I’m not sure if I mentioned it previously so again… I found a 120VAC engine immersion heater (or block heater) on Missy a few weeks back.
How I found it was a bit odd.
Missy does NOT like to start when it is cool or cold. In my little world this is below about 50 degrees. The colder it is, the worse she behaves.
I will eventually install a diesel fired pre-heater to replace the one that she doesn’t have (but should). In the mean time, I purchased a magnetic stick on type electric heater. Not ideal but something.
I was laying under the engine poking around for a good place to stick on a magnetic heater when I spotted a 120VAC power cord that was bundled up and hanging – with the end snipped off.
Hmm… says I, I wonder what that might be for?
The cord was traced down and led to doohickey screwed into the intake manifold. The parts manuals had to be referenced and it turned out to be an engine immersion heater – some know this as a block heater.
YAY! Says I!
An immersion heater is WAY better than a magnetic heater.
A trip to the local hardware store had a new socket in hand and that was quickly installed on the cord.
I plugged it into shore power and there were no sparks – no smoke – and nothing caught on fire! This was looking good!
After a couple hours the immersion heater was clearly working as the engine block was showing some warming.
Until this week, I had not taken the time to do any data gathering – now I know a wee bit more.
At 0800 I plugged in the immersion heater.
Block temp: 37 degrees
Kill-A-Watt: 1200 watts
At 0930 I took some additional readings:
Block temp: 47 degrees
Kill-A-Watt: 1200 watts
Again at 1000, more readings.
Block temp: 48 degrees
Kill-A-Watt: 1200 watts
This photo is with the infrared thermometer pointing right at the point where the immersion heater screws into the manifold.
More time to gather more data would have been useful but… I was out of time.
The immersion heater is definitely working and Missy is SOOooooo much happier when I use it.
I used the block heater on JFBAM before we left from WV and before starting her in Kentucky the morning we woke and it was 14 degrees. I am not sure if it was necessary but I figured it was easier on her. Both times she started well. That was a really good find on Missy!
Yes indeed! A warm engine is a happy engine! 🙂
I do wonder why someone cut the plug off. They are great devices and sure help engines start when it is cold. Lucky find and good test you did. Still wondering what model Detroit you have in there.
No doubt!! She has a Detroit Diesel Series 60, 435 hp and Allison B500R transmission (with retarder)
Likely, the reason the end was clipped off, is because there is a junction box below the rear engine release lever with a flapper door on it. Way down in the lower left corner of the opening with the access door open, very near and to the left of the jumper stud for battery positive for jumping a dead battery.
Also nearby, is the lower release handle for the secondary wastewater tank that you may have likely removed already, but it is there as factory installations call for it.
That box has a connector inside it where the plug connects to an external outlet plug for AC, and is also covered by that protective flap.
It’s not particularly easily accessible, and may have come loose in the fixture that holds the plug in place in the housing. When that happens, the wiring can twist inside and either short out, or become dangerous.
It may be that that happened, and it created the need to clip it off to avoid a dead short, or, other similar connection issue.
If you were to examine that junction box, I’m sure you’d find that it is an effective and much better way to fix your unit as the factory intended.
Fellow E/J Coach owner. Mark 🙂
Thanks Mark! I’m sure you are right. I spotted that plug a while back and assumed it was some sort of heater for the wastewater tank – given it’s location. I hadn’t connected it to the immersion heater. Good call! That plug is terribly corroded and falling apart so probably the reason for being disconnected.
I’m going to wire the heater to my house breaker panel and install a switch in the house electric control panel (eventually) so I can run it from shore power and control from inside.