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Date:         Mon, 16 Aug 1999 09:34:38 -0600
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <inua@ROADRUNNER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <inua@ROADRUNNER.COM>
Subject:      Re: Block Heaters
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

While living in Alaska for many years, I found circulating engine heaters and freeze-plug block heaters to be a necessity of life. The circulating heaters were typically 1200/1500 Watts and were usually installed in the cooling system plumbing and worked on a thermo-siphon principle. The heated water circulated through the engine block and the energy flow was sufficient to loosen the oil for starting. The freeze-plug block heaters were 750W and worked similarly, but a freeze-plug in the block was removed for its installation. Again, it worked by heating the water in the engine which in turn heated the block and the oil.

I lived in Fairbanks for a time and found the circulating type heater to be a salvation. Back then, the block heaters were pretty weak by comparison. When the temperatures get to -45F or colder, the oil in the engine is like glue and the 1500W circulating heaters were a necessity. In those days I drove a Volvo and a jeep.

Later, in Anchorage and down on the Kenai Peninsula I drove a Loaf for years. I had a VW oil-sump heater installed externally on the oil screen ring on the bottom of the engine. Surprisingly, the thing worked extremely well, even at -35F. Always started....if I remembered to plug the heater in at night. If not, it behaved as if the engine was seized.

I later bought my first vanagon, a 1985 GL. I installed a supposedly "official" VW crankcase heater that was made to fit onto the bottom of the wasserboxer engine, but didn't really because of the way the engine block is cast. That heater was about as worthless as teats on a boar. There was to much gap-osis between the metal of the block and the heating ring of the heater. I never did find an adequate coolant/block heater for that vehicle. Haven't found one for the current vehicle either, and "88 GL.

I feel that the best preheating system for the watercooled Vans would be some type of circulating heater installed in the cooling system plumbing. The heated water would do the best all around job of adequately heating up the engine and oil before starting in really cold weather.

I know that outside of Alaska, other parts of the continent north of the Mason/Dixon line have really cold weather, so other van owners in Canada and the states have had to deal with this issue. Would love to hear of specific esperiences and the specific solutions.

John Rodgers "88 GL Driver currently in New Mexico


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