Block Heater??

[Egon]

Most of the data on block heaters indicates it raises the temperature of the engine about 36°f. So I'm not looking for data suggesting I don't use one only when and what for.

The when, as I've learned here (thank you!) is below 0°f on the modern stuff. The what for is still confusing. Is it cranking slow because of the battery or the oil or the actual engine? The battery and oil can be overcome with some heat. But why leave the oil cold and heat coolant? Wouldn't it be more important to heat the "life blood" of the engine first?

Do you think the BX was making noise from lack of oil or something else? What year is the BX?

As temperature drops the battery performance drops. The oil viscosity goes up requiring more power to crank the engine. Both go hand in hand.

Block heater will also heat the oil via conduction thru the block and metal parts. In some cases it may even heat the battery a little. This may happen if battery is located close to and partially above the block and shielded from outside air.

HST oil is not heated by the block heater. There may be a little depending on the oil cooler type and placement in front of the radiator.

When letting the clutch out on a geared transmission the engine may stall. It may also be difficult to move the shift lever.

 

[Bavarian]

Here is the number you're looking for. It's living proof:
Even my wife recognized that the tractor starts easier and runs smoother after startup.

For the OP, I just came out of Cedar Rapids yesterday. Yes, it was freaking windy and chilly. But a block heater and light motor oil will do it for your area.

 

[3930dave]

The when, as I've learned here (thank you!) is below 0ｰf on the modern stuff. The what for is still confusing. Is it cranking slow because of the battery or the oil or the actual engine? The battery and oil can be overcome with some heat. But why leave the oil cold and heat coolant? Wouldn't it be more important to heat the "life blood" of the engine first?

There is nothing wrong with heating the oil, and yes, hotter oil will be less of a drag on the starter - pretty sure we all agree on that.

Unless a piece of equipment is originally designed for Arctic use, the practical issue is that Oil is relatively more difficult to heat than Coolant. The transfer rate of energy from oil pan heaters to the oil is typically low, and the oil dipstick tube heaters (immersion) I've seen just burn the oil onto the stick - better oil heat systems may be available, but they are not common. The primary job of a cooling system is to move heat, for oil, it is a secondary function.

A cooling system will typically contact the intake manifold - on a diesel, this is obviously an important area to transfer heat to - heating oil will not help the intake the way hotter "coolant" will.

IMO, the best bang for the buck (esp, with escalating electricity rates) is:

1) Run synthetic oil.

2) Heat the coolant/antifreeze with some type of immersion or circulating heater.

3) Add heat directly to the oil.

4) Use a temperature sensing inline power cube (amazon has them, at various temperature points) to turn on supplemental heat only when you need it, and/or a timer. As somebody posted already, you don't get much gain past 3 hours use.

YMMV.

Rgds, D.

 

[RaydaKub]

Most of the data on block heaters indicates it raises the temperature of the engine about 36ｰf. So I'm not looking for data suggesting I don't use one only when and what for.

The when, as I've learned here (thank you!) is below 0ｰf on the modern stuff. The what for is still confusing. Is it cranking slow because of the battery or the oil or the actual engine? The battery and oil can be overcome with some heat. But why leave the oil cold and heat coolant? Wouldn't it be more important to heat the "life blood" of the engine first?

Do you think the BX was making noise from lack of oil or something else? What year is the BX?

In reverse order...my BX2230 is (likely) a 2004, 950 hours. I run full synth 5W40 that makes a huge difference on vibration and noise, even more so in the cold. My guess (and I haven't read or heard anything to back this up) is that when it is cold, the fuel doesn't burn efficiently. I think it's possible that there is fuel left on the cylinder walls and piston that ignites on the compression stroke of the next rotation of the crank. This ignition is probably before the next injection and (more or less) top dead center, causing a classic knock. I think the synth oil adheres to the engine parts better, so it isn't quite as dry in all the moving parts and heating the block allows even this little bit of oil to lubricate better. As mentioned elsewhere, I think there is enough heat from the block that the pan tends to warm up also. Using the coolant to heat the engine gives you the best chance to heat all the engine parts uniformly. You wouldn't want to heat just the block and not the pistons and certainly not the other way around.

