Thinking of adding a block heater to the 3000

Royse

Well-known Member
1974 3 cylinder 3000 gasser.
I was thinking of adding a block heater.
What are my best options?
Freeze plug heater, in hose heater?
I'm not a fan of dipstick heaters, although they are easy.
I've got a magnetic oil pan type heater I could use if needed.
The tractor starts fine, I'm looking to reduce cold startup wear.
10 degrees here this morning. What are you using?
 
Zerostart is the premier brand, look on page 56, #3100065.

All sorts of places to buy them, O'Reilly's, ebay, Amazon, etc, $20 and up.
Heat it up
 
Frost plug heaters work good if you can find one that fits, but I switched to all lower hose heaters and
they do a great job. Plug them in for an hour and the way you go.
 
Freeze plug heaters are the least intrusive, and generally work very well. Only downside to a freeze plug heater is no thermostat - once you plug it in, it's energized continuously. Remote tank heaters will have an integral thermostat, but will require that you find a place to mount it.

Myself, I'd use a block heater in conjunction with a "thermocord". This is a cord that uses a thermostat mounted in a remote location in the cooling system to keep your engine at your specified temp. This would give the best of both worlds.

Thermocords can be found on page 52 of the linked catalog:
Thermocords
 
If it's cold enough for you to need a heater.... put a 600W frost plug heater in it and e done of it. If it's cold that will take long enough
to warm it up.

Rod
 
If you can find a way to put one of these tank style heaters in you will like it better than bottom hose or freeze plug and tank type is a lot easier to
replace than freeze plug heater if it has to be replaced .
a150680.jpg
 
1974 block should take a 1-1/2" frostplug style heater. The OEM unit is cheap and comes with directions as to where and how.
 
I use the block/frost plug heaters.
Install it in the hole closest to the
starter. An hour or two with it plugged in
and my little 3000D will start like it's
July.
You can buy them at Napa, etc but I like the
ones from the dealer. Napa ones come with
about a 6' cord that you have to bundle up
or wrap around and tie off. Dealer ones come
with about a 1' cord so a cleaner install.
Price is about the same or maybe a few bucks
more at CNH.
 
I have a Kats in the lower radiator hose on both my Kubotas and they do a great job. If you get them, install them with the electrical connection facing up. I also cover the nose of the tractor with an old quilt to keep the radiator from bleeding too much heat off. I also believe it is easier on any tractor to start warm.
 
I've never understood the fondness some people have for lower radiator hose heaters. If you think about it, in order for these things to work properly, it has to circulate water through the radiator, because that's where it's drawing the cold water from. This means that it would have to get the water hot enough to open the thermostat. Obviously they work because they also heat the water in the block and head as well, but why in the world would you want to install something that heats the radiator at the same time? Sounds to me like you're just throwing money away. The only advantage I can see for such a heater is ease of installation.

The ultimate engine heater for me is a tank-type unit with an integral circulation pump. On a Ford tractor, I'd use the water pump inlet port as the heater pump inlet (cool water to the pump), and the rear cylinder head plug in the intake manifold as the pump outlet (hot water to engine). As long as the engine thermostat is doing its job, the engine will be nice and toasty, and the radiator will be stone cold, as it should be.
 
And in these Ford applications there is little to no provision for bypass circulation so the part that gets the hottest is the lower hose.

I'll take the clutter free installation of a frostplug style in every instance where one is available and practical to mount. Timers and thermostats have their place and can be incorporated into the power supply in several ways.
 
Zerostart is A premier brand. Hotstart is another, however their in-block options are not as comprehensive as Zerostart. They do make heaters with an integral circulation pump, and I'm pretty sure that Zerostart does not. Heaters with pumps use less energy than a heater without a pump.
 
"The ultimate engine heater for me is a tank-type unit with an integral circulation pump."

Trouble is they are $350 and up, and the recommended two #3100065 block heaters can be had for $20 and up, and should have no trouble heating up that little engine, even at twenty below.
 
LOL yeah, I think I could do a bit better than that Jerry!
I don't know how people get away with stuff like that but there's
a lot of it out there so there must be a lot of lucky people.
 
"If it's cold enough for you to need a heater..."

Not sure it's a "need" so much as a want.
It got down to about 10F this morning, was about 16F when
I went out to start the tractor. It started and ran fine.
The hydraulics were not real happy for the first 15 minutes
or so. Not that a block heater will help the hydraulics, but it
might help reduce cold start wear on the engine.
 
