Coolant Heater Install

[89Suburban]

Just setting this up for when I install the coolant heater. There are a few different types you can by. One mounts in line with the lower radiator hose and needs to be spliced in. Another type is one that has a holding tank and splices into your heater hose. There are also magnetic mount block heaters. And lastly there are heaters that install in place of a freeze plug.


I chose to install the in line lower radiator hose heater. This will be the second one I have bought. The last one was on my old Caravan. Worked flawlessly and warmed the motor perfectly in harsh cold weather. I have plugged it in overnight many a nights without a problem. I like to instal mine on a rising section on the engine block side above the lowest spot of the radiator hose, not at dead bottom.

This tends to create a very slow circulation of the engine coolant. Beacause as the coolant in the rising part of the hose warms and rises up, it is forced to go up and heat the engine block. As it does, the cooler coolant from the bottom of the hose and the radiator flow towards and up through the heater block.


Here is the one I chose to buy, I got it of ebay at this link for $19.99 plus 4.50 shipping out of Syracuse, Ny.:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...230554339649&ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:MOTORS:1123

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[89Suburban]

It's gonna be here today!!

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[Old77]

this is going to be a nice thread

 

[89Suburban]

Came home tonight and a package was waitning for me!

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[Old77]

Christmas came early!

 

[89Suburban]

Houston, we have a friggin problem.....

Instructions speciifically say, do not use on a hose with a high spot, WHICH OF COURSE I HAVE!!!!

Opinions please....

 

[89Suburban]

Pic:

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[89Suburban]

Ok, speaking from a mechanical standpoint of law of physics, if I mount the heater as close as possible to the water pump, it should be higher, or at least about even with the height of that rise. Also, there is a drop in the hose after it comes over the frame, then it rises towards the water pump.

So theoretically, get this..., so I think that if I install that sucker right at the pump inlet, it SHOULD, heat the coolant and the coolant SHOULD flow up into the water pump, thus creating a ciraulation in the right direction. I think where the problem would be is if I mount the heater in the drop, then it would send heated coolant in both directions, which would not be good. Make sense?

 

[crazy4offroad]

I bet the instructions werent specific as to why. If I had to guess I would say the heating element is like the ones in a hot water tank, it has to be immersed in coolant or the element will burn out. I'm just guessing, but they probably figure the high spot in the hose would be a likely spot for an air pocket to develop. This is also the spot 90% of people would want to install it, since it is easy to reach. You may be fine installing it close to the block, as you described earlier in the thread.

I hope you do a baseline warm-up of the engine, at a certain outside temperature, to whatever temp you choose. If you have a gauge that just says C - H maybe time it to when the needle first begins to move. Or up to operating temp. So when you get this installed we can see how much idle time it will save.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

Well, it doesn't pump coolant anywhere unless the engine was turning over or so it would seem.

It also says don't install it on anything not listed and the list only goes up to 1979...

 

[89Suburban]

Thanks for the input fellas. I'm gonna put right at the water pump, f-it. And afterwards, I like the idea C-4 had about a before and after warm up comparison.

 

[Old77]

May the force be with you!

 

[89Suburban]

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[89Suburban]

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[89Suburban]

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