How do you get your car to warm up quickly?

[SVOboy]

A big old heat sink? Something like a WVO heating system but just for the coolant to wrap around the exhaust?

[Coyote X]

cut a pop can in half and clamp it to the tail pipe with a small hole about the size of a quarter in it

use a clamp though and not duct tape or it wont be on there for long...

From what my camaro ran like during the brief time I had restrictors duct taped over my exhaust it made it run good at low rpms. The other guy who tested them noticed his car warmed up a lot faster with them on. I think the main benefit would be just the improved warm up time so the hole just needs to be small enough to give a slight back pressure to help build up some heat.

I might test this out if it gets cold and stays that way around here. But tomorrow it is back into the 50's

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

A big old heat sink? Something like a WVO heating system but just for the coolant to wrap around the exhaust?

I was thinking that too.... But once you're warmed up - you're faced with a crap ton of extra heat being added to coolant as it enters the block...

Something like that - just regulated such that it can be turned off...

[SVOboy]

Well, use a solenoid with a switch, just like a WVO conversion eh? Or even a temp switch that bypasses the exhaust portion at ~170.

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

Well, use a solenoid with a switch, just like a WVO conversion eh? Or even a temp switch that bypasses the exhaust portion at ~170.

Perhaps I should read up a bit more on the WVO heat exchangers (I've only seen coolant type exchangers - does an exhaust type exist?).....

I'm not trying to be completely negative - just pointing out what I think are obvious problems in thought.... Do you think there'd be a problem with the isolated coolant boiling off (in general, causing pressure issues)?

[SVOboy]

No no, no exhaust type...I mean the coolant type but I set up the analogy badly...In our case the WVO would be the exhaust and instead of heating it we're stealing heat from it.

It's definately an issue. I think we'd have to worry about how hot the exhaust gets...I'm assuming pre-cat...Where does coolant boil at?

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

It's definately an issue. I think we'd have to worry about how hot the exhaust gets...I'm assuming pre-cat...Where does coolant boil at?

Depends on concentration of antifreeze, antifreeze type and pressure... But I've seen 50/50 mix @ 15psi brings the boiling point to ~275F (number floating around on the interwebs)... Which AFAIK is below precat temps...

[roflwaffle]

Heat exchangers are a PITA IMO, like Coyote X said restrictions are the way to go. Old domestics had a spring/flap on the exhaust for warm up, old skool internal EGR I guess. The flap would stay closed'ish and not all the hot gas would exit the combustion chamber until the manifold warmed up enough/the spring rate dropped enough and the flap popped open.

Edit- What about one of those cable actuated exhaust cutouts?

[Daox]

I think a block heater would be cheaper than most of the suggestions thus far.

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by Daox

I think a block heater would be cheaper than most of the suggestions thus far.

It's not an option for anyone that isn't near a plug :/