Block Heater Cord

[TheHandyHobbit 49]

Have any of you disassembled the Block Heater Cord? Mine is starting to experience stress where the wiring enters the plug. I'm assuming it comes apart since it has a plastic hex nut threaded into the plug body that is designed to accept a wrench. Seems pretty simple except I didn't know what to expect inside. Didn't want to open it up only to find it doesn't go back together without excessive grief.

 

 

[tolsen 630]

Gland is at cable end. There must be means to open out from the front. Should not be much rocket science to these. 

[Willys 747]

I may be replacing mine also, and am thinking just maybe the household type plug is a better design, simply because IF you do somehow forget to unplug the cable and drive away I will simply unplug and fall away and not rip the plug out of the car?
Just a thought..?

 

[TheHandyHobbit 49]

16 hours ago, tolsen said:

Gland is at cable end. There must be means to open out from the front. Should not be much rocket science to these. 

 

Correct. By removing the hex nut from the cable end and then carefully holding the "Gland" (protected with a cloth) with a set of channel locks, you can spin the barrel and un-thread it. It didn't come apart easily as there are 3 rubber grommets tightly holding it all together. I left the wiring as is, since it was still working. The insulation sheath on the cable had broken where it was connected to the clamp. I simply put the cable in the sun to warm it up and then worked (stretched) a long section of the sheath towards the plug until the 2 met again, as shown below.

 

 

Sorry, not a very exciting thread, but maybe someone else has the same problem.

 

 

[Tedder 6]

Hey Gang. I looked up this old thread because I plugged in my block heater yesterday evening and saw a flash under the rear end with a sizzling sound, and then blew a fuse (in the house, not on the car). Scared that I may have fried the SAM, etc. I started it up. She's a bit shaky starting in the cold, but so far so good.

 

All that being said, I know I have fried mt block heater, so no longer have need for the cord. If anyone wants it, let me know. Tedder in Brockville

[Willys 747]

Just buy a new glue on heater pad and rewire it in and keep using the block heater cord and plug at the front...why not...?

[Tedder 6]

On 12/2/2019 at 4:55 PM, Willys said:

Just buy a new glue on heater pad and rewire it in and keep using the block heater cord and plug at the front...why not...?

Hey Willys. I have considered doing something like that to add heat when it may be a bit cold to start my BB.  But I am retired, and I have very few commitments that I need to get to (on very cold days when she may not start). I have not looked into any options. Plus, my wife has a car that I can usually use if I need to get somewhere. Since I don't want to crawl around under the thing in the cold and snow anyway, my inclination is to let her sit out the cold days, and carry on when the weather is more hospitable. If things change, I may need to rethink my plans.

[Willys 747]

OK, great so wait until the warmer weather, drive it either to me or glen and we'll crawl under your car stick new pad on and rewire it and you drive away.....easy peasy.....it's a 30 minute job I bet....I think the company I purchased my pads from was polar heating pads or something like that.....I'll check....here it is...

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Canadian-Polar-CP512-250-Watts-Heater/dp/B015CXHG06

 

Canadian tire also sells them but they are more money....I use two, this one I believe on my oil pan and a small narrower and longer version on my radiator lower tank and less powerful.   But I get an easy start up and heat from heater faster seeing as I have a warmer coolant supply .....just saying, just a suggestion....

[TheHandyHobbit 49]

Uncle Glenn installed my Polar Pad over 5 years ago. He had them on hand. I don't have a garage, so anything below -10, I plugged it in for 2 hours and even when it went down to -20 or lower it started right up after 1 cycle of the glow plugs just like it was July. BUT.........after sitting outside all day at work, it struggled to start even after 4 cycles of the glow plugs. As Willys said; "Canadian Tire sells them". They are $125 there. From what I know; Canadian Tire installs pretty much all automotive products that they sell. I'd check that option out.

[LooseLugNuts 557]

easy to install yourself....buy a new oil pan with drain from aliexpress...then glue it on a nice clean pan in the comfort of your kitchen

 

oil pan on diesel 450 takes 10 minutes to change

[Willys 747]

28 minutes ago, LooseLugNuts said:

easy to install yourself....buy a new oil pan with drain from aliexpress...then glue it on a nice clean pan in the comfort of your kitchen

 

oil pan on diesel 450 takes 10 minutes to change

NO it doesn't.....!!!!!

 

All but 2 or 3 of my bolts came out without a fight ...the last few were bad..the heads crumbled  while removing and the last one had to have a nut welded onto it then a bolt to that just to be able to get it to turn....luckily it came out or I'd be one short of a load and it would be siliconed on permanantly without it.....what a nasty job!  I still have the burns on my forearm where the splatter ran down my sleeve!  But I did install new drain plugged oil pan with brand new bolts and reglued my heat pad back into position.

Yes it would be an easy job IF the bolt heads stayed intact....but they were all rusted.   beware.....I nearly punched a hole in my pan before trying to undo, lucky i didn't ........lol.....That would have been an even bigger repair...lol

 

[LooseLugNuts 557]

mine both came off easy peasy