My block heater has shorted out. It's cold out. The block heater fits into a freeze plug hole in the block and is held in place with an allen bolt that threads into a flat metal keeper that you insert into the hole and then draws down tight with the allen bolt wedging the heater assembly to the side of the block. Kind of like a sheet rock anchor. It will require draining the coolant from the block, removing the old heater and installing a new one.
The block heater tripped a breaker, reset breaker and tripped immediately. Disconnected a very burned plug connection at block, plug ruined and continuity check shows OL at the two prongs of the heater in the block.
My coolant was changed to Fleetguard OAT "permanent" coolant in 2018. Can I catch the coolant and reuse it? Does it need to be filtered if reused? Or should it simply be replaced?
Also struggling to find a place to do this project. I'm full timing and wonder if this is just one of those times to bite the bullet and take it to a shop.
We are camping in cold weather a lot more than we imagined. We've been to Portland to help take care of grandkids while they were kept out of daycare during the Thanksgiving to Christmas time, New Mexico for an "outdoor Christmas celebration" in mid-January, and now short listed for a Covid vaccine requiring more cold weather camping. They ran out the day before we were supposed to receive it and we are waiting for a call back.
Just keep it clean and you are good to go.
Remember to never turn the engine over to start it with the glow plug switch on. This brings up an good option. It's such a pain to have to drain the cooling system when an external block heater works so well. Several members have them installed. All you need is a couple of hoses leading to the block and cylinder head and with the internal pump, the block is warm. Servicing it would also be easy without draining or partially draining the block. Kat's and Hotstart come to mind. Amazon.com : Diesel Engine Heater (https://www.amazon.com/Diesel-Engine-Heater/s?k=Diesel+Engine+Heater)
Pierce
Pierce,
Do you mean the magnetic block heaters or the ones that plug in-line to a coolant hose?
No, the coolant hose type. Easy to put valves in the line or at the block so the element or the entire block heater can be changed without loosing coolant and fast too. I will attach a photo of mine tomorrow. None of them take up much space. Example: buy Hotstart Engine Block Heater TPS181GT10-000 1800W 120V Temperature 100-120 F (https://www.fridayparts.com/hotstart-engine-block-heater-tps181gt10-000-1800w-120v-temperature-100-120-f?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0rSABhDlARIsAJtjfCdyTXqKZOQfjQDerGKuUT_FePNt-1akmbWcIK_m4cLe3EVifvPkw_AaAvndEALw_wcB)
Pierce
Pierce, that would be very helpful. I installed a heater inline on my Peugeot 504 wagon many years ago. That would be a lot simpler.