Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Originally Posted By: Garak
Personally, in the worst conditions, I like having an oil pan heater in conjunction with the block heater. Some say they don't do much. I dare them to grab an oil pan heater's face when it's plugged in and on the vehicle in -40 weather. They won't do it a second time.
That's right. I am a big fan of oil pan heaters. Got sold on using them, and battery blanket warmers, when I live near Fairbanks AK for most of the 80's and early 90's. I would plug in the block heater, oil pan heater, battery blanket and the motor would start like a warm summers day at -50F. That is why it is so confusing to me, why folks who actually have to deal with some serious cold temps don't do similar. They will jump up an down about a 0 or 5 cold flow rating and worship at their favorite oil alter, but they will not do one of the simplest and most cost effective mods that will help their engine more than anything else... a block heater and oil pan heater. On a timer, hardly a bump in the electric bill. But will more than return it's cost in protecting an engine.
Great point - more than one way to skin a cat; a heater will work with any oil and at any temperature.
Millions of miles and Alaska experience? You might know what you're doing.
All the debate here about where a heater is located, does it heat this or that, etc etc - heat is heat. No matter which part of the engine you apply heat to, it will warm the rest. Maybe not by much, but every degree will help flow.
Shannow, great charts thank you. They explain a lot of this very well.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Personally, in the worst conditions, I like having an oil pan heater in conjunction with the block heater. Some say they don't do much. I dare them to grab an oil pan heater's face when it's plugged in and on the vehicle in -40 weather. They won't do it a second time.
That's right. I am a big fan of oil pan heaters. Got sold on using them, and battery blanket warmers, when I live near Fairbanks AK for most of the 80's and early 90's. I would plug in the block heater, oil pan heater, battery blanket and the motor would start like a warm summers day at -50F. That is why it is so confusing to me, why folks who actually have to deal with some serious cold temps don't do similar. They will jump up an down about a 0 or 5 cold flow rating and worship at their favorite oil alter, but they will not do one of the simplest and most cost effective mods that will help their engine more than anything else... a block heater and oil pan heater. On a timer, hardly a bump in the electric bill. But will more than return it's cost in protecting an engine.
Great point - more than one way to skin a cat; a heater will work with any oil and at any temperature.
Millions of miles and Alaska experience? You might know what you're doing.
All the debate here about where a heater is located, does it heat this or that, etc etc - heat is heat. No matter which part of the engine you apply heat to, it will warm the rest. Maybe not by much, but every degree will help flow.
Shannow, great charts thank you. They explain a lot of this very well.
