[Shotimes] Block heater

[George Fourchy]

On Wed, 30 Oct 2002 09:33:46 -0500, 92SHO wrote:

>I found reference on SHOforum that the block heater goes in one of the freeze
>plugs.  How hard can it be to install ? 

How hard is it to get to a freeze plug with the block installed in the car, and what kind
of access do you have to it so you can tap in a plug, or get to any bolts or nuts that
secure a heater if that is what you'd have to do?

Pretty darn hard, I'd bet....!

When I was assigned to the FAA in Nevada, in the 1980s, I had 120 volt engine heaters in
my cars, the '69 Boss and the '68 GTO.  They went in the lower radiator hose, in the
vertical segment of it, and warmed the coolant to about 100 degrees, letting it circulate
through the engine.  That wasn't enough to open the thermostat, which you didn't want to
have happen anyway, since the intake manifold and carb were still cold enough to want the
choke to be on for a while.  But you had interior heat instantly, and the engine started
with just a bump, even after sitting all night in minus 20 degree temperatures.  The bad
news was they only lasted for a year.  I needed to replace them every fall....they were
about 20 or 25 bucks.  I got them from NAPA, so nowadays, they'd have a lifetime warranty
to the original buyer.  This seems like a much less invasive and somewhat more accessable
way to heat the engine coolant, knowing that the lower hose isn't the most accessable
item on the car. The heater would fit in our upper hoses, too, since there is an upslope
(the only requirement) with some accessible length in that hose.

George and the Lowrider.....looking forward to its own garage space in the forseeable
future!!

Gonna turn 250K tomorrow!