HELP! Major storm coming and block heater not working!

[TomSeller]

You'd be surprised what at what one of those regtangular halogent 500 watt lights can do under the engine oil pan with the engine covered!! -10c is not too bad if the tractor is out the wind and you get the light under it (make sure its not dripping oil on it!) Other options are those magnetic oil pan heaters which sure make then spin over easier if you don't have light oil in it. Or if possible rig up a circulating heater a 1500 watt model will get that little engine toasty warm in no time

I tried one of those magnetic heaters without much luck. The magnet held the elec heating plate a slight distance off of the block which stopped effective heat transfer. On the other solutions, make sure you don't create a fire, engines are oily and greasy. I keep my tractors in the hay barn, so I am extra careful when it comes to this.

 

[Alberta Haymaker]

I tried one of those magnetic heaters without much luck. The magnet held the elec heating plate a slight distance off of the block which stopped effective heat transfer. On the other solutions, make sure you don't create a fire, engines are oily and greasy. I keep my tractors in the hay barn, so I am extra careful when it comes to this.

Yes the oil pan heaters only work on the flat metal oil pans. My IH truck iengine is built so you screw one right into the oil pan which works good. I've also seen tractors with trans heaters that work the same way. Sort of like a block heater for the engine but heats the oil. The tractor I use most in the winter I run 0W-40 synthentic oil in it as I can't fit a oil pan heater on it. I've started it down to -30c no problem with the circulating heater pluged in. As long as its not parked where the wind can blow on it as that really makes a differeance.

 

[tmc_31]

How about a dipstick heater? Just pull you dipstick and replace it with this for overnight.

Amazon.com: Kat's 15200 90 Watt, 120 Volt Dipstick Style Oil Heater: Automotive

I think these are available at most automotive stores

Good luck,

Tim

 

[Jerry/MT]

I have warmed a cold tractor engine with a torpedo heater after coveing the engine with a big tarp. I had the heater about 10 ft away and use a sheet of plywood to deflect the warm airstream up toward the engine oil pan and block. it took about an hour at -10F ambient temperature to warm up enough to start. I installed the block heater (that I had on the shelf for 2 years) the next day!

 

[massey184ferguson]

The parts man said the block heater will be in tomorrow. He said block heaters usually go in through the frost plugs but I told him mine threads in. He insisted he ordered the right part according to the tractor. Hopefully all goes well!

 

[Egon]

How about a dipstick heater? Just pull you dipstick and replace it with this for overnight.

Amazon.com: Kat's 15200 90 Watt, 120 Volt Dipstick Style Oil Heater: Automotive

I think these are available at most automotive stores

Good luck,

Tim

They may be available but you won't find many in use in Cold Country.

 

[TomSeller]

How about a dipstick heater? Just pull you dipstick and replace it with this for overnight.

Amazon.com: Kat's 15200 90 Watt, 120 Volt Dipstick Style Oil Heater: Automotive

I think these are available at most automotive stores

Good luck,

Tim

At only 90 watts, can they keep up with the cold? Sure would not be fast, but maybe combined with a blanket over the top?

 

[TomSeller]

Kim Hotstart makes a engine block heater that fits in the 1.25" engine core plug second from the rear on the left side of the Perkins 4.236 engine. Part number is PER-751FP. I've seen them for sale on eBay and most Caterpillar dealers stock them if the dealer is in cold climates as Perkins is a Caterpillar company.

Coincidently I order that very same heater, the PER-751FP, for one of my AD3.152 Perkins. I have two and one starts real good down to about 0 F. The other starts getting difficult at only 30 F. Interestingly, the one that starts poorly when cold starts like no other engine I have at anything above 60 F. My 3.152 block is on page 62 of the attached link and says to mount it in the right 1-1/4" freeze plug and point element down (6 o'clock) They sell a 600W one, mine is 750W, so I assume it is a little longer.

http://www.phillipsandtemro.com/userfiles/file/2013_ZEROSTART_CATALOG.pdf

 

[3930dave]

At only 90 watts, can they keep up with the cold? Sure would not be fast, but maybe combined with a blanket over the top?

My Dad tried one, a lot of years ago. That one tended to bake the oil onto the stick element, since the surface area was so small. Oils have gotten better since then, and I don't remember the exact wattage of that old stick heater, but seeing that situation back when has steered me clear of using them.

Rgds, D.

 

[pat32rf]

I've got some pipe tracing (heating) cable wrapped around the engine of my 600 Sportsman ATV for those -32C mornings. Tractor has a battery blanket, frost plug and rad hose heater as well as trickle charger on the battery. Most of them work....