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Originally Posted by roflwaffle
the same amount of heat over a longer time will result in a better distribution of heat through the engine. The thermal conductivity of Fe also drops as the temperature increases, which could exacerbate this.
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I think the inline or frost plug installation is best for that reason - heating the water jacket is the best way to spread the energy throughout the block as evenly as possible. My external bolt-on heater is probably the worst, in terms of uneven heating & the stresses that result (not to mention far less efficient).
If heating up quickly is a bad thing in terms of wear, then this 800w unit pales in comparison to simply starting up a cold engine.
Quote:
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I imagine both are better than nothing in the cold.
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(I think you're saying the same thing there.)
Another point I often bring up: I don't use the block heater only for reasons of fuel / wear reduction. I
really like being warm sooner.