As for data on block heaters, there a many factors that determine this. Some may have a thermostat on them that would limit this. But how big is the block? What is the wattage of the heater? Is it in a shed/barn/garage? How much of the engine is sheltered by the cowling and hood (helps contain the heat)? How cold is it to start with? How long has it been plugged in? I think it is safe to say that on my BX, the engine temp is raised by 50-60 degrees. I open the hood and it feels like I could warm my fingers up just being near the valve cover.

Regardless of whether it needs it or not to start, anywhere from freezing on down, it'll be happier and likely have less startup wear.

 

[RNeumann]

Jerry/MT-

Block heater - Wikipedia

How cold should it be before I plug my car into a block heater? - The Globe and Mail

 

[Citydude]

It's hard for to understand the resistance of plugging in a vehicle when it is an easy task to install a block heater or something to keep the engine warm. My F250 7.3 diesel refuses to start easy when its below freezing if at all. When its plugged in, it starts easily at 20 blow zero. This is the data I've collected from Wyoming.

 

[ovrszd]

It's hard for to understand the resistance of plugging in a vehicle when it is an easy task to install a block heater or something to keep the engine warm. My F250 7.3 diesel refuses to start easy when its below freezing if at all. When its plugged in, it starts easily at 20 blow zero. This is the data I've collected from Wyoming.

I can confirm those findings here in Missouri.

Now with modern technology it's even more efficient by using a timer on the heater circuit. "Back in the day" we just plugged them in and let em heat all night.

 

[RNeumann]

It's hard for to understand the resistance of plugging in a vehicle when it is an easy task to install a block heater or something to keep the engine warm. My F250 7.3 diesel refuses to start easy when its below freezing if at all. When its plugged in, it starts easily at 20 blow zero. This is the data I've collected from Wyoming.

No resistance to anything. Check my OP. What I'm trying to understand is why. Why does a warm block start better than a cold block?

If the oil is warm it will flow properly.
If the battery is warm it will throw out more CCA.
If the intake manifold and or cylinder itself is warm from glow plugs or the grid heater the combustion chamber is warm.
If the fuel is atomized properly by EFI it will combust properly.

What I'm not getting is what does having a warm hunk of iron around all these other areas do? From what the folks who sell them are saying it's to reduce emissions and bring heat the the cab via the warmer coolant. Is their something I'm missing?

 

[Ford850]

Are we talking cars and trucks, or tractors?
And there's a difference between "need to" and "helpful". You don't need to use a block heater until you reach that certain temperature when your tractor won't start. That varies tractor to tractor, and day to day, with all the variables discussed above like battery charge on that day, oil viscosity, fuel blend, engine compression, etc. So why push it to see how low you can go without using one? Using a block heater can't hurt, and will only help things if used at nearly any cold temperature. That's why many recommend using it if temps are 20 degrees or below. To me it's helpful to use when below 20 degrees. There's no better feeling than cranking the engine on a clod day and have it jump to life running like a sewing machine with no smoke and no coughing or stumbling since it's already warm.

 

[ovrszd]

No resistance to anything. Check my OP. What I'm trying to understand is why. Why does a warm block start better than a cold block?

If the oil is warm it will flow properly.
If the battery is warm it will throw out more CCA.
If the intake manifold and or cylinder itself is warm from glow plugs or the grid heater the combustion chamber is warm.
If the fuel is atomized properly by EFI it will combust properly.

What I'm not getting is what does having a warm hunk of iron around all these other areas do? From what the folks who sell them are saying it's to reduce emissions and bring heat the the cab via the warmer coolant. Is their something I'm missing?

Nope, you aren't missing anything. You completely understand why.