Getting the motor hot faster.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Experiment trumps theory. Get a car with a ScanGauge (so you can see exact temperature, rather than the ballpark estimate of most OEM "gauges"), try driving with and without radiator block, see how long it takes the engine to warm to operating temperature.

As I said above, it works in my Insight, but YMMV.

I did this with my Caravan - I blocked every hole available in the front of the van, and worked my way up the mountain near my house, locked in first gear at nearly redline, under load the whole time (very steep hill). At the top of the hill, I waited for 10 minutes, to allow heat soak because it's only 2 miles up there, parked facing a large enclosed trailer (to defeat wind). The van was previously driven, and only had about an hour cool down time before I took off up the mountain.

After 10 minutes, I checked the temps of my Caravan with my Actron 9190 scan tool... 210*F. I had a 190* T-stat installed. I later did the same run without the blocks installed, and the temps, under the same circumstances, were 206*F.

I don't think I had anything to worry about.

[gone-ot]

...in military driving school, they teach you that when the engine overheats, to immediately stop and shut the engine off...ie: "...turn OFF the FIRE..." that's the quickest way to cool down an engine, short of flooding everything with a hose and water.

...the quickest way to get an engine to warm up is to (ta,dah!) don't let it cool down, ie: use engine block heater, etc. while it's parked.

...also, using a "100%-closed" grille shutter at first also works, but you need to be very careful that it doesn't "stay" closed and also that it doesn't "stick" in some position.

[mechman600]

Originally Posted by Christ

If you didn't mean that as an insult, I'm sure I'm not the only one that read it that way...

I didn't at all mean it as an insult. And I apologize if I insulted anyone.

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...in military driving school, they teach you that when the engine overheats, to immediately stop and shut the engine off...ie: "...turn OFF the FIRE..." that's the quickest way to cool down an engine, short of flooding everything with a hose and water.

I've always been taught to run cabin heater at full blast and leave the engine idling so the water pump is still turning. I guess that's the difference between a small three or four cylinder with a big heater core, and a military truck which might burn more fuel at idle than I do at load.

[Christ]

The difference is also there when considering that your engine is aluminum, the military engines of old are not.

Aluminum will warp if not cooled under controlled circumstances. You could completely destroy your engine if you were to just shut it down, because it wouldn't cool evenly.

Iron engines aren't like that. You can overheat an iron block, and run it that way for a good long time, and not really suffer any irreparable engine damage.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...the quickest way to get an engine to warm up is to (ta,dah!) don't let it cool down, ie: use engine block heater, etc. while it's parked.

However, if your goal is to use less energy, that's being more than a little counter-productive. Your monthly gas bill goes down a buck, your electric bill goes up two.

[orange4boy]

Not to nitpick but using a block heater is generally less energy wasteful than not. Of course it depends on how much gas you save vs how many KWH you use and the cost of those KWH.

You can calculate the cost benefit fairly easily. Even if it's more expensive you can feel good that it's reducing emissions.

I'm lucky to have very cheap, clean electricity here in BC so I can blast away with the block heaters.