Circulating engine heater...

[Obscurity]

Well I made a great discovery today when I got home and hoped to start the eagle (at -40 windchill I might add).....the plug that I've been religiously plugging in when it gets cold, goes to.......NOTHING. It appears that I didn't receive a block heater when the rebuild was done, either that or it is hiding somewhere that I just can't see or reach (and I've tried!).
Anyway, I digress. We have an inline circulation engine heater. The one at this link: http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp;jsessionid=PWRHxrmJTtnVJvQmQN2SnZT5NgJrhZ2tthDDhlXMTYRyVmLntQ4F!1861095117?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443286687&bmUID=1326846375163
Don't ask me why, but we actually had it laying around.
Has anyone put one of these in before? what coolant line did you put it in? I'm seeing the easiest place is coming off of the block heater into the water pump....but is it the optimum place? I really don't want to heat up just that line and do no good whatsoever. Problem being is that my coolant is actually gelling, and as some of you know this is a brand spankin new rebuild, so I'm getting nervous. To make matters worse our other vehicle is currently acting poorly. 

[carguy87]

Actually, the freeze plugs are not for that purpose.  They are properly named core plugs, and are there to fill holes left during the casting process that they use to empty the block of left over material.  I would personally go with an inline hose heater that you put on your lower radiator hose.  The heater hose has minimal flow into the engine because of the restriction at the water neck.  It would keep your heater core nice and toasty though if you left your heater controls open.  I have seen lots of hose heaters online for as little as $20.

[Obscurity]

Yeah, before the rebuild it had the freeze plug heater, and I double and triple checked when it was in for the timing and ignition upgrade. They didn't bother checking the engine itself I don't think, they just saw that the... that put the engine in had left the wire strung out the front. It wasn't hooked to anything, because there was nothing there.

I was staring at the lower rad hose heater tonight actually at Canadian Tire, but I'm reluctant to do that since it'll mean draining all of the fluid, and we're currently under windchill warning for temperatures of -47C (and my fluid was checked a little while ago and it was rated to -40). I know I'm not rated for -47windchill, so no major install tonight! Not going to try starting it with the gelled coolant to get it to a shop either, not positive it would do damage, but I'm not keen to risk it.

I can only hope that its JUST gelling a little and isn't going to actually freeze hard enough to do damage. For a quick and temporary protection (hopefully!) against that I'm putting one of those magnetic ones on the block and not starting it again until it at least reaches a balmy -20 . I might actually get up the nerve to try installing the lower rad hose heater then...I was worried about restrictions, so thanks for pointing that out carguy87.

I'm almost glad the landcruiser started acting funky so I had to consider using the Eagle as a DD, I would hate to have noticed the potentially freezing fluid too late!

[Bird-o-Prey]

I have one of those things in there.  Right up front, I will apologise for the quality of the pics.  They were taken at night using flashlights.

Here it is in the engine bay.  You will see that I have removed my Vapour Recovery can.

It attaches with a brass threaded adaptor to one of the block drain plugs at the front of the engine.  I am sorry, but I cannot remember the size of the opening.  5/8" comes to mind, but I can't be sure.  It is a standard pipe thread, though.

I had to but a coolant line 'Y' fitting to splice it into the coolant line.

It is spliced into the lower coolant line that goes into the cab heater core.


I hope this helps!  It took me about an hour to get it all in there.  The only thing you need to be aware of, is that the clearance above the steering column is very close!  I had to modify the bracket that came with the heater and even now, I only have about 1/2" clearance.  The line out from the block has to be nearly horizontal for the pump to work properly.  I also had a stock (dealer installed??) circulating heater that mounted near the front of the car right up against the radiator.

Cheers

[Bird-o-Prey]

On further thought, try parking the car out of the wind behind a building or somethig.  If the coolant is gelled, you can start the car and run it for a minute or two, then shut it off for 10.  then run it again for 2 min then shut it off for 10.  This will allow the block to warm up just a bit to thaw out the coolant and get it circulating.  I had to do this with a friends car once.  Her coolant was actually frozen like a slurpie!  We did this a couple of times and then just ran the engine normally after that.  All good! 

Really, if you are in dire srtaights, you can put a space heater under the car to warm the block up from the outside.  Just drape a tarp or blanket over the sides of the car at the front to help keep the heat in a bit.  I had to do this once when I lived in Albeta when the block froze.  Fortunately, the freeze plugs hadn't popped.

These are last resort kind of things.  If you have a garage, you can get the heater pump in the car in about an hour.  I only had to drain 2/3 of the engine coolant.

Best of luck!

[Eagleearl]

Check your coolant with a coolant tester to see if it is mixed strong enough for your weather conditions. An antifreeze / water mix of 50/50 should be good to -34 degrees F and a 60/40 mix down to -62 degrees F. This is actual temperature not wind chill. The engine would be ok to start with gelled coolant but it will not flow through the radiator and heater core if it is crystalized too much and the engine may end up overheating. The engine heater would work in the heater return line pumping warmed coolant into the water pump and through the engine and back out the thermostat housing but it may restrict the flow through your heater core. You could try blowing through it to see how much restriction it has? The way Bird-o-Pray has his is the best way to go, pumping warmed coolant in through the block drain plug and a Y in the heater return line. a magnetic heater on the oil pan to heat the oil is also a good investment in cold climates.

[Obscurity]

WOW, thanks Bird-O-Prey!!! Poor quality or not those pics are a huge help. I'm seeing how you did it, I just have to scope out my Eagle a bit to see if it'll fit in the same since I've had so many mods on this engine. It SHOULD work just fine. Big question is if I can get the guts to try it in the current temps.
No matter what though, I think I will put a space heater in the engine bay for a little while. The magnetic block heater appears to have created a fair amount of heat on the block, but the coolant is still gelled in the rad. I will do a slow warm up to circulate things. I want to at very least start it today no matter what.
Once this is dealt with I'll be taking that space heater into the cab so I can work on the tail lights (I got lazy when the weather was good and didn't fix it yet!).
Thanks all! I'm sure I'll at least get her started and running safely for now. I called in "carless" to work today. I get wo work on the Eagle a bit and my husband will be dealing with the Landcruiser (note: a landcruiser diesel is NOT a good bet for living in really cold weather, and Eagle is a much better choice ).

[Obscurity]

Just had a thought about the inline heater.....drain plug on the rad?
Pros and cons? where to from there? Thoughts on this? Just another option that popped into my husband's head and he mentioned.
We currently have a space heater under the hood and the whole front end covered in a tarp...in the meantime trying to get the Landcruiser's diesel to ungel Grrrr Living up here we should have been far more prepared for this!

[Bird-o-Prey]

My first thought about that it...if you attach the heater to it, how do you drain the rad if you need to?  Also, the petcock on the rad (cool technical name ) doesn't have the flow capacity the heater needs.

[Obscurity]

My first thought about that it...if you attach the heater to it, how do you drain the rad if you need to?  Also, the petcock on the rad (cool technical name ) doesn't have the flow capacity the heater needs.

Good points on both, pretty much what I figured. Though draining the rad: bucket, pull, run