Engine block heater installation.

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Carolina Watercraft Works - 12 Dec 2005 21:04 GMT

Just recently purchased the OEM block heater for my
'01 Ram QC 4x4 2500 with 360....anyone ever installed
one of these that could offer up a few tips before I dive
right into it?

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Laszlo Almasi
Carolina Watercraft Works
Ice Angels

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Tom Lawrence - 12 Dec 2005 21:08 GMT

> Just recently purchased the OEM block heater for my
> '01 Ram QC 4x4 2500 with 360....anyone ever installed
> one of these that could offer up a few tips before I dive
> right into it?

Not much to it... drain the coolant (open up the block drains if you can -
it'll make less of a mess that way). Knock out a core plug of your choosing
(whichever is easiest to get to - and of course, one that's the same size as
the block heater - pretty sure only the ones on the back are larger).
Easiest way to remove them is to put a blunt punch (big, wide flat-blade
screwdriver works) on the edge of the plug and smack it with a hammer. The
plug should tilt out, and you can yank it out with pliers. If you didn't
get the block drains open, be prepared for more coolant to come pouring out.

Tap the new plug back in gently, making sure it's sitting even in the bore.
Now hook up the wires, and re-fill the coolant.

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Carolina Watercraft Works - 12 Dec 2005 21:15 GMT

Great Tom...I appreciate it. I figured it was pretty straight
forward and just as you described. Just wanted to make sure
I'm not going to run into something I didn't expect.

>> Just recently purchased the OEM block heater for my
>> '01 Ram QC 4x4 2500 with 360....anyone ever installed
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Tap the new plug back in gently, making sure it's sitting even in the
> bore. Now hook up the wires, and re-fill the coolant.

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Budd Cochran - 12 Dec 2005 21:40 GMT

Block heaters

If that's one of the units installed in the lower block, you might run
into the problem I had on a 318 V-8 my son had in a 72 Dart . . . only
one side of the block got warm from the heater, and the other side was
as cold as the rest of the outdoors.

So you might need to run a pair on your V-8. . . .we just fixed the
choke and crossover passage (unplugged it) instead.

Budd

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Tom Lawrence - 12 Dec 2005 22:24 GMT

> So you might need to run a pair on your V-8. . . .we just fixed the
> choke and crossover passage (unplugged it) instead.

Probably a good idea... the factory block heater came only on one side. I
forget what the heaters are rated at - might want to check and make sure
they won't overload a typical 15A circuit. I don't remember what the gas
engine heater elements draw - but I've seen references to block heaters
drawing 7-8A (though this is probably the larger element used in the Cummins
engines).

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ttravelor - 18 Dec 2005 17:00 GMT

> Just recently purchased the OEM block heater for my
> '01 Ram QC 4x4 2500 with 360....anyone ever installed
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Carolina Watercraft Works
> Ice Angels

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ttravelor - 18 Dec 2005 17:01 GMT

> Just recently purchased the OEM block heater for my
> '01 Ram QC 4x4 2500 with 360....anyone ever installed
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Carolina Watercraft Works
> Ice Angels

Still haven't heard from you Laszlo. Forget about me?

Tom
Beesley's Point Sea-Doo

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