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Oil Heater Blanket?

Hello -

This thread on engine heaters :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...deas-6040.html

Made me want to ask about this :

Pegasus - Heater Blanket, 2.5 x 20" - 200 watts, 120 volts
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/Images/L/3920.JPG

Quote:

Getting proper oil flow while warming up a cold engine can be difficult. The viscosity of cold oil can be high enough to cause the oil pump to cavitate which results in greatly reduced oil flow to the bearings and camshaft. Because of the high viscosity, your pressure gauge may show high pressure, but that does not necessarily mean that the engine is getting an adequate volume of oil. This is especially critical on racing engines because of the large bearing clearances that are often used. Pre-heating the oil in the oil tank of a dry sump engine is a great way to prevent this problem.
Our Small Heater Blanket is rated at 200 watts / 120 volts AC. This size is recommended for our medium oil tank or other tanks of similar size. Comes completely assembled with cord and plug.
Note: These heater blankets cannot be shortened by cutting. Plugging them in for more than 30 seconds when they are not in contact with a heat sink (such as an oil tank) will overheat them and severely reduce their life.

Pros :

1 - $52 is an ok price for a heater (right?!?!?)
2 - Appears to be flexible for installation, you just need to have a 20" flat part of the oil pan to attach it to.

Cons :

1 - Fragile. Easy to damage from overheating if it "disconnects/falls off" the oil pan.
2 - Easy to literally get burned from using it. At least that's my impression.

CarloSW2

Wow, I was thinking about this very thing the other day....

I was also considering using the defroster heating elements from a dead refrigerator.... :D

The eleproducts timer only works if you already have a car with a block heater installed.

How does the heater blanket stick to the oil pan? Does it have to sit on top of it, or do you make your own mounting setup for it?

McTimson -

Quote:

Originally Posted by McTimson (Post 73084)

The eleproducts timer only works if you already have a car with a block heater installed.

How does the heater blanket stick to the oil pan? Does it have to sit on top of it, or do you make your own mounting setup for it?

That's a good question. Here is one way, but I don't like it because I want to be able to remove it easily :

Pegasus - Self Bonding Silicone Tape, 1 inch x 36 ft roll
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/Images/M/3929.JPG

Quote:

Our silicone rubber tape bonds to itself without messy adhesive and without sticking to other materials. Recommended for wrapping over heater blankets as a means of protecting them and holding them tightly to the oil tank. Great for insulating odd-shaped electrical connections, including the back of your master battery switch. No adhesive means no residue when the tape is removed, so it could even be used to temporarily hold odd-shaped parts together during bonding operations.

In my addled brain I was imagining a setup where I could "push" the blanket onto the heater with some kind of support and jack mechanism. When I go to work, I just turn it off, undo the "jack", and pull it out from under the car.

But, my problem may be that because I haven't seen how it is used, it may not be easy to install as I imagine.

More hrmmmmmmmm ... It looks like it wouldn't work for where I would want to install it :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...2&d=1227058595

The exposed part of the oil pan does not have a 20" long flat section, which is what I think I would need. Sooooo, I think this would make more sense on a larger-displacement engine.

CarloSW2

Carlos,
This is the product you are looking for.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pr...08474396672419

They also make stick on ones that are more square, mine is and I think it would fit on your car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by McTimson (Post 73084)

How does the heater blanket stick to the oil pan? Does it have to sit on top of it, or do you make your own mounting setup for it?

I just put one on my truck, it comes with a peel off sticker that has glue underneath, then you apply RTV silicone around the edge to keep it sealed.

On an aside, I think heating the oil is better than heating the coolant because the coolant will come up to temp faster because the water jacket is clooser to the "fire" in the cylinder than the oil sump and the oil sump is attached to the block by a long thin piece of steel.

I have a diesel and it shuts off the fuel when coasting in gear and there is a noticible bigger amount of engine braking when the engine is cold than when warm, even in the summer. That drag is pumping oil and really not much else.

Duffman -

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duffman (Post 73112)

Carlos,
This is the product you are looking for.

Canadian Tire

They also make stick on ones that are more square, mine is and I think it would fit on your car.

Thanks! It's in the same price range and is "designed" to be yanked off by hand (i'd probably use mittens) :

http://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/8068/...9830801465.jpg

Quote:

Features
* Ideal for engine blocks, oil pans, small engines, transmissions, drains, pipes, under cover applications
* Magnetically "sticks" anywhere you need it to heat oil, coolant, hydraulic fluid
* 200 watt - 120V AC
* Built in thermostat maintains optimum temperature -- will not exceed 250F (121C)
* Quick grip handle protects hands from heat
* Dimensions: 4-3/8 x 2½ x H 3" (11 x 6 x 7.5cm) including handle
* 6" (15cm) cord
* CSA approved

Time to do some measuring.

CarloSW2

I have one of those magnetic block heaters. one little detail is they say your suppose to take it off every time you use it. I was thinking about running a piece of wire around it to strap it down.

the engine heater stuff for an injected engine seems redundant for thier design..they are all delayed "up top" meaning they hang onto heat...gathers fast. If you have a carb engine,or small diesel, the heater is always a thought. the oil may never even warm up sometimes...

I spotted a 200w volt reducer from 120 to 12v(power invertor.) start the cold car, plug that in right away, and have something 200w heater related near the air intake, the engine takes care of itself after that...faster than the heater. The engine loses heat to its timing and design.. hence some may call some cars warm and other's not, even with the same engine and good heat system (no errors).

I seek one for an old carb...I have the invertor, needs a wiff of warm beyond the hot choke to speed up frigid starts...simply.What to plug in...

I had a block heater similar to this on my diesel smart car. It sticks on their REALLY well. Like.. Retardedly well. I noticed the smart would warm up much more quickly.