Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 21:48:56 -0500
Reply-To: "1980 VW Westfalia \"Pokey\"" <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "1980 VW Westfalia \"Pokey\"" <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>
Subject: Re: 'Block Heater' shield
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Um, wouldn't a cardboard box catch fire with a light bulb lying in the
centre of it?
Thanks,
Chris Gronski
Toronto, Ontario,
'80 Westy "Pokey" - SLOPOKEY
'87 Chevrolet Sprint - Ice Racer
'91 Pontiac Firefly - Convertible
www.vanagon.org & .ca
www.gronski.com, .org, & .ca
www.nineeleven.org & .ca
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tobin Copley" <tobin.copley@UBC.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2000 8:23 PM
Subject: Re: 'Block Heater' shield
> It doesn't get that cold here (thank the gods!), but the old diesel
> can get persnickity when it drops much below freezing. Here's my
> $0.00 "block heater" solution. Worked even better on my old
> air-cooleds because of the shape of the engine block (which,
> incidentally, is simalar to the wbx shape):
>
> -------------
>
> Get the following items out of the closet:
>
> - your trouble light with at least a 60 W bulb (100 W is better),
> - an extension cord as required,
> - a utility knife,
> - a cardboard box (the boxes you get with the case-lot purchase of
> single malt scotch work great).
>
> Get box, cut off top fold flaps. Cut down sides of box *just* enough
> so that you can squeeze the box underneath the engine. If you can
> shape the cut to fit the contours of the engine, then that's great.
>
> Plug the extension cord into the trouble light.
>
> Cut a small hole in the side of the box for the other (male) end of
> the extension cord to pass through. Make the hole as small as
> possible; cut it as close to the floor of the box as possible.
>
> Place the trouble light in the box, pass the male end of the cord
> through your hole. Plug it in and turn the light on, with the
> trouble light lying in the centre of the box, facing up.
>
> Slide the box under your engine. Try to make it fit as snuggly
> against the engine as possible.
>
> If it's cold, leave that sucker on all night. If it's a just a bit
> nippy, turn it on an hour or so before you go to start.
>
> There you go: a free engine pre-heater.
>
> --------------
> That and a heated battery blanket and you're set!
>
> T.
> (Gregor might try using an empty cut box as a shield).
>
>
> At 6:10 PM -0600 12/12/00, Gregor Brandt wrote:
> >I was thinking about the engine heater on my 1.9l today. Temperatures
> >dropped to below -30 celcius last night in Winnipeg and my van was hard
> >to start this morning, even though it was plugged in.
> >
> >One of the problems is that alot of the heat is wasted, the cold air,
> >combined with wind under the van, must suck more than half the heat off
> >of the element. Would it be benificial to create a tin shield for the
> >underside of the engine. Something that would wrap the block heater and
> >the oil pan. A dead air space would be created that would allow more of
> >the heat to help the engine.
> >
> >If the shield were removeable, it would cause no problems in the summer.
> >
> >Does this sound OK , or is my thinking way off the mark?
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >
> >Gregor
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Tobin Copley Bowen Island, BC, Canada 49deg 23'N-123deg 19'W
>
> '82 Westfalia 1.6L NA diesel ("Stinky")
> '97 son Russell =============
> '99 daughter Margaret /_| |_L| |__|:| clatter
> 1995: 'Round US, Mexico, Canada 15,000 mi {. .| clatter!
> 1996: Vancouver to Inuvik, NWT 7,400 km ~-()-==----()-~
> Previous buses: '76 westy deluxe (Daisy), '76 westy standard (Mango)
> http://www.sfu.ca/~tcopley/vw/
>
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