Improvised Block Heater

Yabbut, he won't need to worry about it not starting on that particular day, now will he? And that was the whole idea behind the experiment in the first place. Based upon those details, we would naturally assume that his invention fulfilled it's purpose and the experiment would be considered a success.

You must learn to think on a larger scale, as in the size of the fire. You need a big fire to get it hot enough to open the thermostat. Once opened, you can cut back on the amount of firewood that you add each hour.

- sammmm -

- Nehmo - Not at all. I was rummaging around in some of the old tools and car parts, and I happened upon this old magnetic oil pan heater. After I used some steel wool on the flat part, I found it works great as a clothes-pressing iron!

Well, here it's currently -55C (w/ windchill) You better believe the truck is plugged in, almost time to spike the antifreeze to 70/30 split.

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 06:33:04 +0000, Nehmo The Troll rearranged some electrons to form:

Cross-posting troll.

We can only hope...

I have used charcoal briquettes on many occasions.

I carry a hibachi or steel garbage can lid and fire it up to start my vehicle when coming out from a camping or fishing trip in -40 or so temps.

You have to be careful with it, but it will start all the vehicles in about a half hour under the oil pan each. We get one going and pile in to warm up while waiting on the rest.

Mike

Inanimate objects do not feel wind chill. Silly to go to that concentration of antifreeze.

I agree with the spirit of your post that wind chill factor's are just some silly bullshit for weathermen use to sensationalize the weather situation. All I personally need is the friggin dew point and they can keep the rest of the crap. ;)

Do you consider a "warm house" and "inanimate" object? Wind chill effects those. :)

Alvin in AZ ps- family and friends make fun of me... I'm the "what's the dew point?" guy :)

You didn't think that was funny as anything? :)

Alvin in AZ

Have you verified this by actual measurement? Only convective heat goes up. There's still conduction and radiation to transfer heat to the handle. Might be getting pretty hot.

%mod%

An iron is a simple resistive heater, AFAIK.

%mod%

Why not just park it next to a tank of propane, then you wouldn't even have to worry about the pile of lumber.

%mod%

They lose heat much quicker when wind is blowing. That is why blowing on your food is effective. And 70/30 antifreeze is perfectly reasonable at very cold temps.

%mod%

I'd bet that once the few kilograms of warm oil encounter the several tens of kilograms of ice-cold aluminum and/or cast iron engine with several kilograms of ice-cold water/antifreeze in its cooling circuit, the result is ice-cold oil.

The warm oil sitting in the pan may have begun to warm the crankshaft above it, but I'd guess that such is as much "heating the block" that any heater stuck in or to the oil pan would do in a reasonable amount of time. Warming the oil is a noble cause, but methinks that heating the rest of the engine via the cooling circuit will net better overall results.

%mod%

concentration

I hate messing around with cars - ever since I got out of school and got my first job, I've paid someone to do the routine maintenance. But way back in the departed days of my youth, I did all the routine stuff myself - including changing the coolant in the fall to prepare for winter.

In those days, the jug the antifreeze came in had a chart on the back, showing what temperature various concentrations would freeze at. As I remember, you had the greatest protection if the mix was 50-50. Pure water and pure antifreeze both froze at a higher temperature than an equal mix. And if it's a consideration, boil over protection was also reduced compared to a 50-50 mix.

Before you up the concentration of antifreeze, check the jug. You may be reducing the level of protection as you throw money away. Or maybe not - it was several decades ago, and product formulations have probably changed.

Yabbut, now you gotta remember not to iron your clothes on a steel surface.

Yeah, this thread is getting way too long for the subject matter. The OP should just get an in-line heater at jcwhitney.com

message news:...