Dumb Oil Heater Question
 

Ok, for all of you guy's using motor oil heaters. What is the easiest kind to use ? Remember I live in Northern Calif. and we have few days that it gets below 15 degrees. I have talked to a couple of the local parts stores and they only seem to know about the kind that goes into the oil pan. I thought there was some kind of an electric blanket type wrap you could put around the pan but they said there is no such thing. My pan is not set up for an in pan heater and I don't want to pull it and start drilling holes to put one in. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Ron :confused: :confused: :confused:

Use multi-viscosity oil and don't worry about it.
Auto10x

Auto10x,

I do use multiviscosity racing oil but I like to run the car once in a while in the Winter and with all the rain we have here I am forced to do it in the garage. That makes it hard to really get the oil up to operating temp as the exhaust is just to much. I am working on an exhaust vent system for the replica now as I already have one for the 69 Cobra. I just thought if there was some easy way to keep the oil somewhat warm it would cut down on the time I have to run it setting still. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Ron :)

Ron
www.lefthanderchassis.com 815-389-9999
part #011-23996 500W Heating pad $53.00

Scottj,

Thanks a million for the link. I think that is exactly what I am looking for but so far I can't get into the site. I have tried three times and it keeps timing out with a site overload or service error message. I will try again later and thanks again.

Ron :) :) :)

I can't get in right now either so I added the ph. #. It's a Moroso product, 5x7 500 w. they also have a 6x12 360watt, and a 2x15 150 watt. I have the 500 watt pad on one car and the in tank style in the other car, the in tank works alot better.
Scott

Being rediculously compulsive about my oiling, i too looked into an oil warming system. I thought about the warming pad, but decided while they probably work well around a cylindrical dry sump tank, i doubt they can be attached tightly to an oil sump, with all that wind and such down there. So i got a plug in oil heater from Stef's, took my Avaid pan off, took it to a welding shop, the guy said he could weld in the threaded bung, so i then used my British concise hole punch, and popped a hole in the sump and left it for him to weld in. Came back, turned out i thought my sump was aluminum, but it is actually a shiny steel, so he couldn't weld my aluminum bung to it, (you can get a steel one), so he melted a corner of my sump trying, finally got a big NPT fitting welded in, but it was the wrong thread!!. so i just got a brass NPT plug, and there it sits to this day.

So, i bought a nice low heater fan, at a boating store, and when i anticipate driving the next morning ina cold temp, i just put the heater fan on low, push it under the motor, and it keeps my engine warm.

Many years ago, with my TR-4, which would not start much below freezing, and was living in Nebraska, i would set my alarm, and go out several times in the middle of the cold nights, start the engine, warm it up, and turn it off, and go back to bed, and do it again several times at night. Had a heated dipstick, once absently mindedly wiped it off with my fingers, and with the resulting burn, could not use my left hand for about a week until it healed.

Ah, the travial of a primative English motoring device.

I had my pan off during rebuild. Had pan modified for screw in heater.Havent tried it yet.

Guys,

Thanks for the information. I have no doubt the in pan heater would be the best but just don't want to do all that work as it is rare that we get below 20 degrees up here.

Hal,

We must think somewhat alike. I took two 500 watt heat lamps out and put them under the pan on each side and left them for about an hour and it was amazing what a difference that made. I like the heater fan even better and may go look around here and see if I can find one. What was the output of your's and what brand did you get ?

Thanks,

Ron

Ron, i don't know the output, it has one fan on switch, and two heater switches, and a rheostat for setting the automatic on/off depending on the temps. But it is only about three inches tall, and i never run it on really hot anyway, just on a low setting, it does fine leting warm air rise up around the engine. Of course, in SC, my garage rarely gets down to freezing. When not using it, i put it in front of the Weimerainer, who sleeps right next to my SPF, guarding it from marauding mice and pesky squirrels and the like.

I don't recall that it was expensive, i got it a a boater's supply place, they use them in small compartments in boats i guess.

hal

Thanks Hal,

I will give a couple of the boat shops and repair places around here today and ask them if they have anything like that. They should have.

Ron

Ron

Why don't you simply install a block heater? They are very cheap and fit right into one of the frost plug (freeze plug) holes on the side of the block. Installation is quick and very simple. Plug it in for an hour or so and the engine will be nice and warm. It heats the coolant, not the oil, but it will accomplish the same thing, a preheated engine.

These block heaters are normally used up here in cars that are parked outside in the winter. Most people up here only use them when night time temps drop down lower than -25 or -30. Even at that temperature it is only necessary to plug the heater in for an hour or two before starting the engine.

Wayne

Wayne,

I am going to check on that option also. As I said before, we seldom have temperatures that get below 20 degrees and rain is my big reason for running the cars in the garage. My problem is I live in an area of Automotive Idiots. Everything I try to get I have to spend an hour explaing what it is. Example. Called Franklins, the largest auto parts store around here and asked if they had oil thermostats in stock. Three people later one of their experts told me I wanted a sending unit for my gauge and they weren't called thermostats. Called Kragans and asked the same question. Reply, what is an oil thermostat. I told him and a minute later another person came on the line and asked what an oil cooler was. I just hung up and quit for the day. Since I am going to have to go through a long explamation for a block heater I have not called about them yet.

Thanks,

Ron :JEKYLHYDE **)