Recent content by Enlight

That sounds pretty cool. Now that it's summer, I often see that the oil temp is already 100f before I crank the engine - I forget what it was in the winter. Besides having the exhaust pointed just below my oil pan, my car came with a coolant-oil heat exchange.

I'm seeing coolant temps hit 219f and I suspect that it's because coolant is bypassing the radiator through the pre-heater. I thought the pre-heater lines would be sufficiently small that it would be insignificant, but after burping my coolant system the temperatures are still high. This wasn't...

The pre-heater has been installed and was useful during a winter road trip in January. I was able to get the coolant up to 120f when outside temps were about 20f. I was hoping to do a time lapse video of the coolant temp but it was spring before I knew it. I've been busy launching my...

Running the engine during the drain ensures you get all the old oil out

It originated in Taiwan (where my folks are from). It's been around for at least 25 years in the States, but I think more people are getting exposed to it now as older immigrant populations are moving out of the city centers and into suburbs (and the businesses that cater to them follow). Also...

Toroidal warmer for maintaining diesel engine temps while idling

Wiss tin snips

For reviving batteries I have a Noco G7200, but if it's simply to maintain a battery being put in storage I have the $10.00 Harbor Freight 0.5a maintainer. They are cheap enough that it won't break the bank if you have a small fleet of vehicles (i.e. lawnmower).

@chefwong Where in NY are you? I'm in NYC and just purchased a set of Michelin CrossClimate 2's. I feel most New Yorkers can get away with all seasons that have the three peak snowflake symbol, even upstate. The only dedicated snow tires I have now are for the plow vehicle. I will pray that it...

The latest UOA.

That's a really good point, thanks for that. If I tap from the upper radiator coolant hose instead of the bottom I should be able to avoid that problem.

That's right, the supply and return of the hydronic heater are essentially on either side of the engine block's thermostat, resulting in the longest circuit possible. The OEM thermostat begins to open at 194f and the hydronic heater outputs at a max of 185f. If everything is working properly...

Proposed coolant path

Merry Christmas all! Had a quiet day today after last night's big family and friends dinner so I started work on installing the pre-heater. I chose to mount the heater on the driver-side front frame rail, probably the last part of the car that needs more weight. The heater itself is a hair...

A series of videos I watched when I was trying to understand bearing failures and the importance of sufficient oil. It really drove home the idea that one wants enough oil to "hydroplane" on in an engine.