Thanks for the link Bob, very helpful!
Why does it say two are required?
Wouldn't one do the job and just take longer?
 
Thanks for the link Bern, I had no idea they even made those.
I can see me getting busy and forgetting I plugged it in, so
that may be well worth the money for me to have!
Would the remote sensor require engine modification or is
there already a port for it somewhere that wouldn't mess up
the temperature gauge?
 
You are very correct sir. A block heater is far cheaper, but it is not without its drawbacks. For starters, because a block heater is not thermostatically controlled, leaving it plugged in overnight without a timer is a waste of energy. If you DO use a timer, how do you factor in changing weather conditions? Second, a heater with a circulation pump is about 20% more efficient energy wise, because you don't have a pool of very hot water sitting near the top of the engine. Finally, tank heaters do not use the troublesome electrical connections at the heater element that like to corrode/rust. That issue alone has caused multiple fires, not only of the tractor, but also of the hay barn they're parked in.
a150720.jpg
 
One is plenty for a 3-cylinder tractor. Two would be strongly suggested for all 6-cylinder engines, as well as 4-cylinder engines parked outside in the wind. Don't forget the wind chill factor when sizing heaters. It all boils down to (pun intended) total watts versus ambient temperature/wind velocity.
 
The only problem with the Hotstart "thermocord" is that the thermowell (the part the thermostat sits in) that they use is 1/2" NPT pipe thread. I'm not sure on a gasser, but you won't find a plug that big on a diesel. However, you could make a 1/2" NPT port by drilling and tapping a hole in your intake manifold near the front of the engine, if it was a diesel. All bets are off on the gas rig. I just don't recall what's there with regards to cooling system ports.

Edit: I just went to the NH parts website. They show a 3/4" NPT pipe plug in the intake manifold. So, with a 1/2 to 3/4" bushing, you'd be set.

This then brings up the final issue: The "thermocord" that Hotstart sells is designed to be used with a specific style of plug at the heater. If you were to purchase a block heater from Zerostart or NH, I can almost guarantee you that it would not fit. However, with some wire nuts and an electrical junction box (or copious quantities of electrical tape), a person could adapt the two harnesses easy enough.

Note that Hotstart sells those thermocords in 3 temperature ranges: 80-100, 100-120, and 120-140.

Finally, if it sounds like I'm a salesman for Hotstart, please understand that I am not. However, I recently concluded an engine heater comparison test using two heaters that they supplied, so I have a very thorough and fresh knowledge of their product line.
 
Go to page 31 of the catalog linked below. This is exactly what you need if you want thermostat control of your block heater. You'll simply splice this cord into your existing cord, and away you go. Trust me, it works, I've done it.

You'll want the "weathertight" model (DIT 68, or DIT810, etc.). Note that the actual thermostat is incorporated into the black cord. The thermowell is the aluminum part. To install, you screw the thermowell into your engine, and then the cord assy into the thermowell.

Note that you can get 4 different temp ranges: 60-80, 80-100, 100-120, & 120-140.
Hotstart catalog
 
You can buy a Kats 2,000 watt tank heater for a $100.00. I have one on a Cockshutt PD 40 and I can plug it in on a day in the teens and go in and eat breakfast and come out engine will be at operating temp.
 
In my opinion, a block heater is the only way to go. You directly heat the coolant in the water jacket surrounding the cylinders. This has several favorable affects. It allows the combustion reaction to start easier because cold cylinder walls tend to "deactivate" some the reactions in the combustion process. Secondly it reduces the oil viscosity on the cylinder walls and that putt less load on the starter and the cold battery, whose output is reduced by low temperatures.
Tank heater are another good idea but are a little more complex to install. Rad hose heaters provide some benefit. Magnetic heaters, in my experience, are worthless.
 
"Magnetic heaters, in my experience, are worthless."

With the results from the few times I've tried to use mine, I'd agree.
 
All I can tell you is they work. Heats the block and the rad. both. Hot water rises and cold water settles whether the thermostat is open or not. I also leave mine plugged in all winter and have not seen any difference in my electric bill. Once up to temp, they use very little electricity. Covering the tractor makes a big difference and, mine are indoors but not in a heated barn.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top