Do I need a block heater?

Ethan Keuning said:

I have received conflicting opinions on if I need a block heater or not. Once she's done boing built, I'm going to be driving the square to school every morning at 6:30 AM. In Michigan, it gets pretty cold, so I'm wondering, do I need a block heater to make sure the engine is warm enough to start my carbureted engine? I would rather not have to drive my dads Hyundai Elantra to school on the coldest mornings!

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Ethan Keuning said:

I have received conflicting opinions on if I need a block heater or not. Once she's done boing built, I'm going to be driving the square to school every morning at 6:30 AM. In Michigan, it gets pretty cold, so I'm wondering, do I need a block heater to make sure the engine is warm enough to start my carbureted engine? I would rather not have to drive my dads Hyundai Elantra to school on the coldest mornings!

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A block heater will allow your heater to start working much sooner, and in super cold weather it will give you quicker cold starts, but if your carb empties it's float bowl, either it is seeping out, or you have a fuel percolation problem. If it is your fuel pump that is losing it's prime, then the inlet side's check valve is bad, which allows fuel to seep back to the tank.

Should you decide to install a block heater, I would recommend a Zerostart tank type heater. Thermostatic control, 1500W and easy to install. They work well.



This model 2204037, will do the job. Price shop, many vendors selling it at different prices.

Is that the recirculating type? Or where does it go?

Ethan Keuning said:

I have received conflicting opinions on if I need a block heater or not. Once she's done boing built, I'm going to be driving the square to school every morning at 6:30 AM. In Michigan, it gets pretty cold, so I'm wondering, do I need a block heater to make sure the engine is warm enough to start my carbureted engine? I would rather not have to drive my dads Hyundai Elantra to school on the coldest mornings!

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I'm going to preface this by saying I didn't read all the responses but I think I may have some useful information.

No you do not NEED a block heater, but you may want one. My wife grew up in Chicago and lived the first part of her adult life there, At her childhood home in the city there was only street parking so no one had block heaters. Her tip was to make damn sure the choke was working correctly and the ignition system strong, and battery (actually her tip was to take it to a mechanic for a check over in the fall) she drove a mid-60's Dodge with points, way lower ignition system voltage and much slower cranking starters than our squares. Her biggest concern was the snow plows plowing her in and having to dig the car out, no she was not concerned about it not starting. Later she would move outside the city to house with a driveway but no garage, there she was able to plug in her block heater, said she felt plugging it in was more of pain than it was worth from a starting prospective except to note that she thought it warmed up and defrosted quicker with less idling faster. Based on that I would not be afraid to rely on a well tuned carbureted vehicle.

AuroraGirl said:

Something I noticed beings I use my truck for plowing, my fuel pump lets gas return to the tank when cold.. gasket/seals probably internally shrink enough to let fuel drainback, but it doesnt do it when warm. I added a check valve and will report how well it works when it gets really cold. We had a cold snap today so i will go test it soon. I would have to crank engine first, then use my pedal to get fuel because the fuel wouldnt be in the line/filter when i went to set the choke and squirt fuel in. Something to keep in mind

EDIT: just confirmed it helped startup, I actually flooded it by over priming but that tells me gas stayed up there. success?

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All other places on the internet claim how men mansplain things to women. Here, we just all try to keep up with the womens knowledge on trucks.... Maybe not everyone, but me? I need some auroragirlsplainin at times

My 06 Ram diesel has the block heater. If I plug in the heater at night, the coolant temp will be about 100 degrees in the morning. I have verified this with a scan tool, just to satisfy my curiosity. I’m sure the coolant in the radiator will still be ambient temp.

I went on a weeklong snowmobile trip in Wright Minnesota (about 30 miles west of Duluth). The WARMEST it got that week was 15 below zero. The glow plugs did stay on much longer than they normally would here in Indiana, but the truck started normally. If a diesel will start after sitting a week in well below zero temp, there is no reason a properly tuned, properly maintained gas truck won’t start.

I don’t play around with batteries. I load test the battery (or batteries) in my vehicles every fall, and replace them at the slightest decline. I also don’t cut corners on the CCA rating, get at least what came factory.

