[AT] Engine Heater

[Dennis Johnson]

Carl,

We used to use diesel fired heaters to warm up oil field engines. They are a bit on the expensive side, but they could heat up a 2000 HP engine where it would start in about an hour at -40 degrees.
They make smaller ones of these - school bus heaters, etc.
I have often thought about trying to make something simpler, where you could pipe coolant to a port on the head, and have a lower port for suction, and then uses a simple pipe where you could add heat with a propane torch. The temperature would cause the hot fluid to rise and circulate it. It could work remotely where there is now power.
The plug in electric heaters would be simpler, but where is the challenge in them??

Thanks,
Dennis


Sent from my iPad

> On Jan 22, 2022, at 3:21 PM, Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> I use a "Kat's" brand lower radiator hose heater.  600W straight into the coolant, although, unlike the freeze plug heater, some of the heat is headed for the radiator. On my tractor, access to the freeze plugs is a major challenge, so that swayed my decision.  It works quite well but as Spencer also mentioned, you really want to give it a couple hours to do its thing.  In exceptional cold I'd consider blanketing the radiator, and maybe leave the heater on all night long if you can't wait in the AM.
> 
> Steve O.
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