Engine Warmers

[Alan Young]

Question, a clever grandson, thought I ought to think about an engine/g'box warmer, to keep my pride and joy, ready for those fine Winter days that tempt me out to enjoy myself.

 

Alan

[RogerH]

Hi Alan,

I'm sure it is still available but know not where - an electric immersion heater in the rad down pipe connected to the mains electric.

 

Roger

[Fireman049]

Do Kenlowe still make the engine heaters?

 

Tom.

[RobH]

A quick web search comes up with many options e.g.:

 

http://www.t7design.co.uk/products/heating/engine-heaters-240v/2kw-240v-engine-pre-heater-with-circulation-pump.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Simate-230V-Preheater-1000W-S-8003A/dp/B013ZICIVC/ref=pd_day0_263_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MWDEAT6GZ52J8JHY28KQ

https://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/engine-pre-heaters/wolverine-heaters-engine-oil-pre-heater

Edited December 2, 2017 by RobH

[Charlie D]

Being a very keen DIY sort of person (and one who would rather make it myself than spend money on a ready made item) I set about designing my own in the mid 1970s. I used a kettle element (borrowed from the EMI stores), inside a die cast aluminium box (made by Edystone Radio, if I remember correctly.) I fixed some sort of bulkhead pipefittings at each end and connected pipes to the fittings and into the engine water system somehow.

 

I filled everything with water (or so I thought) and plugged it into the mains. After about 2 minutes steam started coming out of the seam between the aluminium box and it’s lid. It all got quite violent and not long after that the plug shot out of the end of the kettle element . This was a safety feature of kettle elements in the 1970’s.

 

I never did get the bleeding process quite right and in the end I gave up.

 

I found a 60 watt light bulb, (in a suitable shield) placed under the sump was all that was needed to keep the oil slightly warm allowing the engine to turn over easily in the winter.

 

Charlie D

Edited December 2, 2017 by Charlie D

[Alan Young]

Hi Charlie

 

What brilliant idea

 

Thank you

 

A

[TR5tar]

I don't know about the immersion type heaters, but in a similar fashion to Charlie with his light bulb I've occasionally used a green house type pip heater on very cold nights when I think I might take the car out next day. Not sure if it really makes much difference, but doesn't hurt. This is the type ... https://www.screwfix.com/p/dimplex-ecot2ft-wall-mounted-tubular-heater-80w/1796F?tc=MA2&ds_rl=1249799&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249481&gclid=CjwKCAiAu4nRBRBKEiwANms5WxXkju3s6l_ADySj2ccZzNpTuzJAenQZax2nZ6uYHGPobS1DKuw65BoCvMMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CNmjmIGv69cCFcypUQodndEM9g

Edited December 2, 2017 by TR5tar

[Guest ntc]

They are all a fire hazard waiting to happen.

[RogerH]

Being a very keen DIY sort of person (and one who would rather make it myself than spend money on a ready made item) I set about designing my own in the mid 1970s. I used a kettle element (borrowed from the EMI stores), inside a die cast aluminium box (made by Edystone Radio, if I remember correctly.) I fixed some sort of bulkhead pipefittings at each end and connected pipes to the fittings and into the engine water system somehow.

 

I filled everything with water (or so I thought) and plugged it into the mains. After about 2 minutes steam started coming out of the seam between the aluminium box and it’s lid. It all got quite violent and not long after that the plug shot out of the end of the kettle element . This was a safety feature of kettle elements in the 1970’s.

 

I never did get the bleeding process quite right and in the end I gave up.

 

I found a 60 watt light bulb, (in a suitable shield) placed under the sump was all that was needed to keep the oil slightly warm allowing the engine to turn over easily in the winter.

 

Charlie D

Hi Charlie,

we must meet up and swap stories. I like the idea of steam issuing from the nether regions of the engine bay.

 

Roger

[Charlie D]

Roger,

 

I’d buy you a pint in the Hambro, if I could, but I see it’s closed down. No doubt when EMI closed there were no more customers left.

