blown 87

Title says it all.

Did Porsche ever put engine block heaters in the 32 valve cars?
Or any of the 928's for that matter?

Ben Allison

Nothing in the options list or in PET.

blown 87

I guess the option for that feature would be a heated garage.

Ben Allison

I wonder if you could mount an aftermarket heater plug into the coolant drain plugs in the block.

But I don't think that you'd get much use out of it in Georgia

blown 87

very true, and i am never going back someplace that if my car breaks I can freeze to death.

I have put block heaters on all my cars, except the Porsche.

Even with the mild weather we have here, I honestly think it reduces engine wear.

Where to put the heater is the problem, the block drains are not big enough, and there is not much room at the front of the right cylinder heads screw in plug.

Vilhuer

Defa has model which plugs into rear of the passenger side head.

http://www.defa.com
http://www.defa.com/doc/200/265.pdf

Ben Allison

Interesting. I wonder if they'd run on the 110 volt power we have here in the states.

jon928se

I agree 100% with the reduction in engine wear.

Thinking laterally wouldn't it be better to heat the oil up to say 95C (just below water boiling temp for those reading in imperial units) as it is the oil (not the water or the engine block) being warm that reduces the engine wear. As there is almost as much oil in the block as there is coolant in the block (half the coolant is in the rad and only comes into play when the engine is warm anyway) the stored heat would be similar.

Thinks inserting a heater element via the drain bung would be quite simple.

He said shivering in short sleeves on a cold Sydney evening, 20C

martin D

I've no idea of Porsche usage, but they have been in use in racing for years
Here you go for the coolant, one of the 'import' screw ones might fit
http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS/JEGS-Core...52718/10002/-1

& for oil pans/sumps

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...2Bmatchpartial

P.S. Something like 90% of engine wear occurs in the first 10 mins from start up when cold.

P.P.S. Modern F1 engines MUST be heated before starting because the tolerances are so tight that without preheating they probably wouldn't physically turn over as all the components need to expand to allow them to.

erwalker

I don't know if block heaters were ever offered by Porsche here in Canada, where having one is mandatory, especially in Western Canada (cars tend to resist starting when it is -30 or -40 C). Here in Manitoba, very few cars would start if they were not "plugged in" overnight when temperatures go that low. There are times when I feel like I need a block heater when I step outside in that weather but I am afraid to consider which orafice it should go in. Anyway, if someone feels they need a block heater and are nervous of the frost plug route, there are available in-line block heaters that can be spliced into rad or heater hoses which circulate and heat the coolant. I have never used one but they reportedly work very well. There are also magnetic-type heaters that attach to the oil pan but they would not be of much use for our cars.

Brent

[QUOTE
& for oil pans/sumps

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...2Bmatchpartial

P.S. Something like 90% of engine wear occurs in the first 10 mins from start up when cold.[/QUOTE]

I'm curious here. To prevent engine wear on a garage queen, would one leave this plugged in all the time or just plug it in an hour or so before starting the engine? Like on a car that is started once every 3 to 4 weeks.

blown 87

I get cold when it get down to 60, brrrrrr.

erwalker

Depending on the temperature, you really only need to plug the car in a couple of hours before starting. If it is really cold (-35 C) 4 or 5 hours would be prudent. Any more than that and you are wasting electricity. You are just wanting to warm up the block, oil and coolant. The only other thing to consider if the car is not being used for any length of time in extremely cold weather is the battery. After 3 or 4 weeks in sub-zero temps, the battery's power is reduced and may not be suffiecient to turn the engine over fast enough (if at all) to start. May need a charge or, in extreme cold, a plug-in battery blanket (yes, they do exist!) to keep it warm and maintain the charge. Batteries can also freeze and then they are often history at that point.

Alan

A fully charged battery is resistant to freezing down to about -70C, so the best protection is probably to keep the battery well charged (maybe a plug-in tricle charger). I do think an oil pan/block heater is a good idea in any cold climate where the car is exposed to the elements.

Alan

M. Requin

I'm guessing that it shouldn't be a problem- it's a resistance load and really pretty independent of voltage. Ohm's law and all that. If I'm wrong lemme know!