6.2 in my Suburban will go to -20 without plug in, although with some complaints (sounds like someone is in there with a hammer trying to get out for a few minutes)
 
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