Block Heater! Sign Me Up!

[slurp812]

Originally Posted by zero_gravity

i've gotta get a block heater installed and a grill block in place....its nasty cold here right now (about -17C + windchill) and my FE has plummeted. i'm not even recording it, its embarrassing lol.

personally i'm looking into the pump style that circulates the coolant while heating it. much more efficient. just tap it into the heater core lines.

my car does not heat up well. no air so the rad is pretty exposed and its a manual so no oil cooler from the trans to help. BRRR!

Hey, I just posted a 27mpg tank! I post the good with the bad. I want to give people an idea of what a "normal" guy with a "normal" can can do in real-world commuting.

[dkjones96]

Originally Posted by zero_gravity

i've gotta get a block heater installed and a grill block in place....its nasty cold here right now (about -17C + windchill) and my FE has plummeted. i'm not even recording it, its embarrassing lol.

Yeah, but I bet the car runs fantastic at those temperatures, I love when it's cold, the Cressida used to just love running cold air like that!

[suspendedhatch]

The drain plug is in the radiator. You're putting it in your radiator?

[GasSavers_Erik]

I'm glad it will fit and that it was threaded!

Honda must have done an engine design change between my 1987 Civic's D15 engine and yours because my block drain plug is only about 15 mm.

[aalb1]

Originally Posted by suspendedhatch

The drain plug is in the radiator. You're putting it in your radiator?

??? tomato tomotto???
Maybe you're splitting hairs on what we call it but I know of two drain plugs for the coolant system. One on the radiator also known as the petcock, and one for the block's water jacket under the 4th exhaust port.

Originally from this thread

[aalb1]

Originally Posted by Erik

I'm glad it will fit and that it was threaded!

Honda must have done an engine design change between my 1987 Civic's D15 engine and yours because my block drain plug is only about 15 mm.

What's 15mm? The "head" of the drain plug where you put the socket and ratchet to remove it? Or is the threading 15mm?

I think the "head" of the drain plug is 17mm on mine and of course as I wrote up above the threading is 28mm.

By the way click the link... it says it fits an 87 civic.

[GasSavers_Erik]

The head of the bolt is 14 or 15 mm and I believe the threads are probably 12mm.

I just tried that compatibility questionaire and it told me that it did NOT fit my 87 Civic.

From page 14 of the chart- it looks like they changed the block in 88- that's the earliest Civic that it lists that the heater will fit.

[aalb1]

My bad... sorry if I got your hopes up.

[guest001]

is this really worth doing? the cost of operating it vs extra fuel used when its cold?? cost wise i mean. technically it would have to increase mileage.


wait is this necessarly for mileage or to be able to get in your car warm?? cause just cause the block is hot doesn't mean the o2 is hot. it's still going to take time to heat up the o2.

[theholycow]

For the small cost of buying and running it, it would be well worthwhile just for getting heat sooner. Whether it directly helps FE, or just makes me more comfortable and relaxed (and less likely to drive for faster warm-up instead of hypermiling)...I want one!