Topic: block heater install

[VenomWRX]

hey just wondering if anyone has ever installed a block heater? i was thinking of doing mine tonight but i have never done one. i know mostly what to do but i'm just not sure about how to take the frost plug out and put the block heater in.

[Mr. Wheeler]

I've only put one in a long block for a small nissan my brother had.  Pretty easy actually but then it was sitting in the crate at the time.  You'll have to drain your coolant before you knock out the proper frost plug (usually there's more than one so you have to put it in the right one for max effectiveness!).  To do that you have to have a hammer and punch as you only want to hit one side of the frost plug!  You don't want to hit it in the middle and knock it into the casting.  Done right the plug should spin in the hole as you hit one side only.  Then it's a matter of inserting the heater properly so that it doesn't leak.  Then you route the wire to the front of your car.  Sounds easy, but I have no clue as my subie came with one.  A dealer or mechanic could probably do it for not too much.  But it's always fun to do it yourself though!

[Wally]

You picked one cold day to do this! Unless you have a heated garage you might want to hold off.

It's actually a very simple install, but it requires that you drain the coolant. Basically you remove the core plug, let all the coolant drain, apply gasket stuff onto heater, thread in, refill coolant and bleed properly.

This should give give you all the info needed:
http://http://www.subaruparts.com/catalog/subaru/blockheater.pdf

[Mr. Wheeler]

Nice link!  Now I can route my blockheater cord properly.  The dealer didn't do a very good job with mine as the cord is not really routed along any harness wires or anything.

[wingless]

I had mine installed yesturday... but I admit, I had the boys at Option Import do it...

[Tabibito]

Are there better brands of heaters? I forgot to plug my car in last night, and honestly, it didn't turn over much easier yesterday when it was plugged in.

[wingless]

I ordered mine from subarugenuineparts... was like $28 or something... OEM

[WRX_RA]

I want to put one in my GC8
If thats all its going to cost i'm definatly for it.
Or is it going to be more for a non currrent model?


_Matt

[Mr. Wheeler]

You could check to see if your block heater is working by getting your head down low over the engine block on the drivers side.  You should hear it hissing, sort of like the same sound a kettle makes when it's heating water.  Then you know you have POWER!  uckfay YEAH!  My car started up no prob this morning, just like a summer start.  Also running synthetic oil in the winter helps a lot for cold starts.

[Sean]

I was just wondering if that hissing sound is normal - and I thought it sounded exactly like a kettle heating up water.  The other subie doesn't make a noise, I wonder if that one isn't working.

[Staple]

That is the exact sound it should be making. Crackles abit at the start then somewhat sounds like water in a pot heating up. The sound fades away though

[Sean]

ok good my car isnt gonna blow up.  maybe i should look at replacing the one on the other car then. although it was warmer when i plugged it in so...

[Mase-19]

or to test it you can check the resistance through the cord while connected to the heater. you should have minimal resistance if its working. or plug it in and feel around the area of the heater and if its warming up well obviously it works

[pearl boxer]

hey just wondering if anyone has ever installed a block heater? i was thinking of doing mine tonight but i have never done one. i know mostly what to do but i'm just not sure about how to take the frost plug out and put the block heater in.

Seeing as I did this a couple weekends ago...

http://westernsubaruclub.com/smf/index.php?topic=3824.msg54097#msg54097

Also, in the pdf instructions, the list of sockets says to use a 27mm to put the block heater in...that's wrong.  It's a 36mm socket.  It's not as easy as unscrewing the plug and popping the block heater in though.  The instructions fail to tell you that the exhaust shields and dip stick tube are sorta in the way of installing the block heater back into the block.

A couple of tips I learned when doing this:

1) Drain the coolant by means of the drain on the radiator, not by taking the plug out of the block and letting the coolant pour out everywhere.  Thankfully I didn't learn this the hard way.

2) Make sure you use a 1/2" drive socket as the walls of the socket are thinner than a 3/4" drive.  This will help you get the socket onto the block heater to tighten it to the right torque spec.

Have fun!

[VenomWRX]

haha i posted this a year ago 

[Sean]

Tis the season again haha back from the dead

[pearl boxer]

haha i posted this a year ago 

Oops, didnt even see that

[Sean]

I saw it but I figured I'd bring this up instead of a new thread.

[VenomWRX]

ya the sad thing is i still havent put it in  :'(

[jutes]

ya the sad thing is i still havent put it in  :'(

Just take it to a dealership or a shop.

[Speed Stick]

I got one put into my JDM wrx when I flushed the coolant for some good Canadian -45 stuff. Didn't save any cash doing at the same time.....

[Klautt]

Yes, Great PFD. I've can't find my cord and I did not want to spend even 20 minutes in this cold looking for it with a half dead flashlight. Hopefully its not tied in a knot now around my control arm or something...

[jdmautoimports]

Better and much easier than a block heater. There is a stick on heater from Crappy Tire that the pepps in the Northwest Territories use. Called Polar Pad, I recommended it to all my customers who imported diesels through me and they gave nothing but praise. Its about 4" square and sticks onto the bottom of the oil pan (make sure it is clean and free from oil) and radiates heat upwards through the whole engine. So you not only are heating the coolant but more importantly the oil that is going to be sucked up into you engine right away. And you dont have to change/add/bleed/whatever any coolant.
Hope this helps

[GrantC]

Better and much easier than a block heater. There is a stick on heater from Crappy Tire that the pepps in the Northwest Territories use. Called Polar Pad, I recommended it to all my customers who imported diesels through me and they gave nothing but praise. Its about 4" square and sticks onto the bottom of the oil pan (make sure it is clean and free from oil) and radiates heat upwards through the whole engine. So you not only are heating the coolant but more importantly the oil that is going to be sucked up into you engine right away. And you dont have to change/add/bleed/whatever any coolant.
Hope this helps

Here's another 2yr old thread that you *didn't* bump up, where we discussed them.


http://www.westernsubaruclub.com/smf/index.php?topic=3448

I'll say the same thing I said last time...

Block heater (https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=65) = 400W of energy...

Pad heater (http://www.padheaters.com/sizing.html) recommended size for 4L/5L of oil = 125W/250W of energy...

I'd say if you're doing only 1, go for the block heater. If you're going *all out* then spring for both (and if you have a real oil temp gauge let me know how much of a difference it makes).

[Zac]

Better and much easier than a block heater. There is a stick on heater from Crappy Tire that the pepps in the Northwest Territories use. Called Polar Pad, I recommended it to all my customers who imported diesels through me and they gave nothing but praise. Its about 4" square and sticks onto the bottom of the oil pan (make sure it is clean and free from oil) and radiates heat upwards through the whole engine. So you not only are heating the coolant but more importantly the oil that is going to be sucked up into you engine right away. And you dont have to change/add/bleed/whatever any coolant.
Hope this helps

Do you have a pic of what it looks like and they still sell them at crappy tire? I've been looking for one for a while now!