Block heater

[Zero102]

Wow, I was looking at the forecast, and I realized that I better get a move in installing a block heater.

I have an 86 944 NA, and it has an oil pan heater right now, but even starting it at -10 with the heater on is a fright.
I have been investigating bolt-on block heaters, made specifically for the car, but I have not been able to find anything local or affordable. Then I was talking to a friend, who told me about a heater he had a few years ago, but it came on the car, so he had no idea where it was from.

I am looking for a heater that I can splice into a coolant line, to keep the entire engine warm. Does anybody know where I can get one, and what they cost?

I originally considered installing one into one of the radiator hoses, but they all change size as they go along (bloody germans), plus, it would never circulate through the engine.

What I am looking for specifically, is a heater that will splice into a (I Think) 3/4" heater line, with a small pump inside it.
I don't know if they make them with adapters this small.
The heater itself has to be as small as possible, because it has to fit underneath the back of my intake manifold, against the firewall.
I know that when the car is shut off, the heater control valve opens (it is vacuum operated), so the coolant will indeed circulate with the car off.

[angierideswitme]

Sounds like a good Idea, although, I have never heard of a heater then circulates the coolant.

At the moat people will have a block heater/oilpan heater and a battery blankett.

[Zero102]

I have seen several of them on EBay, but they are all in the U.S., so I can't get them in time. I will be calling around the city today looking for one.

[hockeybronx]

I saw something at Canadian Tire that sounds like what you are looking for. My car doesn't have a block heater also, it came with a battery blanket, I also added an electric battery blanket inside of it and will probably buy this Canadian Tire heater.

I was reading the directions at Canadian Tire and it talked about draining the engine coolant and then installing the block heater unit. From what I understand, the coolant will circulate itself inside of the block heater unit and be warmed when it is plugged in.

Go to Canadian Tire, ask them to show you where the in car heaters and block heaters are and you will see what I mean. From what I remember they were only like $50.00 or $60.00, and didn't look too complicated to install.

Let me know if you go through with it, I will probably buy one also.

[Zero102]

Hrm, sounds similar to what I found, but I was looking at $100, it would plug into the heater core line, and it would pump warm coolant.
I will check out canadian tire on my way to pick up this heater tomorrow, so I can compare the 2.

Jeez, some moron at Auto Value tells me they stopped making circulating heaters that fit on heater core lines 5 years ago. What a dumbass.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Originally posted by Zero102
Hrm, sounds similar to what I found, but I was looking at $100, it would plug into the heater core line, and it would pump warm coolant.
I will check out canadian tire on my way to pick up this heater tomorrow, so I can compare the 2.

Jeez, some moron at Auto Value tells me they stopped making circulating heaters that fit on heater core lines 5 years ago. What a dumbass.
Did you find the right size heater hose? Hehe I dont think Porsche ever intended the cars to be driven in cold weather. When I was driving mine in fall on a cold day when you started it up it smelt like an old ski boat haha

[ninspeed]

any parts store should sell "in line coolant heaters"... auto value, parts source, napa, canadian tire ect

[yohan4ws]

On this topic, the recirculating coolant heaters are the way to go ... If your thermostat is open and the heat is turned on in the vehicle (if its a cable pull or it was on when you shut the car off) the coolant will cycle through your heater core and almost be warm when you start the car ... woopee!

As for installing, I think the recirculating one goes on the coolant hose that leads to the radiator ..

[Zero102]

Well, I ALMOST bought a recirculating heater, until I started trying to fit it. I would have to run another 5-6 feet of coolant hose, and mount it under the brake booster. In favour of a simpler option, I installed a lower rad hose heater.
It was -30 to -35 at my house this morning, the engine didn't even shake when it started.
When the engine is -5, it shakes pretty bad, and is a pain to start, so it must have been toasty warm.

I did want a recirculating heater, because it would help the heater core, and help get the air out of my cooling system, lol.
I had an air bubble trapped in the heater core, what a bitch to get out.
Drove without heat for 15 mins this morning. =(

[yohan4ws]

Strange .. I thought that the recirc. heater would go right up on the lower hose of the rad ..

Oh well, glad to hear you got it all going ... how long before you had heat?

[Zero102]

Ummm.
15 mins.
because of the air bubble in the heater core.
They do make recirculating heaters for the lower rad hose, but you really have to think about them.
Where do they get their coolant from?
The rad. so, where does all the warm coolant end up?
The rad.
Or, if the thermostat does not open at all, then it will pump a tiny bit of warm coolant into the engine, but since it has nowhere to go, the fan will just spin, and it will work just as well as a non circulating heater.

My biggest worry with a circulating heater on the lower rad hose is the flow when the heater is off. My car produces a ton of heat (those crazy germans) already, so the last thing I need to do is impede the coolant flow. =(

For what it's worth, anybody else interested in a circulating coolant heater for the heater core lines (All you VW TDI guys!) NAPA has one, with 5/8" fittings (which is pretty close to the VW lines, no?) for about $100. After I called around, it would appear they are one of few places who carries them.


Does anybody know if the orange coolant has a higher specific heat capacity than the green coolant? Or perhaps if it is higher than OLD green coolant? Because my heater sure is hot now, it just bakes me, it never used to be this hot.
Perhaps there used to be an air bubble in there or something?...


One last stupid question, my old coolant smelled like burnt rubber, and looked like it was about 40% antifreeze (it was VERY clear), when coolant gets old, does it start to smell like burning rubber? I hope so, because I don't need any other car problems.