Pan Heater Paranoia?

[Gary Allan]

quote:

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Funny post Gary, sarcasm as good as I have ever heard, I get your point and take it in good humor. {even if humor isn't your intention).

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Well, you know what they say (maybe not

) ..if you can't have a good time ..stay the heck home

Yes, all in fun

Thank you for this thorough research. It's always better to err on the side of caution ..as I suspect the engineers and techs are doing here.

It would be interesting to hear from someone who has used a pan heater ..without any guidelines ..and done a used oil analysis. I would think that it would show up if the oil was "damaged". Then again, with such a severe and demanding environment ..it might be difficult to sort out all the insults to the oil

 

[savvy]

I see this thread is still going strong....

Cyprs:

I didn't want to hurt your feeling telling you that a low watt 5.285714285714 per sq inch pad is safer than 14 watts per sq inch, but since you mentioned it first........it is safer : )

You can see if you could exchange all the high watt pads for low watt if you have great trepidation. My pad dimension is 5"x7". You can do the math. I have a 185 watt heater. Low temp pads cost twice as much as high temp pads.

Hey..........my name isn't Savvy for nothing : )

 

[forcedtalon]

I dont see any problems running a quality pan heater. They have perfected these things thew out the years and overheating of the oil closest to the pan is not something to worry about.
Keeping a wolverinve heater pluged in 24/7 when it real cold out should also not be a problem because it only heats up the oil to a certain temp then stabizes. I have a block heater but rather have a oil heater insted.
Weird thing is when I plug the coolant heater in it starts faster but the oil is still thick so I dont know how the engine starts up faster with the oil still being thick and cold.
You would think and enigne with a pan heater would start up faster than a car with a coolant heater????

 

[savvy]

Cyprs is the official expert concerning oil pan heaters. Your oil shouldn't be thick~cold with a pan heater. Have you actually felt your oil pan to make sure your heater is working ?! Maybe Cyprs will comment on your situation.

For those following this thread,

I posted my last comments basically speed reading through Cyprs responses. I've read his posts more carefully, and I would like to thank him for enlightening all of us here with his diligence in this matter.

 

[savvy]

I need to slow down when I read these posts.

forcedtalon;

Sorry I misread your post. You commented on oil pan heaters, and I thought you actually had one.......my mistake. I would suggest if you have no empirical experience with something, it may be better not to comment with authority.

 

[TallPaul]

I installed my 250 watt pad on a 5.5 qt sump (rest in filter) and the pad is on the SIDE of the pan (because the bottom had a part number stamped in), which means it is not too far below the oil level in the pan. This probably hinders the convection circulation to some extent. Take that and add 10w40 motor oil which I think would be more damage prone because of the extra VIIs. Yet it gave me this great oil analysis.

Anyway, good points on the cold oil not circulating very well at first.

BTW, One advantage I had was my pan was only a year old. Never could have done it with the prior, rusty pan.

 

[Cyprs]

L2D, before you order your heat pad, check the pan for ridges, grooves etc. Best they install flat, you can use a liquid steel to fill smaller gaps. Tip I discovered and not on instructions, tape around the entire perimeter of heat pad with adheasive backing on,( will not allow adheasive backing to peel back and contaminate adheasive) then safely fish the flat pad through tight spots (cord end may not go through these spots)

Once all fished, carfully remove the tape and your ready for install. you remove paint on pan, use brake cleaner to clean, remove backing, prewarm few seconds, install, squeegy down, warm again ten seconds, squeegy down again, paint touch up, silicone perimeter, done. These instructions are not on www.heatpads.com you learn the more indepth instructions when the pads come, some guys go right over the paint on pan, if you see any rust, pitting or flaking of paint then better sand paint off to clean pure metal, I did it by hand with 120 grit emery, roughed metal up just right.

The 50 watt wolverine is flexible and about 3"X1.25", the 125 watt and up are quite ridged (125 probably recommended for your Toyota) is 1.5" X 6", and also the 3" round one, the 250 watter os about 4.5" X 4", this one does great job on 11 litres in my diesel, on 4 litre it would work, the bottom scale on recommendation for 250 watts is 5 litre, sounds like it works great for TallPaul at 4 quarts.

They do work, I regret my pan on X-Trail not allowing a 125 watt, (this morning it was -30, I plugged that 50 watter in for 10 hours, blockheater for 7 hours, I pulled out dipstick this morning and oil was clear, (cloudy when extreme cold) and oil dripped comfortably off dipstick, oil was cold to touch. That QR25DE had a short slight barely noticeable drag at turn of key, oil was flowing. With a 125 watt it would have been warm in 5 hours plug, my diesel 250 watt pad on ten litres would have warm oil in 5 hours in -30. In my fathers garage during a visit it was chinooking during the day so I didn't worry about plugging in, overnight it went to -27, with diesel stored in garage, (no wind chill I plugged that 250 watter in for 3 hours and oil was luke warm from bottom dipstick to top, with 3 hours blockheating too, I had an easy start on the diesel, I was impressed.

When Wolverine pads are fitted with proper watts to litre ratio they are extremely effective, I do find I still need the block heater to equalize up end, the wolverines in my experience dont warm the upper engine as they claim, Tall Paul's 250 watts rather than recommended 125 watter might warm upper cylinders better.

I am calling my Esso tech line on this heatpad heat issue, the Esso guy there is good, I have stumped him a couple times and rather than B.S.ing. me he goes to the oil engineers and gets the right answer in a day or two and calls back. I respect him for his honesty and willingness to get the right answer for me from the lab. An Esso engineer/oil technician will have done heat tests on XD3 0-40/0-30 syn oil, I will give the watts per sq inch, wattage and duration of recommended plug in on pads, they should be able to tell me. Will post results for whoever is interested. I want to end my Paranoia I cant shake off once and for all

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Cyprs