 

I’ll make a point of looking out for you at the next International. (You must be easy to spot in that hat.)

 

Charlie.

[Motorsport Mickey]

Back in the days I used to sell to the NHS and supplied quite a few vans with the Kenlowe water heater. If you used to call into hospitals or even GPs car parks you'd see a number of the vehicles plugged into the mains snug and warm ready for an emergency call and an instant start. The small immersion heater (1k) fits in line between radiator and engine block and takes about 20 min to bring the onboard water up to about 70 deg. I got so fed up with driving 4 miles with an ice cold engine and heater on the firms car (Diesel Multipla) that I fitted one myself and enjoyed it's winter use. I used to have a timer trip it on at 7am and by 8am the later models supplied relay had activated the cars heater system and started the heater blower of the car which as long as you remembered to leave the controls on windscreen demist also used the heated water to thaw out any ice on the windscreen.

I also used a drop over steering wheel memo card to remind me to unplug the device and best fitting practice is to have the plug pushed into the car from the front as long as your direction of travel is next going to be backwards allowing a chance it will self remove if you forget, I did once and it worked. Costs about £250 plus fitting ( maybe another £150).

For modern fitments there is also a Waeco engine heater which is self contained and works off the on board fuel source (just like the truck cab night heaters) and will work off a timer or even can be connected by SIM card to your mobile phone so you can dial the car and start the heater remotely, (this is popular in the NHS) as you respond to a call out from your home. Lots more expensive, last one I did was over £850.

 

Given the choice of having the car sat there like a kettle for 4 months whilst you wait for spring and then having to clean the salt residue off the car and chrome (even on dry sunny winters days it's on the roads, salt and grit work better if applied before snow comes) before it goes back into the garage (I always forget) mines gone into the Carcoon and will emerge again in April.

 

Mick Richards

[classic225]

I don't know how cold it gets where you live, but just keep your shop heating at a higher temp. ,keep it around 12 C and everything should be nice and warm. I use a block heater if we leave our vehicles outside at work or for longer periods, but only if the temp. drops below -15 C. I drove my P1800 at minus 31 C but I have no desire to use the TR even just below freezing.

You can buy aftermarket block heaters, and they don.t keep the water warm, they keep your oil liquid. Be aware that they eat lots of electricity.

Yves

[Guest]

The Scandinavians have something called Calix. Just google for that and use Translate. Calix produces numerous preheaters and are easily available in the Scandinavian automotive shops

[Alec Pringle]

Hi Menno,

 

link to English language website -

 

http://www.calix.se/en/vehicles/cars

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[Tom Fremont]

 

 

 

 

I found a 60 watt light bulb, (in a suitable shield) placed under the sump was all that was needed to keep the oil slightly warm allowing the engine to turn over easily in the winter.

 

Charlie D

Same here, atop a block of wood to get it as close as possible to the sump.

 

The show car gets a blower type heater set to a warm, not hot setting under the nose of its car cover, ensuring against condensation on the engine / bay's plated bits. Keeps everything at a nice temperature at startup for its weekly runs, conditions permitting. Ersatz carcoon as it were.

 

With these measures both of mine are used year round, salt and wet excepting, with 20W-50 oil in the sumps.

 

Cheers,

Tom

[Guest]

Hi Menno,

 

link to English language website -

 

http://www.calix.se/en/vehicles/cars

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

 

Ha! I didn't even search for the English part of the site. Even better so! Back in the 80s, when I drove my first Saab, I went to Sweden quite a few times for car parts. I visited quite some Bil Skrotar (junk yards) for parts.

The trick was to pay with liquor! That was much cheaper for me. And I tried to learn Swedish; speaking and reading. A remarkably easy language to master. The lack of articles in front of nouns makes it a little difficult sometimes. But that's easily overcome as well. So when I open a website in Swedish, my first reaction is not 'look for a translation...'

 

M