Series 3 Block heater

So, Old Smoky is soon getting a new and shiny 2.25 diesel engine fitted. Since it can get a bit nippy up the khyber where I am (read: -25 during winter, and that's degrees C ), I was thinking I could fit a block heater or something similar. Is it at all possible? If so, how? Any specific make and model I should go for?

I have 2 heaters as mine are to provide overnight heating when we are camping, one is a Webasto from a rover 75 mounted on the passenger side footwell with the exhaust behind the wheel, the other is a 240v heater with its own pump. It is one like th elink below. As it was so cheap I took it apart to see if it was safe, I was pleasantly surpised, it was well made, [perhaps they make millions of them). I ran some tests and it heats the engine in around 30 minuits. It goes in the heater circuit. The reason for the 2 heaters is that we run the Webasto of the leisure battery or the 240v heater if there is electrical hook-up.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNIVERSA...=263974352493747089712e3d4f3aa780d085767c980a

I'm near Sankt Gallen ... i had the same issue so i bought 2 of the AEG 12v heater blowers, kept the screen clear but did F-all otherwise.. so i organised the correct adapters and pipes and re connected the old water heater ... works awesome!

Hot water systems for engine warming fall into two categories.
If money is no object then it’s the German manufacturers but if your tight like me then chose the Chinese copies.

My cheap Chinese block heater fitted:

Webasto is a top notch manufacturer (and the make they usually stick in buses up here...!), so I do believe that's a good suggestion. The price reflects the quality though, around £650 (fitting not included). With a power consumption of around 35 watts, taken from the car battery, it is actually quite interesting. My experience of Chinese products is limited, but I do believe you get what you pay for.

Living in Sweden, I should have thought you would be spoilt for choice in engine heaters? A sump heater would be a good idea too.

This is true, there's a lot of choice as such... but what I can use and what I should use are two very different things. If I, for example, take Old Smoky to the garage and tell them to put in a heater, they are most likely going to say that there is no way to connect a modern heater to the engine block or sump, because the engine is simply too old and has no connectors (or the like) fitted.

In short, I probably need to provide the solution, i e make and model.

I have Webasto Thermotop C from a Rover 75. A lot of the Rover 75 had them fitted and they are all now ending up in scrap yards. The benfit of the one from the Rover is that it works of a straight 12v signal not a canbus so you can fit your own switch. Buy one that works or with a warrenty as a lot are either locked out (easy to reset once you know) or the circuits are faulty and replacments are very costly. If yuou do go down the used Webasto route its worth building a test rig - plastic bucket, some hoses and a model fuel tank. You must buy the fuel pump and electical plugs with the Webasto, they cost a fortune separately and the fuel pump is a pulsed metering pump

Or spend £200 on a Chinese kit with remote control so you can switch it on from your living room, all brand new with all the connections and easy plug and play.
If tinkering is a requirement you could do worse than making it switch on the blower at the same time so the cab is also warming whilst you finish off your cup of tea.

Riggwelter said:

This is true, there's a lot of choice as such... but what I can use and what I should use are two very different things. If I, for example, take Old Smoky to the garage and tell them to put in a heater, they are most likely going to say that there is no way to connect a modern heater to the engine block or sump, because the engine is simply too old and has no connectors (or the like) fitted.

In short, I probably need to provide the solution, i e make and model.

Click to expand...

All you need is a generic block heater, there are many for sale on ebay and on Amazon, don't worry about a make or model, just make sure it is big enough for your size of engine. Mine is alleged to be 2KW. Connections? You just tee into the heater hoses, look at the picture I posted above. The Chinese ones come with tee connectors. Cheap enough to be worth an experiment. You can always upgrade later if you feel the need.

Check out this thread: https://www.lrukforums.com/threads/engine-preheater-on-2-25-diesel.245526/

Agreed, the narrow boat and camper forums are full of stuff on cheap Chinese heaters. The sum of it all is that it cheaper to buy a cheap Chinese one and risk the occasional failure (often under warrenty) than pay (literraly) 5x for an German one.
OK as a staunch pro Brexiteer who favours WTO of course I'd say that, but honestly the sums add up.