Coolant drain plug in block (block heater installation)
11-18-2004, 07:19 PM
#1
Race Car
Thread Starter
Coolant drain plug in block (block heater installation)
I am wondering, I have never seen this fabled drain plug, but what size is it?
I am trying to fabricate some kind of block heater for the winter months. I installed a lower rad hose heater last winter, but since it's on the wrong side of the thermostat, it really doesn't do much.
So, the plan this winter, is a tank style heater, circulates by convection. And I'm wondering, it says to attach it to the coolant drain plug on the block, however I'm pretty sure ours is a rather small bolt. Isn't it a M10 or something? From the looks of this kit, I need a hole around 3/8".
I'm wondering, is it possible to drill out the drain plug hole to a larger size, and re-tap it without messing up the water jackets?
Also, how deep is the hole? If I drill it big enough, perhaps i can install a normal block heater in the hole?
Also appreciated would be if anybody has a circulating heater. I guess they were discontinued in the 70's (from what the parts stores have told me), but perhaps somebody out there makes one? I would much rather go with a circulating heater.
I am trying to fabricate some kind of block heater for the winter months. I installed a lower rad hose heater last winter, but since it's on the wrong side of the thermostat, it really doesn't do much.
So, the plan this winter, is a tank style heater, circulates by convection. And I'm wondering, it says to attach it to the coolant drain plug on the block, however I'm pretty sure ours is a rather small bolt. Isn't it a M10 or something? From the looks of this kit, I need a hole around 3/8".
I'm wondering, is it possible to drill out the drain plug hole to a larger size, and re-tap it without messing up the water jackets?
Also, how deep is the hole? If I drill it big enough, perhaps i can install a normal block heater in the hole?
Also appreciated would be if anybody has a circulating heater. I guess they were discontinued in the 70's (from what the parts stores have told me), but perhaps somebody out there makes one? I would much rather go with a circulating heater.
Last edited by Zero10; 11-19-2004 at 02:23 AM.
11-18-2004, 08:26 PM
#2
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Hm, well i believe m10 is pretty close to 3/8" is it not? It is a rather small plug though, located toward the rear of the block on the passenger side. If you crawl under behind the front passenger wheel, and look up at the side of the block you should be able to see it. Not sure about drilling it out though.
Here is a shot of it, it is about in the middle of the picture.
Here is a shot of it, it is about in the middle of the picture.
11-19-2004, 12:54 AM
#3
Race Car
Thread Starter
Hmm, well the kit came with a 'block drain plug adapter', but I bet it's a SAE size =(
I had no idea it was a M10, I thought it was a M8. But then again, I've never seen it.
I never looked that high up, is that really the lowest point in the cooling system? Perhaps some of my other ideas might work. I thought it would be much lower.
Seems awfully close to the exhaust manifolds though, I don't think rubber hose will stand up to the heat too well.
I did some reading, and with the higher power heaters, it is possible to pull coolant from the radiator drain plug, perhaps I'll look into that more, but that means I'll be wasting heat on the radiator.
I had no idea it was a M10, I thought it was a M8. But then again, I've never seen it.
I never looked that high up, is that really the lowest point in the cooling system? Perhaps some of my other ideas might work. I thought it would be much lower.
Seems awfully close to the exhaust manifolds though, I don't think rubber hose will stand up to the heat too well.
I did some reading, and with the higher power heaters, it is possible to pull coolant from the radiator drain plug, perhaps I'll look into that more, but that means I'll be wasting heat on the radiator.
11-19-2004, 01:11 AM
#4
Burning Brakes
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are you afraid that the rubber hose will melt from the heat in the area, or that it will melt from touching the manifold? perhaps you could use a combination of two things:
- make a bracket to keep it away from the headers.
- have a local performance shop cut you a length of stainless steel hose so if it does touch the headers, it's not as bad
- make a bracket to keep it away from the headers.
- have a local performance shop cut you a length of stainless steel hose so if it does touch the headers, it's not as bad
11-19-2004, 02:23 AM
#5
Race Car
Thread Starter
I'm most worried about having it in the immediate vicinity of the headers, and simply the heat eminating from the headers causing the rubber hose to fail prematurely.
This whole block heater thing has gotten strangely complicated.
I'm going to take a good look at everything while I'm under the car on saturday. I'm replacing the CV joints, but I'll jack up the front, and carefully examine the cooling system.
Simply not driving it through the winter is not an option, and I don't want to put it through the hell it went through last winter. The lower rad hose heater works decently until about -20C, after that, it's next to useless. I'm also bodging a transmission heater. It's simply an oil pan heater either bolted to, or installed in the transmission. There were a few sub -40C days, where the transmission was so stiff, I was flooring it at around 3000RPM in first, and it just wouldn't go any faster. If I put the clutch in, the rear wheels locked up (on dry roads!!!) and my car just screeched to a halt... It was brutal. It has Amsoil 75W90 in it, I considered switching to a 20W50 or straight 40W or something in the transmission, but I worried about the after-effects.
It usually took almost 2 hours of warming up before the transmission was useable on those days, and it never fully warmed up.
This whole block heater thing has gotten strangely complicated.
I'm going to take a good look at everything while I'm under the car on saturday. I'm replacing the CV joints, but I'll jack up the front, and carefully examine the cooling system.
Simply not driving it through the winter is not an option, and I don't want to put it through the hell it went through last winter. The lower rad hose heater works decently until about -20C, after that, it's next to useless. I'm also bodging a transmission heater. It's simply an oil pan heater either bolted to, or installed in the transmission. There were a few sub -40C days, where the transmission was so stiff, I was flooring it at around 3000RPM in first, and it just wouldn't go any faster. If I put the clutch in, the rear wheels locked up (on dry roads!!!) and my car just screeched to a halt... It was brutal. It has Amsoil 75W90 in it, I considered switching to a 20W50 or straight 40W or something in the transmission, but I worried about the after-effects.
It usually took almost 2 hours of warming up before the transmission was useable on those days, and it never fully warmed up.
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11-19-2004, 01:18 PM
#8
Race Car
Thread Starter
Have an oil pan heater, doesn't do anything to warm the engine though =(
Heated dipsticks aren't worth the money. They keep a small amount of your oil somewhat warm, if they are plugged in right when the car is shut off. They can't heat cold oil (the again, supposedly oil pan heaters can't either, but mine does a really good job).
Looks like it's going to involve some bodging this weekend =)
Heated dipsticks aren't worth the money. They keep a small amount of your oil somewhat warm, if they are plugged in right when the car is shut off. They can't heat cold oil (the again, supposedly oil pan heaters can't either, but mine does a really good job).
Looks like it's going to involve some bodging this weekend =)
