Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 17:23:38 -0800
Reply-To: Tobin Copley <tobin.copley@UBC.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tobin Copley <tobin.copley@UBC.CA>
Subject: Re: 'Block Heater' shield
In-Reply-To: <3A36BE69.7D9F4CDC@rubicon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
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/
