Block Heaters

[Lothurin]

Hi, i'm new to the board a friend told me about this site. I've done a couple searches and had no luck finding any information that I'm trying to find.

I maintain a 94 Grand Am w/ 3100 Auto, since the weather has been alot colder this winter than any normal we are lookin at puting a block heater in the car. I've had people tell me i have to remove the motor to do this?

Can anyone help me on this subject, any directions would be helpful

Thanks

Lothurin

90 Beretta GTZ
90 Beretta Base
94 Grand Am
01 Dodge Intrepid
91 S10
96 Corsica

[Lyle's GTP]

You should not have to do this at all. There are a couple of designs too. The standard design is the type that goes into one of your frost plug holes and some have a o-ring to seal then and a T style brass piece that holds it in place, or thers one that's metal with a rubber bushing and you basically put it in the hole and tighten a screw and it squeezes the rubber and seals the hole and hold the plug in.

These are an ambient heat type usually 600 watts (they heat a small spot and you hope it's no to cold and will spread to the rest of the block.) Basically if you have access to a frost plug you can install one.

Those are the common ones. But there is another type you can get and it is a circulating type (usually 600 watts). One style goes inline with your lower rad hose and heats the coolant that way (simple install but probably doesn't work well, the rad will probably cool the coolant before it reaches the engine).

There's an even better type that would be awesome (I'm gonna get one) It's ciculating but a higher power. You have to run a separate heater hose from the bottom of the engine some where to the unit (which is a universal mount about the size of a pop can). Then another hose goes to the top of the engine. Then it constantly pulls coolant from the bottom, heats it and dumps it into the top. Works like a purkulator. I believe these are usually 1200watts and your car will be warm before you start it. Cost for a block heater $5-$80USD maybe cheaper.


Hope that answers your question.

Lyle

[Guest]

just get a heated dipstick

[Lyle's GTP]

Oh yah, you can do that too. I don't know how well they work though.

But shit, It probably never drops to -50C down there does it.

Lyle

[JesseGT1]

I have one from the fctory on my 99 GAGT 3.4L It works great Go see what a GM Dealership recomends and then go out and find it somewhere else so the dealer dosent rape you on the price.