I got 9 years out of the original batteries on my Ram, I just replaced them again last fall after one failed a load test. I’d rather replace them in my driveway at my convenience, as opposed to the parking lot at work in the rain or snow.

When did batteries get so expensive?! I spent 320 on a pair of 950 CCA Duracell, and those weren’t the most expensive batteries they offered. The puny battery in my neon was 80 bucks.

Shitcan it. LS Swap.

TX87R10 said:

All other places on the internet claim how men mansplain things to women. Here, we just all try to keep up with the womens knowledge on trucks.... Maybe not everyone, but me? I need some auroragirlsplainin at times

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ill splain

Matt69olds said:

My 06 Ram diesel has the block heater. If I plug in the heater at night, the coolant temp will be about 100 degrees in the morning. I have verified this with a scan tool, just to satisfy my curiosity. I’m sure the coolant in the radiator will still be ambient temp.

I went on a weeklong snowmobile trip in Wright Minnesota (about 30 miles west of Duluth). The WARMEST it got that week was 15 below zero. The glow plugs did stay on much longer than they normally would here in Indiana, but the truck started normally. If a diesel will start after sitting a week in well below zero temp, there is no reason a properly tuned, properly gas truck won’t start.

I don’t play around with batteries. I load test the battery (or batteries) in my vehicles every fall, and replace them at the slightest decline. I also don’t cut corners on the CCA rating, get at least what came factory.

I got 9 years out of the original batteries on my Ram, I just replaced them again last fall after one failed a load test. I’d rather replace them in my driveway at my convenience, as opposed to the parking lot at work in the rain or snow.

When did batteries get so expensive?! I spent 320 on a pair of 950 CCA Duracell, and those weren’t the most expensive batteries they offered. The puny battery in my neon was 80 bucks.

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Good idea replacing in pairs... ive seen a ****** battery joined to a good battery and hte ****** one knocked the life out of the good one. In a diesel setup that is. Im not sure if it put undue load on the good one or if the poor one is wired in series and it pulls from the good battery. AH and maybe even voltage would be different enough to shoot themselves in the heel maybe

Ethan Keuning said:

I have received conflicting opinions on if I need a block heater or not. Once she's done boing built, I'm going to be driving the square to school every morning at 6:30 AM. In Michigan, it gets pretty cold, so I'm wondering, do I need a block heater to make sure the engine is warm enough to start my carbureted engine? I would rather not have to drive my dads Hyundai Elantra to school on the coldest mornings!

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If your engine is in good shape and you have everything tuned up you shouldn't need the help of a block heater. Yes it will be an easier start, but it will start without one. Even with a timer they will still run up the electric bill. I live in Wyoming and my square does fine in the cold without one.

More important than a block heater is having the correct oil for winter and summer. Having a heavier summer weight oil in the winter time is hard on the engine, oil pump, oil pump drive shaft, etc. because the thicker oil is harder to push through the oil gallery and bearings and won't lubricate as well until it warms up and thins out. Thats why GM put a recommended oil viscosity chart in the owners manual and service manuals and it covers temps below -20°F. They were made to handle cold starts. Heres the chart from the 1980 factory service manual.

The op never came back to all the replies

82sbshortbed said:

The op never came back to all the replies

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bummer

If you have one you have the option to use one.
Up where it gets cold they help to make it to work on time because your truck will start without a boost but after sitting at work all day make sure your buddies don’t all leave before you in case it won’t go.
Remote starters a awesome! Some have timers to start up every so many hours.

From the "Great White North"
First time you crank the engine in -25c, which is a lot of the time up here in winter you will know the answer.
Spending hours and $$$ in mornings, freezing your butt trying to get some place, Sucks!

Zoomalot said:

From the "Great White North"
First time you crank the engine in -25c, which is a lot of the time up here in winter you will know the answer.
Spending hours and $$$ in mornings, freezing your butt trying to get some place, Sucks!

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I remember leaving work one day and my car with a brand new north star battery in it just turned so slowly and noisy, it was -35f and I had been at work for 17 hours so it was COLD. I boosted about 5 people on my way out of work. This was my old park avenue